Treeing Walker Coonhound

Infobox Dogbreed


akcfss = part of the akc fss
akcgroup = FSS
akcstd = http://www.akc.org/breeds/treeing_walker_coonhound/index.cfm
country = The United States of America
name = Treeing Walker Coonhound
ukcgroup = Scenthound Breeds
ukcstd = http://mail.ukcdogs.com/UKCweb.nsf/80de88211ee3f2dc8525703f004ccb1e/cf6904b54802c37a8525704c00658ca5?OpenDocument

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of dog descended from the English Foxhound, first recognized as a separate breed in 1945 ^{[http://www.akc.org/breeds/treeing_walker_coonhound/history.cfm]} . The breed began when a stolen dog of unknown origin, known as "Tennessee Lead", was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 1800s. Thomas Walker had imported the English Foxhound to Virginia in 1742.

Treeing Walker Coonhounds are extremely fast, agile, and tireless in the pursuit of game. They are extremely vocal with a distinctive bay that allows their owners to easily identify their dogs from great distances.

While very affectionate, they are best suited to a life of action outdoors, and will suffer from being cooped up.

Description

Appearance

Walker hounds stand between 20 and 27 inches at the withers, weighing between 50 and 70 pounds and their markings are bicolor or tricolor with smooth short haired coats. They are extremely powerful, especially throughout the shoulder region, and have large ears compared to head size. Their legs are straight and lean, not well muscled. Some people mistake them as being very large Beagles.

Temperament

Treeing Walker Coonhounds are great with children and get along well with other dogs. They love to nest and cuddle. Getting a walker hound out of your bed,off your couch or away from your fireplace will be a feat in itself. They love to sleep after a long day and are the perfect dogs for watching television. Generally easy to train with little trouble, they make excellent pets if well exercised.

Training must be consistent as Walker hounds are extremely intelligent and will take full advantage of loopholes in the training regimen. These hounds have been known to use objects as levers/tools and often manipulate their environment to accomplish a task (e.g., moving furniture to climb over gates, using household objects to manipulate kennel mechanisms, etc.)

Because they are eager to please, loving, intelligent and confident, they make a splendid companion dog for an owner willing to give them proper exercise.

Most Walker hounds are capable of scaling fences in excess of 6 feet so a proper yard system whether fence or electric fence is a must. They bury bones and dig if they are on scent. In general, they are oblivious to commands when trailing a scent, much like a beagle or basset hound so it is imperative for a walker hound to have serious training and a safe running area free of cars or other potential dangers. They have strong tracking instincts, which is why they are popular as hunting dogs. They can be quite adept at catching small varmints such as squirrels, roof rats, possums, and skunks. They are also known for their ability to tree raccoons, bobcats, cougars and bears when hunting in packs of two or more.

Photos

External links

[http://rarebreed.com/breeds/treeing/twcoon_ukc_std.html Treeing Walker Coonhound Rarebreeds Article on Treeing Walker Coonhound]
[http://mail.ukcdogs.com/UKCweb.nsf/80de88211ee3f2dc8525703f004ccb1e/cf6904b54802c37a8525704c00658ca5?OpenDocument UKC Page on Treeing Walker Coonhound]