Wolfdog vs Black and Tan Coonhound - Breed Comparison

Descendent of the English Talbot Hound, the Black and Tann Coonhound is nevertheless an American creation. Developed by crossing the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound with the Bloodhound in the very early years of the American experience. It is said that George Washington owned several. The very first Coonhound that was given American Kennel Club registration was the Black and Tan in 1945. They had been admitted to the United Kennel Club in 1912. The Black and Tan Coonhound is a traditional hunting dog – known by hunters as a “trail and tree hound”. This is a dog that finds its prey and trees it. They have incredibly strong instincts to hunt and need to hunt. They can track their prey for miles and if they have a scent you cannot get their attention back. They have been valued because they can “cold track”, following the scent of an animal that left the scene long ago. They are known to have tracked mountain lions and bears as well as deer and coon. They were developed to keep the American settlers safe and well fed, but also to keep them company on the trails or by the fireplace. They are the American Dog.

The Wolfdog was brought about when domestic dogs were mated with a variety of wolves so as to produce a hybrid.

People who want to own these hybrids have to be careful because they find that the unpredictable behavior of their pets makes it difficult for them to care for them.

Then they want to get rid of it. Every year, heaps of these hybrids are abandoned due to humans interfering with nature.

The wolfdog has been bred with a number of dogs but we think about it more in terms of wolf and German shepherd.

The Black and Tan Coonhound looks like we all imagine a coonhound would look. They have strong and muscular legs, an oval skull and a scissors bite. They have brown or hazel eyes that are very expressive. The ears of course are long like the bloodhound, far back on the head and thin. His nose is amazingly sensitive as he is scent hound. His nostrils are always black. He is a large, strong dog.

People mesmerized by the wolf long to bring some of that wildness home, and the wolfdog is supposed to do this.

Their looks differ a lot, even those that come from the same litter. You can’t have a predictable looking wolf dog because it could be any domestic dog bred with a wolf so they display a large variety of appearances.

Most Wolfdogs seem to have smaller heads than pure wolves. The ears seem to be bigger and more pointy.

A popular wolfdog mix is a German Shepherd mixed with the wolf. These dogs can be between 70 to 76cm in height and weigh between 40 and 45kg.

Their coat is thick and can be in colors of grey, cream, red, white, dark brown and black.

Temperament:

While the wolfdog can be trained to become quite a friendly kind of dog, it is not suitable for the first time dog owner. It can show bouts of aggressiveness around strangers and be highly protective of its family.

However, this can be helped with early socialization and training. It is illegal to own the wolfdog in some states. You don’t want to leave a wolfdog alone with your children even though the dog is capable of love and loyalty towards his human family.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is intelligent, calm, affectionate, independent, strong, and stubborn. They love children and are gentle with them, but they are also very independent and may not do what the child wants them to do in play. They are loyal to their family and will bay at strangers. They are incredibly adaptable and happy-go-lucky. They will end up on the couch or bed so don’t try to fight it. They like cars and enjoy traveling. If you get a BTC be ready for that booming voice.

When you add the genes of a wild animal to the pool, you get a crossbreed and when its an animal from the wild, its nature is unpredictable.

Many people don’t think about the consequences of what they do when they interfere with nature and the wolfdog gets put down when it behaves like a wild animal and attacks or bites out of defense.

Yes, they can be loyal, loving pets but always you will have the shadow of the dog or wolf’s unpredictable behavior.

There is a reason why these dogs are banned in a number of states. This dog-type-wolf breed is not recommended as a pet at all – take a look at animal shelters and the number of wolf dogs there and ask yourself why.

his is a very healthy breed but like any long eared, floppy eared dogs are prone to ear infections and more seriously ear cancer. They can acquire hip dysplasia like any larger dog and they can have eye issues as well.

These dogs are generally healthy and aren’t prone to genetic related issues.

They will also be susceptible to common dog ailments such as parasites and hip dysplasia.

Like any other dog, these Wolf dogs will also possibly develop tumors. He will also need to be vaccinated against harmful diseases and you will need to have a reliable local vet who is interested in your wolf dog.

Feeding

This coonhound is a big, rugged, working dog and needs to be fed accordingly. Feed him at least twice a day in smaller portions and not right before or right after exercise. Don’t send him on a hunt with a full stomach. Don’t overfeed.

Health issues

1. Hip Dysplasia – get certification on your puppy tested by breeder
2. Ear Infections – clean daily
3. Ear Cancer – most serious issue facing the breed
4. Eye Issues – cataracts, cherry eye, and eyelid abnormalities such as entropian and ectropian

Exercise and games

Not that the Black and Tan Coonhound is lazy, but he can be a couch potato when he is not working. He needs moderate exercise everyday and he does well at activities like barn hunt and field games. If he does catch a scent outdoors and he is not confined in a fence, he will follow the scent with no attention to your calls at all. He can run for miles on end when pursuing prey, but he’d also enjoy just jogging along side you or your bike. He loves long walks but make sure he is on a leash and can’t follow his nose.

If you own a wolfdog the same care procedures would need to be followed as you would with a regular dog.

A wolfdog, however, can’t be vaccinated against rabies. It seems that the reason for this is that it is due to current legislation, and vaccine manufacturers don’t want to support wolf dogs as pets because they are considered to be dangerous.

Provide your wolfdog with highly nutritional, protein-based food. You don’t want to feed your wolfdog any of the low quality, traditional store-bought food high in carbs and artificial additives. Instead, look for a diet rich in proteins and be sure to give this dog some raw meat occasionally.

Groom the thick coat to ensure it stays shiny and healthy.

The dog is active and you will need to provide heaps of exercise for him, both mental and physical activities.

The wolfdog will require training but it will require dedication, though it can be done as the dog is very intelligent.

Even with training, the wolfdog isn’t suited to life in the city but should be kept in the countryside.