Treeing Walker Coonhound vs American Staghound - Breed Comparison

The American Staghound is hunting dog and type of sighthound that is not recognized as a separate breed. They have historically been bred to hunt coyotes and then other game. Even though they are not considered a separate breed some of their breeding lines have existed much longer than some officially recognized breeds. The American Staghound is a cross between the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. There was probably some Borzoi mixed in as well. The Staghound is believed to have traveled with General Custer across the American West. The breed is a long-legged running dog with the speed of a Greyhound, the sighting ability of sight hounds and more endurance than any running breed. They are incredible athletes with amazing agility and have been bred to course game – coyotes mostly – and therefore are bred with a very intense prey drive. In the past they chased stags and deer and today they chase coyotes and hare. Coyotes are much faster than wolves and fight just as hard. The American Staghound is the only breed fast enough to track down the coyote. However, the breed is not recognized by the AKC. Hunting with an American Staghound today is not very different from hunting with them in medieval times. Strict breeding practices and the non-commercialization of the breed has led to the almost perfect preservation of this hunting breed. They have not changed very much over the centuries. They have been breeding Staghound to Staghound since the early 1800’s. At times very, good hunting dogs from Greyhound and Deerhound stock are added to the mix. For hundreds of years now the closed breeding has led to what might be the finest coyote chasing sighthound possible.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound originated in the United States and comes from English and American Foxhounds.

The fact that the dog has the word ‘Treeing’ in its names means that it is a hound dog that runs after its prey, sending it running up a tree to escape until the hunter reaches the tree and can shoot the prey.

The dog was originally classified as an English Coonhound.

When you look at the American Staghound you can clearly see the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound lines. They have strong running muscles in their long legs and deep chest. He is of course a sight hound, so his vision is acute. His running endurance is second to none. It is this endurance in running all day that makes the American Staghound difference from the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound. Yes, both the Deerhound are greyhound are great runners, but the American Staghound runs just as fast with an endurance level ten times that of the other hounds. His heavy bones structure and thick skin are also different from the other racing fast sight hounds.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound looks very similar to a Beagle, just with much longer legs.

He stands at between 51 and 69cm in height both male and female and it weighs between 23 and 32kg.

The coat is short and glossy being either bi- or tri-colored – white, tan and black. The body and legs are strong and muscular. He has fairly long, floppy ears. The eyes are brown, intelligent and alert while having quite a gentle expression.

The muzzle is long and narrow. He has large, floppy pendant ears. The eyes are large, brown and have a soft and gentle expression. The tail is set high and is long.

Temperament:

This breed may be an excellent sport dog but he loves spending time quietly with his human family too, making a great family pet.

He is gentle and makes a great playmate for disciplined children. He is intelligent and it will do both owner and dog the world of good to have him trained and socialized.

They’re stubborn dogs, so it simply makes him well behaved, balanced and a pleasure to have around. He will learn commands easily and readily. If you want a good family pet, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is even-tempered and non-aggressive.

This dog was bred to run fast and long after something it sees. They are not considered hyperactive but won’t live well in a confined space such as an apartment or condo. You will need a single-family house with a large yard. Though they are affectionate, family dogs, they are not cut out to be guard dogs. They are not especially protective or territorial, though they may bark at what they can see in the distance. They are calm in their homes if exercised enough and great with children. They are often gentle and loving. They are pack oriented and accept other dogs, but they are not welcoming toward cats or other prey sized animals. Be careful with the AS around small children as he might knock them down or see them as prey as well. They consider anything smaller that runs to be prey. When chasing prey, they are not only fast and enduring, they are tenacious and courageous. Remember that this is a breed that has been bred true in order to hunt and only in order to hunt. Their hunting instincts will override almost any other. Over the centuries only the best hunters were allowed to be bred so that only the best hunters would be born.

These dogs are loving, loyal confident, social and intelligent, making good companion dogs.

Whether they're outdoors being full of energy and on a hunt, they always give of their best. When they're at home with their human family, they put work behind them and become gentle, mellow pets, loving to just take it easy with their human family.

The American Staghound has been bred so consistently within the breed and true that they exhibit very few health problems. All running dogs are susceptible to joint issues, but the Staghound has less than most. Two issues they do face more often are a problem with anesthesia if they ever need it and the propensity to be vulnerable to bloat. Since they are a centuries old hybrid there are no real health issues born of genetics.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is looked upon as a healthy dog breed that can be 10 – 13 years of age. Even so, there are diseases that can plague him, and hip dysplasia and ear infections are two that you need to be aware of.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is when the ball and socket joint isn't formed properly so that there is a grinding action of the joint instead of it sliding smoothly. This common skeletal disease is found in young and old dogs, and it seems more prevalent in larger dog breeds.

Your dog will have pain in the hip joints and even loss of muscle mass in the thigh area. You’ll notice that he becomes less active. Your dog will need to get to the vet so that the vet can suggest treatment for pain and to make him more comfortable.

Ear Infection:

As a floppy-eared dog, the Treeing Walker Coonhound will scratch at his ears and shake his head if he has an ear infection. With an ear infection inflammation affects the ear canal and can result in deafness. With his floppy ears moisture within the ear can attract bacteria and yeast.

Your pet will need to get to the vet because an ear infection is a painful condition.

Feeding

It is important that you don’t ever over feed you American Staghound as they are thin and bred to run. Even though they are heavier boned than their closest relatives, they are still very susceptible to obesity if overfed. The adult AS should be fed about 4-6 cups of dry food every day in at least 2 meals but 3 of more would be better. This will prevent bloat.

Health issues

As previously mentioned there are no genetic issues with the health of the American Staghound. Bred for one reason and one reason alone for many centuries has led to this healthy state. Also, as stated previously they can have issues with bloat and anesthesia. The issue with anesthesia comes from the fact that the American Staghound has very little body fat to muscle ration. The issue with bloat or torsion can be avoided with many smaller meals and not running your Staghound right after they eat a large meal.

Exercise and games

Of course, the American Staghound loves to run and if you are not going to hunt with her, you will have to find another source of vigorous physical activity. Every day from puppyhood on the AS must be stimulated mentally and physically in order to grow and mature correctly. He must have a home where the freedom to run is an everyday experience, not a dog park once a week. If you ride bikes, race walk or run on a daily basis this might be the dog for you. They obviously excel at games like lure coursing and can be good at agility.

● A healthy diet with vitamins and minerals as well as essential fatty acids is imperative. To get this in a commercially manufactured dog food, you will need to buy the best, high-quality ones. Some of the inferior brands have all kinds of bad stuff in them such as colorants preservatives and fillers.

Try and give him some homemade food such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables. Dogs want simplicity in their foods. They can't stomach highly spiced, salted and exotic foods. Plain, wholesome foods keep him healthy and happy.

● It is recommended that you have your dog spayed or neutered. Not only will you prevent an unwanted litter, having them spayed or neutered prevents serious diseases later on. Also, have

your Treeing Walker Coonhound immunized to prevent some of the deadly canine diseases there are.

●These dogs are active, sporty dogs known for their stamina. To keep them lean, athletic and fit, they will require lots of exercise. They love a walk but will require more than a regular walk. Hikes are more what they have in mind. They never tire of hectic ball games, hide and seek and swimming. Because they are active, alert and intelligent dogs, they will need mental stimulation too.

● Your Treeing Walker Coonhound isn't a high maintenance dog because their short coat is easy to keep groomed just by giving him a good brush once or twice a week.

Make the grooming session a time to check him over for ticks and fleas and any unusual lumps on his body. It's a time to look at his eyes to make sure they're clear and bright without any discharge. Check inside his ears for redness and infection.

Trim his nails too. Remember he can't tell you about his teeth, so try and look inside his mouth to see that all is well. A good sign of bad teeth is bad breath. There are professional groomers who are willing to do all these grooming chores for you.