The American English Coonhound temperament makes him a natural born hunter.
If you love to be outside, and if you love to be active while you’re out there, then this is the dog for you.
American English Coonhound Temperament and Personality
There are five “must-know” traits about the American English Coonhound’s temperament. Read on for an explanation of these traits:
High-Strung
For this breed, in particular, exercise is incredibly important. American English Coonhounds that don’t receive enough exercise, both mental and physical, can become high-strung.
It makes sense – what else is he going to do with all that energy? And when a dog becomes high-strung, he also becomes destructive.
If you are unable to give this dog the mental and physical challenges he needs, then you aren’t a good match.
Energetic
His desire to hunt makes the American English Coonhound rather energetic indeed.
He loves following a scent and chasing after prey.
If you enjoy hunting, you can bet on the American English Coonhound being by your side for the entire day, helping out.
Loyal
The American English Coonhound is a loving and loyal dog who is eager to please his master. This stems from his being a pack dog, which also translates to how well he gets along with others dogs.
He loves his family with all his heart, including children of all ages. However, like with most breeds, he does much better with children if you introduce him at an early age.
He also makes a good watchdog. He has a bark that carries for miles, and he will use it to alert his family if he sees anything suspicious.
He is not, however, a guard dog, as he is not aggressive in the least.
Intelligent
You have to be smart to be a good hunter, and the American English Coonhound is certainly intelligent.
He may become distracted and bored during training, but you can always rely on his passion for hunting to make activities more exciting.
Then, so long as you have his interest, he can learn any trick you throw at him.
Be prepared to spice things up again when he gets bored, though, or training him may seem more difficult than it is.
Active
The American English Coonhound personality is rooted in his love for hunting.
Because hunting is an active sport, it stands to reason that this hunting dog would be fairly active as well.
A Brief History of the American English Coonhound Dog
The American English Coonhound originated back in the 17th and 18th centuries when European settlers brought Foxhounds to the U.S.
Hunters used the American English Coonhound to track the American red fox during the day and raccoons at night.
The AKC finally and officially recognized the American English Coonhound as a dog belonging to the hound group of dog breeds in 2011.
American English Coonhound Training
The first step to training the American English Coonhound, or really any dog, is early and often socialization.
Without the proper amount of socializing, the American English Coonhound can become territorial over things like toys and food.
Just like people, the American English Coonhound is much happier when he regularly has happy encounters with other people and dogs.
This breed is not recommended for those who have never owned a dog before. This is because you need a lot of patience to train the American English Coonhound.
He would much rather be hunting than doing anything else. So, if his training sessions aren’t centered on hunting, he quickly becomes bored.
Stay persistent and consistent to keep him interested and engaged.
Grooming
You don’t have to bother too much with the American English Coonhound’s coat. Brushing him with a grooming mit or a shedding tool once a week is sufficient.
Give him a bath every four to six weeks to prevent that stinky doggy smell.
Check his ears once a week and clean out any excess wax or dirt to prevent ear infections.
Exercise
If you love to run, bike, or hike, this is your dog.
The American English Coonhound enjoys any chance to run with his “pack,” so an active lifestyle is just what he’s looking for.
If you’re not up for a hike or run on a particular day, throwing the ball around with him in the yard is a great way to exercise him, too.
He has a very strong prey drive, though, so whatever you do with him, make sure you keep him on a leash.
If he’s in the yard, be sure the yard is fenced in and that the fence is secure.
If he catches a whiff of something he wants to follow, he will find any hole in the fence to chase after it.
American English Coonhound: Staying Healthy
Most American English Coonhound puppies are healthy, but they can still be prone to certain health issues, like:
On average, a healthy American English Coonhound weight runs between 40 and 65 lbs. It doesn’t matter whether the dog is a male or female – the healthy weight range stays the same.
The American English Coonhound's life expectancy is between 11 and 12 years.
Finding the Perfect American English Coonhound
So you've decided that the American English Coonhound’s temperament is a great match for you and your family. Now what?
American English Coonhounds are available for sale either through private breeders or rescue or adoption agencies.
American English Coonhound for Sale
The average American English Coonhound price is around $1,000.
The price of a puppy may differ, depending on where you get it from. If you adopt an older dog, the cost is typically lower.
Some American English Coonhound puppies can cost as much as $1,200 if they come from a top-of-the-line bloodline..
American English Coonhound Rescue and Adoption
If you are looking to adopt an American English Coonhound puppy, check your local rescue organizations and adoption centers.
You never know just where you might end up finding the exact dog you were looking for.
An American English Coonhound that is up for adoption will always be less expensive than one sold by a breeder.
Adopting an older dog is a great idea if you don’t want any of the hassles that come with training a puppy.
American English Coonhound Breeders
You should always be careful when buying a puppy from a breeder. You don’t want to lay out all of that money, only to get duped into buying a dog with health problems.
A good resource to consult is the Facebook page for the American English Coonhound Association.
Here, you can chat with other American English Coonhound owners and find out what they do and don’t like about the breed. You can also ask for recommendations for reputable breeders.
Never go by just a recommendation alone, though. Once you get a list of names, do your research to ensure the breeders are above-board before making your phone calls.
Conclusion: Why the American English Coonhound?
The American English Coonhound temperament is the very definition of a hunting dog’s temperament.
He is active, loyal, and intelligent. He loves his family, and he loves to please.
However, if you don’t exercise both his body and his brain often enough, his high energy will convert to nervous energy.
If this happens, he will become high-strung and destructive, and you don’t want that.
The American English Coonhound is a fairly healthy breed, living to 11 or 12 years old.
He’s not really a bother to groom, though training him can become complicated. If training activities don’t have to do with hunting, he may get bored.
Stay persistent and consistent, and he’ll come around.
Kailyn has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2012, and during that time she has written about nearly every dog breed imaginable. Her mother loved Collies, and so Kailyn grew up with three of them throughout her childhood – including a blonde one who was half-blind! Now her home belongs to her first official dog, Macho, a Dogo Argentino rescue.