Personality

Black and Tan Coonhounds are a pleasant, laid-back addition to families of all sizes and ages. Playful as puppies, this breed mellows out considerably in adulthood and is happy with moderate exercise and lots of time to relax around the house. Black and Tans are good with children, they are patient and not dominant, but they aren't particularly playful when the get older. Many Black and Tan Coonhounds think they are lapdogs, despite their size, and can ball up into the tiniest of spaces to sleep next to the people they love.

Activity Requirements

Black and Tans don't need an excessive amount of vigorous activity, and as adults they quite enjoy relaxing on the living room rug or attempting to curl up next to you on the couch, despite their large size. They can adapt to just about any living situation and will do just fine in an apartment.

While outside, the Black and Tan Coonhound should be kept on a leash or in a fenced in yard. If they catch a scent, their instincts will take off and employ true hound dog “selective deafness,” and will not obey your commands to return home. They make excellent companions for hunters and farmers. They will track an animal across any terrain, in any weather, and won't stop working until they have that animal penned up a tree.

Trainability

Black and Tans assume they are the leader and require their trainer to prove otherwise. They can be stubborn and even manipulative with their expressive brown eyes and droopy faces. Training a Black and Tan is not for the soft-hearted.

As with most hound breeds, the Black and Tan is sensitive and needs to be trained with a confident, consistent, but gentle hand. Harsh treatment can lead to avoidance behaviors, and extremely sensitive individuals can shut down completely. Positive reinforcement, treats, and a lot of patience will yield the best results when training a Black and Tan.

Behavioral Traits

Hound dogs tend to be howlers, and Black and Tans are no exception. They like to sing along with fire trucks and police cars, but can take to howling and baying when left alone for long periods of time.

Unless they are at work on a farm, Coonhounds should be kept on a leash or in a fenced in yard at all times. They are far too driven to track small animals to be left unattended.

Black and Tans can be prone to drool and slobber, and can make quite a mess at mealtime. Be prepared to mop up lots of puddles around this breed.