I will give you some information about my experiences with dogs of the breed or mixed with the breed and give you some of the general characteristics of the breed.
My intention here is to provide you with information regarding different breeds. Perhaps this will be helpful to some of you who are considering adopting or purchasing and new member of your pack.
Todays topic is the Plott Hound. This breed is very popular in the Carolinas. It is a scent hound that was bred for hunting mostly larger game. I understand they are used a lot to hunt wild Boar. Although I am told they make great coon hounds too.
An interesting bit of trivia: I am told that the Plott Hound is the only American Hound Breed that does not have British ancestory. It is actually German in origin. In the 1750s just before the war of northern aggression :) , a guy name Jonathan Plott decided he wanted to move from his home in Germany to the USA. The story goes that Jonathans brother came with him but, tragically, died in route.
Jonathan brought with him five Hanoverian Hounds. Jonathan settled in North Carolina. There he began breeding his dogs with some of the local dogs. It is said that Bloodhounds were one of the breeds that he mixed with his dogs. Eventually his dogs became the Plott Hounds that we know today.
You can read about the AKC standards for this breed at http://www.akc.org/breeds/plott/index.cfm .
There are a variety of markings and colors in the Plott Hound breed. I am partial to the brindle pattern of the dog in the picture.
The adult Plott Hound is generally about 22 -24 inches high and weighs about 45-55 pounds. I have seen a couple of them a little bigger than that though.
These guys are beautiful, muscular hounds. They are very energetic. They learn very quickly and generally really want to please their people.
Like a lot of hounds they are quite vocal. So, they may not be a great choice for the apartment dweller.
They are generally very affectionate to people and good with children.
The voice of the Plott Hound is oddly high pitched. It is not what you would expect from a dog of its size but it is a really cool sound (to me anyway, but I am quite partial to the sound of a hounds voice).
These guys, even as adults, are extremely energetic. They need a lot of exercise.
Because they are so energetic, it is important to socialize them at an early age and to get the obidience training. They can be taught at any age and can be very well behaved and polite little guys but you have to be consistent and work at it. The earlier you start the easier it will be.
As with a lot of the hounds, these guys do not do well off leash. They will wander off on the trail of game or something and it will be difficult to call them back.
I had a female Plott Hound Puppy named Sadie to attend my Puppy 1 and Puppy 2 classes when I worked at Petco. This was one of the most intelligent and easy to train dogs with which I have ever worked. She was energetic and at first loved to pull the leash. But by the end of the classes she was doing very well! Her desire to work and please the people was remarkable. But her people exercised her a lot! That is a requirement that I can not stress enough.
If you want a really sweet, loyal and energetic companion. The Plott Hound is certainly worth consideration.
If you have any questions about a suitable dog for your pack or if you have training needs, please contact me at any time.
-Till Next Time-
William
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
