There are many different
kinds of hound dogs: wolf hounds, deer hounds, fox hounds, coon hounds,
and hounds that track hare and boars. Coon Hounds are dogs who are
bred and trained to sniff out and hunt raccoons; that's why coon hounds
usually live where there are many racoons. There are several differnt
types of coonhounds: Black-and-Tan Coonhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds,
English Coonhounds, and Redbone Coonhounds. All coonhounds are instinctive
hunters, so it is easy to train them to follow a scent.
The Redbone Coonhounds
are the type of dog that Wilson Rawls wrote about in Where the Red Fern
Grows. The Redbone Coonhounds are probably named after Peter Redbone,
an early breeder, but Southerners used to call them saddlebacks because
they used to have black markings on their backs. The Redbone Coonhound
was used before the Civil War to track down racoons, as well as bear and
wildcats. The Redbone Coonhounds are the only solid colored coonhound.
They have a deep rich-red color. This dog can work through different
kinds of weather. When they are in action, their tail is up and their
long ears drag the ground by their nose and helps them sniff out the scent
of the racoons. This breed has a pleasant sounding bark. If trained from
a puppy, the Redbone Coonhound can be a loving family dog. |
