AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL KENNEL COUNCIL LTD
Extended Breed Standard of THE BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND
Produced by Australian National Kennel Council Ltd
Standard adopted by the ANKC Ltd 2015 Approved 11 December 1990 by AKC Effective 30 January 1991 by AKC Breed Standard Extension adopted by the ANKC Ltd 2015
Country of Origin – USA
Copyright Australian National Kennel Council Ltd 2015 Extended Standards are compiled purely for the purpose of training Australian judges and students of the breed. In order to comply with copyright requirements of authors, artists and photographers of material used, the contents must not be copied for commercial use or any other purpose. Under no circumstances may the Standard or Extended Standard be placed on the Internet without written permission of the ANKC Ltd.
HISTORY OF THE BREED The Black and Tan Coonhound is believed to have descended from the Talbot Hound, which was known in England as far back as the 11th century, and the Bloodhound. In America, the Black and Tan Coonhound evolved from the Foxhounds that possessed treeing instinct and the black and tan color pattern. Owned by scouts and Indian fighters during the late 1700’s, the Black and Tan was the first coonhound to be considered a separate breed from the American Foxhound and was recognised in 1945.
! GENERAL APPEARANCE The Black and Tan Coonhound is first and fundamentally a working dog, a trail and tree hound, capable of withstanding the rigors of winter, the heat of summer, and the difficult terrain over which he is called upon to work. Used principally for trailing and treeing raccoon, the Black and Tan Coonhound runs his game entirely by scent. The characteristics and courage of the Coonhound also make him proficient on the hunt for Deer, Bear, Mountain Lion and other big game. Judges are asked to place great emphasis upon these facts when evaluating the merits of the dog. The general impression is that of power, agility and alertness. He immediately impresses one with his ability to cover the ground with powerful rhythmic strides.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 2 The hound should appear fit and in proper condition to do the job for which it was created. Substance is directly related to this as an animal not carrying the proper degree and quality of bone will not have the substance on which muscle may form, attach and develop to its optimal advantage
Proportion: Measured from the point of shoulder to the buttocks and from withers to ground the length of body is equal to or slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers. Height is in proportion to general conformation so that dog appears neither leggy nor close to the ground.
Substance: Considering their job as a hunting dog, the individual should exhibit moderate bone and good muscle tone. Males are heavier in bone and muscle tone than females.
! TEMPERAMENT Even temperament, outgoing and friendly. As a working scent hound, must be able to work in close contact with other hounds. Some may be reserved but never shy or vicious. Aggression toward people or other dogs is most undesirable.
! HEAD The head is cleanly modelled. From the back of the skull to the nose the head measures from 9 to 10 inches in males and from 8 to 9 inches in females. Expression is alert, friendly and eager. The skin is devoid of folds. Nostrils well open and always black. The flews are well developed with typical hound appearance. Penalise excessive wrinkles.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 3 Showing how excessive flews can Uneven planes: Top of muzzle and be hidden with a taut lead. Relax top of the head are not parallel Excessive flews lead to check flews
Snipey; pointed muzzle Coarse head showing excessive Coarse head from front view is stop; Rottweiler looking too broad: Rottweiler looking
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 4 Skull tends toward oval outline. Medium stop occurring midway between occiput bone and nose. Viewed from profile the line of the skull is on a practically parallel plane to the foreface or muzzle. The head is a unique feature of the B&T and although it is immediately recognizable as a scent hound and apparent kin to both the Bloodhound and the Basset, chiefly through the ears and ear set, there are key differences which make it unique. The head is cleanly modelled and the muzzle and skull should form equal parts, creating a balanced picture. The top is parallel and in profile displays practically parallel planes between skull and muzzle. The skull forms an oval outline when viewed from above. The flews should be well developed. There should not be excessive wrinkle nor any folds. Common faults include broad coarse heads and deep chiseled stops often going hand in hand with short high set ears.
! EYES From hazel to dark brown in colour, almost round and not deeply set. Penalise yellow or light eyes. Whilst it is not specifically mentioned there should not be too much visible haw as the dog is a hunter and as such a tighter eye is preferred for maintenance reasons.
! EARS Low set at eye level or lower placed well back on the head. The ears are low set and well back. They hang in graceful folds, giving the dog a majestic appearance. In length they extend naturally well beyond the tip of the nose and are set at eye level or lower. Penalise ears that do not reach the tip of the nose and are set too high on the head.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 5 EAR FAULTS Above left: Ears good length, but set on too high Above centre: Ears too short and set on too high Above right: Ears set on good position, but too short and flat; not folded Left: Front view of short, flat ears, gives dog a clownish look
! MOUTH Teeth fit evenly with scissors bite. Penalise excessive deviation from scissors bite. ! NECK The neck is muscular, sloping, medium length. The skin is devoid of excess dewlap. ! FOREQUARTERS Powerfully constructed shoulders. The forelegs are straight, with elbows turning neither in nor out; pasterns strong and erect.
Correct front Too narrow Elbows turned out; Too wide/broad, Toed-out pigeon-toed loaded shoulder
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 6 ! BODY The back is level, powerful and strong. The dog possesses full, round, well sprung ribs, avoiding flat sidedness. Chest reaches at least to the elbows.
Body: Overall proportion calls for a hound that is equal in size from the withers to the ground as it is from the point of shoulder to the buttocks or slightly longer. Taking into consideration the resulting outline given the proper angulation – bend of stifle behind, presence of forechest in front, we see a slightly off square profile of a hound that stands over plenty of ground.
IDEAL CONFORMATION
Measured from the point of shoulder to the buttocks and from withers to ground the length of body is equal to or slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers. Height is in proportion to general conformation so that dog appears neither leggy nor close to the ground.
POINT OF WITHERS
POINT OF SHOULDER
BODY TOO LONG BODY TOO SHORT
Too far outside the measurement box. This dog’s point of shoulder to buttocks measurement is much Too leggy longer than it’s withers to ground measurement
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 7 ! HINDQUARTERS Quarters are well boned and muscled. From hip to hock long and sinewy, hock to pad short and strong. Stifles and hocks well bent and not inclining either in or out. When standing on a level surface, the hind feet are set back from under the body and the leg from pad to hock is at right angles to the ground. Fault- Rear dewclaws.
Too wide and/or splayed Too narrow Cow Hocked CORRECT REAR
! TAIL The tail is strong, with base slightly below level of backline, carried free and when in action at approximately right angle to back.
PROPER TAIL SHAPE AND SET
‘The tail is strong, with base slightly below level of backline, carried free and when in action at approximately rigtht angle to back.’
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 8 ! FEET Compact, with well knuckled, strongly arched toes and thick, strong pads. Penalise flat or splayed feet.
CORRECT COONHOUND FEET FEET FAULTS
‘Feet are compact, with well Sloping pasterns Flat feet Splayed feet knuckled, strongly arched toes and thick, strong pads.’
! COAT The coat is short but dense to withstand rough going.
! COLOUR As the name implies, the colour is coal black with rich tan markings above eyes, on sides of muzzle, chest, legs and breeching, with black pencil markings on toes. Penalise lack of rich tan markings, excessive areas of tan markings, excessive black coloration. Faults- White on chest or other parts of body is highly undesirable, and a solid patch of white which extends more than one inch in any direction is a disqualification.
Colour and marking are given considerable latitude, ranging from a very deep mahogany to a lighter clearer tan. Animals completely lacking in markings where called for are to be faulted as are those with excessive amounts of tan, most often seen running high up the legs, completely covering the feet, presenting a solid broad patch of tan across the chest or across the bridge of the nose. Animals lacking the correct markings are most often seen on the head or face through the absence of “pumpkinseeds” over the eyes or missing in other areas. A unique feature of the markings is the black penciling on the toes. It is important to note that honorable wounds are not to be faulted and the resultant hair growth in these areas typically grows back white. Note In as much as this is a hunting breed, scars from honourable wounds shall not be considered faults.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 9 COLOUR SCALE SHOWS THE RANGE OF ‘TAN’ COLOUR THAT MAY BE FOUND IN THE MARKINGS OF A BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND
Darkest ‘Tan’ (Includes any colour in between) Lightest ‘Tan”
! GAIT When viewed from the side, the stride of the Black and Tan Coonhound is easy and graceful with plenty of reach in front and drive behind. When viewed from the front the forelegs, which are in line with the width of the body, move forward in an effortless manner, but never cross. Viewed from the rear the hocks follow on a line with the forelegs, being neither too widely nor too closely spaced, and as the speed of the trot increases the feet tend to converge toward a centre line or single track indicating soundness, balance and stamina. When in action, his head and tail carriage is proud and alert; the topline remains level.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 10 CORRECT MOVEMENT
‘When viewed from the side, the stride of the Black and Tan is easy and graceful with plenty of reach in front and drive behind...’ ‘When in action, his head and tail carriage is proud and alert; the topline remains level.’
AT MEDIUM SPEED Strong, rhythmic and purposeful gait; Level topline
AT HIGHER SPEEDS
Dog will reach out further with shoulder, but will maintain a level topline, rhythm and strength of stride.
FAULT: OVERREACHING or OVER EXTENDING
Dog will reach out and lower head tail and body to gain extra speed.
FAULT: PACING GAIT
Pacing /lateral pairing. Some dogs use a pacing gait due to fatique or coordination problems. (A pacing gait is easier to coordinate than a trot)
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 11 IDEAL FRONT/HIND MOVEMENT ‘When viewed from the front the forelegs, which are in line with the width of the body, move forward in an effortless manner, but never cross.’ ‘Viewed from the rear the hocks follow on a line with the forelegs, being neither too widely nor too closely spaced, and as the speed of the trot increases the feet tend to converge toward a centre line or single track indicating soundness, balance and stamina.’
AT FASTER SPEEDS ‘As the speed of the trot increases the feet tend to converge toward a centre line or single track indicating soundness, balance and stamina.’ This differs from crossing over in that there still is a column of support; one can draw a straight line from the point of the shoulder down through the leg to the foot centre. This keeps power and strength in the gait.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 12 ! SIZE Size measured at the shoulder - Males 25 to 27 inches; 63.5 to 68.6 cms Females 23 to 25 inches; 58.4 to 63.5 cms Oversized dogs should not be penalised when general soundness and proportion are in favour. Penalise undersize.
! DISQUALIFICATION Solid patch of white which extends more than one inch in any direction.
! FAULTS Any departure from the Standard should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
! NOTE Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Extended Breed Standard of the Black and Tan Coonhound - Page 13