Red paws pounding on the ground as he runs. Lowset, long ears flapping in the wind. Eyes fixed on the prey in front of him. Sun shining down on the blur of a blue, white, tan, and black coat. Glistening like stars in the night sky. Muscles rippling behind that warm and soft fur. This is the pelt of a Bluetick Coonhound.

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     Bluetick hounds come from the United States. They were developed in Louisiana from English Foxhounds and Cur dogs. English Foxhounds were bred to other types of hounds too. The Bluetick hound coloring comes from the Grand Bleu de Gascogne (Hajeski). Although Blueticks come from English Foxhounds, Grand Bleu de Gascogne, and Cur dogs, they were registered as English Foxhounds. Bluetick hounds hunt cats, but once they are trained they are mindful, and affectionate creatures. Blueticks do not do so well in a house. They were and still are bred to hunt (Dog Care Professionals).

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     Bluetick hounds Bluetick hounds are stout, sturdy, and well-muscled. They never appear clumsy. They have compact bodies, shiny coats, keen eyes, and lowset, long, thin ears. Bluetick hounds have tan markings on their muzzles and lower legs and sometimes have markings above their eyes and red feet or legs (Appearance and Grooming).  Bluetick hounds walk with their tail held high. They have short to medium length coats that are glossy  and have a unique blue coloring. Their coats are actually tricolour (tan, black, and white) (Appearance and Grooming). Bluetick hounds should be more blue than white. Their head, and ears are black. Blueticks have a creative mixture of colors.

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     Bluetick hounds have some interesting traits. They are intelligent, ambitious, and fearless dogs. Blueticks work hard to track and tree their targets. They can stay on a trail for hours to days if needed. Bluetick hounds are terrific dogs for hunters or sporting households (Appearance and Grooming). They should not be trusted off leash in open areas. Their noses can lead them astray. Blueticks chase and pounce on anything smaller than them that moves. Bluetick hounds are considered free-tonguers which makes them loud when hunting (Appearance and Grooming). Blueticks should be free-tongued on a trail, their voice changes as they run. Bluetick hounds are referred to as “the good hound bawl.” They have musical vocalization skills (Appearance and Grooming).

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     There are two main groupings of hounds: scent hounds and sight hounds. Scent hounds scent the prey and sight hounds see it. Sighthounds dispatch the target they catch prey with no human interaction. Sighthounds have good eyesight, and speed. Some dogs have 220,000,000 or more olfactory receptors compared to 5,000,000 for humans (Campbell). Coonhounds have different scent styles. There are also hot-noses and cold-noses. Hot-noses like a fresh trail, but cold-noses can follow a cold one. Bluetick coonhounds are cold-nosed (Campbell).

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     Dogs hunt because they need to eat. Even pampered dogs react to seeing prey. Dogs have the urge to track down and chase prey, it is in their nature. For dogs and pretty much all other hunting animals, scent is the key sense for identifying prey (Shojai). A puppy follows an adult dog’s example, so when the adult dog hunts prey the puppy tries to follow their example. If a puppy is never exposed to prey when it is young sometimes it can be a more successful hunter in the future. Play behaviors for dogs use the same skills as hunting. Instinct tells them that what they are hunting may be dangerous they will most likely back off. Dogs all have different hunting abilities, which make hunting for some dogs harder and others easier (Canine Hunting Behavior). Today most dogs do not need to hunt. They know they will be fed so it is not needed. Hunger does not trigger hunting; it is the sound, scent, and sight of the prey that does. Dogs track prey by following scent. They hold their heads high, or they press their noses to the ground. When they are following a scent trail. They slow down when they are closer to the prey. They slowly lower their head, while staring at the target. They then rush at the prey, and hopefully kill it with no trouble, although that does not usually happen (Shojai).

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     The Bluetick Coonhound is one of the best hunting dog breeds. Especially if you want to hunt raccoons. They are a relatively rare breed of dog. They are rarely seen, but if you do see one take the time to look at their colours and how they hunt. The next time you see a dog that is blue, black, tan, and white - it is likely to be a Bluetick Coonhound

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