The Black and Tan Coonhound is first and fundamentally a working dog, a trail and tree hound, capable of withstanding the rigors of winter, the heat of summer, and the difficult terrain over which he is called upon to work. Used principally for trailing and treeing raccoon, the Black and Tan Coonhound runs his game entirely by scent. The characteristics and courage of the Coonhound also make him proficient on the hunt for deer, bear, mountain lion and other big game. Judges are asked by the club sponsoring the breed to place great emphasis upon these facts when evaluating the merits of the dog. The general impression is that of power, agility and alertness. He immediately impresses one with his ability to cover the ground with powerful rhythmic strides.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size measured at the shoulder--Males 25 to 27 inches; females 23 to 25 inches. Oversized dogs should not be penalized when general soundness and proportion are in favor. Penalize undersize. Proportion--Measured from the point of shoulder to the buttocks and from withers to ground the length of body is equal to or slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers. Height is in proportion to general conformation so that dog appears neither leggy nor close to the ground. Substance--Considering their job as a hunting dog, the individual should exhibit moderate bone and good muscle tone. Males are heavier in bone and muscle tone than females.
Head
The head is cleanly modeled. From the back of the skull to the nose the head measures from 9 to 10 inches in males and from 8 to 9 inches in females. Expression is alert, friendly and eager. The skin is devoid of folds. Nostrils well open and always black. The flews are well developed with typical hound appearance. Penalize excessive wrinkles. Eyes are from hazel to dark brown in color, almost round and not deeply set. Penalize yellow or light eyes. Ears are low set and well back. They hang in graceful folds, giving the dog a majestic appearance. In length they extend naturally well beyond the tip of the nose and are set at eye level or lower. Penalize ears that do not reach the tip of the nose and are set too high on the head. Skull tends toward oval outline. Medium stop occurring midway between occiput bone and nose. Viewed from profile the line of the skull is on a practically parallel plane to the foreface or muzzle. Teeth fit evenly with scissors bite. Penalize excessive deviation from scissors bite.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is muscular, sloping, medium length. The skin is devoid of excess dewlap. The back is level, powerful and strong. The dog possesses full, round, well sprung ribs, avoiding flatsidedness. Chest reaches at least to the elbows. The tail is strong, with base slightly below level of backline, carried free and when in action at approximately right angle to back.
Forequarters
Powerfully constructed shoulders. The forelegs are straight, with elbows turning neither in nor out; pasterns strong and erect. Feet are compact, with well knuckled, strongly arched toes and thick, strong pads. Penalize flat or splayed feet.
Hindquarters
Quarters are well boned and muscled. From hip to hock long and sinewy, hock to pad short and strong. Stifles and hocks well bent and not inclining either in or out. When standing on a level surface, the hind feet are set back from under the body and the leg from pad to hock is at right angles to the ground. Fault--Rear dewclaws.
Coat
The coat is short but dense to withstand rough going.
Color
As the name implies, the color is coal black with rich tan markings above eyes, on sides of muzzle, chest, legs and breeching, with black pencil markings on toes. Penalize lack of rich tan markings, excessive areas of tan markings, excessive black coloration. Faults--White on chest or other parts of body is highly undesirable, and a solid patch of white which extends more than one inch in any direction is a disqualification.
Gait
When viewed from the side, the stride of the Black and Tan Coonhound is easy and graceful with plenty of reach in front and drive behind. When viewed from the front the forelegs, which are in line with the width of the body, move forward in an effortless manner, but never cross. Viewed from the rear the hocks follow on a line with the forelegs, being neither too widely nor too closely spaced, and as the speed of the trot increases the feet tend to converge toward a center line or single track indicating soundness, balance and stamina. When in action, his head and tail carriage is proud and alert; the topline remains level.
Temperament
Even temperament, outgoing and friendly. As a working scent hound, must be able to work in close contact with other hounds. Some may be reserved but never shy or vicious. Aggression toward people or other dogs is most undesirable. Note--Inasmuch as this is a hunting breed, scars from honorable wounds shall not be considered faults.
Disqualification
A solid patch of white which extends more than one inch in any direction.
Approved December 11, 1990 Effective January 30, 1991
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The American Black & Tan Coonhound, like any good hunter, strikes a balance between substance and agility. The dog must be sturdy and well developed, with plenty of heart and lung room to provide the endurance necessary to hunt, but never be so overdeveloped or cloddy to detract from the dog's ability to tirelessly work the terrain in search of game. The properly made hound is an efficient mover, in that his legs work in harmony with no wasted motion; he covers ground easily and effortlessly. He is a picture of balance, of symmetry and his parts work together to produce an eager and willing hunter.
Head
The head is of a size consistent with the dog's body and is carried well up. Viewed in profile, the muzzle and the skull are of approximately equal length and the planes of both are parallel to one another. The muzzle is moderately square with only enough flew to give the muzzle a square finish. The skull is very slightly domed, falling off slightly at the occiput at the rear of the skull, and blending smoothly into the muzzle with only a moderate amount of stop. The teeth meet in a scissors bite, with an even or level bite acceptable. Neither undershot or overshot. The eyes are set wide apart and prominent, with both upper and lower eyelids tight, never drooping. The eyes are round in shape, not almond, and are dark brown or black in color, contributing to a pleading expression. The nose is wide, black in color with large, well open nostrils so important in the scenthounds. The nose is never pink or butterfly. The ears are set moderately low on the skull and are devoid of erectile power; leather is fine and soft. They should hang gracefully with the inside part tipping towards the muzzle, be slightly oval in shape and of sufficient length so that when drawn forward they will reach to near the tip of the nose.
Neck
The neck should be clean, with only a minimum of dewlap, and of sufficient length to allow the dog to trail easily, but not overly long or so tapered in any way to suggest weakness. The neck should be well muscled and flow smoothly into the shoulders.
Shoulders
The shoulders should be well laid back, with the angle formed by the shoulder blade and the upper arm approaching 90�. Even more importantly, a line drawn parallel to the floor through the intersection of these two bones would bisect the angle into two equal parts, both measuring approximately 45�. The shoulder blade and the upper arm should be of approximately the same length. The shoulders should be clean, smoothly muscled. The shoulders should never be overloaded or thick, as this is indicative of a dog that is using his front legs to pull his body rather than using them to steer the body, with propulsion being provided by the rear assembly.
Forelegs
The forelegs should have bone of proper size to provide for strength, should be straight to provide a good column of support but never so heavy as to detract from the overall impression of an athlete. The elbows should be held fairly close to the body.
Body
The American Black & Tan Coonhound's body is deep, with the lowest point of the chest extending to the elbows, but never appreciably below. The topline slopes slightly from the shoulders to the tail. The loins are broad, well muscled with a slight arch. The ribs are well sprung to provide plenty of lung and heart room, but not so barreled as to interfere with the free movement of the front legs. The length of the back measured from the root of the tail to the point of he shoulder is roughly the same as the height of the dog at the withers. The body is long enough to provide for full travel of the legs without interference.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters should be well developed and flexible, moderately angulated to provide for good extension, deriving the greatest amount of power possible from each individual stride. When viewed from the rear, the thighs should be broad and muscular. There should be a well-developed second thigh. The hocks should be moderately let down and short in length, never more than one-third the height of the dog at the hips. In motion, the hocks should travel in parallel planes to each other, tending to converge upon a center point of gravity as the dog's speed increases
Feet
The hound's feet are among his most important assets. They are to be tight and well-padded, not large but in harmony with the bone of the legs. The toes should be well arched, never splayed. The nails should be strong. The pads should be thick and tough, well suited to travel over rough terrain. Rear dewclaws should be removed.
Tail
The tail is carried gaily, indicative of an animal happy in his work, but is never curled or carried over the back. It is thick at the base, rather long and tapers towards the tip; set high on the rear assembly and with no brush.
Coat & Color
The hound is covered with a hard glossy hair that is of medium length and offers good protection from brush and the elements. The American Black & Tan Coonhound is predominately a rich, deep black with tan on the muzzle, legs and "pumpkin seed over the eyes. The tan should not cover more than 15% of the body.
Size
Males measure from 23'' to 27'' at the shoulder, females 21'' to 26''. Weight 50 to 75 pounds for males and 40 to 65 pounds for females.
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