Treeing Walker Coonhound

Treeing Walker Coonhound

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The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of dog descended from the English Foxhound. The breed began when a stolen dog of unknown origin, known as “Tennessee Lead”, was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 1800s. Thomas Walker had imported the English Foxhound to Virginia in 1742.

Numerous types of walker hounds exist, with the Treeing Walker being the most prominent. They are excellent hunting dogs, very capable in the art of treeing game. They are known to sometimes virtually climb the tree to get at their prey. Normally, they are trained to bay the breed’s melodic and distinctive howl, informing their hunters that the prey has been treed.

The Treeing Coonhound is good with children and gets along with other dogs. Training is accomplished with little trouble, as these dogs are able to learn from example. They are primarily working and hunting dogs but will also make a great companion dog. Working, to the Treeing Walker Coonhound, is not work but a sport and diversion. They thrive on consistent and ample attention. High-strung but loving and eager to please, the Treeing Walker is intelligent, skilled and confident. Some say they are the best breed for coonhound field trials because of their speed, ability to locate quickly and good treeing ability. They are swift with a very good sense of smell and a distinctive howl. Socialize at a young age. 

Appearance: They stand between 20 and 27 inches at the withers, weighing between 50 and 70 pounds. They come in both bicolor and tricolor coats. They are extremely powerful, especially throughout the shoulder region, and have large ears compared to head size. Their legs are straight and lean, yet well muscled.

Temperament: Treeing Walker Coonhounds are great with children and get along well with other dogs. They love to nest and cuddle and getting a walker hound out of your bed will be a feat in itself. Generally easy to train with little trouble, they make excellent pets if well exercised. Training must be consistent as Walker hounds are extremely intelligent and will take full advantage of loopholes in the training regimen. These hounds have been known to use objects as levers/tools and often manipulate their environment to accomplish a task (e.g., moving furniture to climb over gates, using household objects to manipulate kennel mechanisms, etc.)

Because they are eager to please, loving, intelligent and confident, they make a splendid companion dog for an owner willing to give them proper exercise. Most Walker hounds are capable of scaling fences in excess of 6 feet so a proper yard system whether fence or electric fence is a must. They bury bones and dig if they are on scent. In general, they are oblivious to commands when trailing a scent, much like a beagle or basset hound so it is imperative for a walker hound to have serious training and a safe running area free of cars or other potential dangers. They have strong tracking instincts, which is why they are popular as hunting dogs.

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