Black and Tan Coonhound

		Black and Tan Coonhound
		FCI standard Nº 300

Origin		U.S.A.
Group		Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds
Section		Section 1.1 Large sized hounds
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Tuesday 10 July 1945
Publication of the official valid standard		Wednesday 30 January 1991
Last update		Friday 04 October 2002
En français, cette race se dit		Chien noir et feu pour la chasse au raton laveur
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Schwarz lohfarbene Waschbärenhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro negro y fuego para la caza del mapache
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Black and Tan Coonhound

Usage

Hound.

Brief historical summary

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 an 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 by the club sponsoring the breed 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. 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.

Important proportions

• 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 the dog appears neither leggy nor close to the ground.

Behaviour / 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
Cranial region
Head		The head is cleanly modeled. 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.
Skull		Tends toward oval outline. Viewed from profile the line of the skull is on a practically parallel plane to the foreface or muzzle.
Stop		Medium stop occuring midway between occiput bone and nose.

Facial region
Nose		Nostrils well open and always black.
Lips		The flews are well developed with typical hound appearance.
Jaws and teeth		Fit evenly with scissors bite.
Eyes		Are from hazel to dark brown in color, almost round and not deeply set.
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.

Neck

The neck is muscular, sloping, medium length. The skin is devoid of excess dewlap.

Body
Back		The back is level, powerful and strong.
Chest		Chest reaches at least to the elbows.
Ribs		The dog possesses full, round, well sprung ribs, avoiding flatsidedness.

Tail

Is strong, with base slightly below level of backline, carried free and when in action at approximately right angle to back.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		The forelegs are straight.
Shoulders		Powerfully constructed.
Elbows		Turning neither in nor out.
Pastern		Strong and erect.

Hindquarters
Generality		Quarters are well boned and muscled. From hip to hock long and sinewy, hock to pad short and strong. 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.
Stifle		Stifles and hocks well bent and not inclining either in or out.

Feet

Are compact, with well knuckled, strongly arched toes and thick, strong pads.

Gait and movement

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 center 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.

Coat
Hair		Short but dense to withstand rough going.
Colour		As the name implies, the color is coal black with rich tan markings above eyes, on sides of muzzle, chest, legs and breeching, with black pencil markings on toes.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males 63,5 to 68,5 cm (25 to 27 inches); females 58 to 63,5 cm (23 to 25 inches). Oversized dogs should not be penalized when general soundness and proportion are in favor.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Excessive wrinkles.

Excessive deviation from scissors bite.

Yellow or light eyes.

Ears that do not reach the tip of nose and are set too high on the head.

Rear dewclaws.

Flat or splayed feet.

Lack of rich tan markings, excessive areas of tan markings, excessive black coloration.

White on chest or other parts of body is highly undesirable.

Undersize.
Note : Inasmuch as this is a hunting breed, scars from honorable wounds shall not be considered faults.

Disqualifying faults

Aggresive or overly shy.

A solid patch of white which extends more than one inch in any direction.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 28 January 2024; Hits: 543

Black and Tan Coonhound