Plate 096 · The Americas
American English Coonhound
美国英国猎浣熊犬
“A frontier hound that hunted fox by day and raccoon by night.”
- Origin
- United States
- Virginia and the Southern United States
- Region of origin
- Bred across the American South from the Virginia hounds; the marker is Virginia's reference point.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Developed from foxhounds brought by settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries
- Today
- Hunting dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Virginia and the Southern United States
A fast American scent hound bred to trail raccoons at night and tree them.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunting raccoon by night and fox by day.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It comes from the Virginia hounds, built from English foxhound imports by colonial breeders. The Treeing Walker and the Bluetick were later split from it as separate breeds.
04 · Today
Hunting dog · Companion
A hunting hound, still bred mainly for work, that can also suit an active owner as a companion.
Personality
- Sociable
- Sweet
- Mellow
- Energetic
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Needs a lot of exercise; a good partner for runners and hikers, on lead or in a fenced area.
- Grooming
- Minimal: a weekly rub with a grooming mitt.
- Training
- Friendly but led by its nose; early socialization and patient training.
Living with one
- Size
- Large
- Lifespan
- 11–12 years
- Coat
- Short, hard coat, most often red-and-white ticked, blue ticked or ticked tricolour
Field note
It is also called the Redtick Coonhound, and redtick is one of its most common coat patterns.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Hound Group
- Also recognized by
- United Kennel Club (as English Coonhound)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Hound Group, recognized 2011. First registered by the United Kennel Club in 1905 as the English Fox and Coonhound.
Typically bred in the Southern United States, mainly as a working coonhound. AKC registrations: ranked 182 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- American English Coonhound — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/american-english-coonhound/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- American English Coonhound — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English_Coonhound
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Descent from settlers' foxhounds via the Virginia hounds, UKC recognition (1905), the Treeing Walker and Bluetick splits.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Bred across the American South from the Virginia hounds; the marker is Virginia's reference point.
