Redbone Coonhound Care

The Redbone Coonhound is a medium-sized, fairly rare hunting breed with a "Jekyll & Hyde" temperament: friendly and calm a majority of the time--but focused and dominant when tracking prey. These energetic dogs are sensitive and loyal, and are some of the best gundogs on the planet. Overall Redbone Coonhound care and maintenance will take a moderate amount of work, and will need to include a good bit of daily exercise.

Below you'll find details on caring for a Redbone Coonhound, including info about puppy development, exercise needs, and shedding and drooling tendencies. Get answers to your questions about raising a Redbone Coonhound in the following sections!

As an energetic, athletic hunting breed, Redbone Coonhound exercise requirements are pretty high. These dogs are intelligent and task-oriented, so they'll need a variety of activities that both condition them physically (walking, fetch) and stimulate them mentally (games, canine sports). They make good jogging and bicycling companions as well.

Adult Redbones, depending on their age, will need at least an hour of dedicated exercise each day. You can start exercising your Redbone puppy when it's three months old by taking it on short walks, then you can increase the walks' length as the pup grows.

Precautions with Redbone Coonhound exercise:

• Don't exercise puppies too hard before they're nine months old
• High prey drive means a leash is required when exercising in public
• Yards should be securely fenced to keep the dog from running off
• Possible separation anxiety; exercises should be done together with people

Exercising your Redbone Coonhound every day is a must. These dogs are normally friendly and calm--when they're not tracking an animal, at least!--but without consistent activity they'll be anxious and destructive. Regular exercise will be great for the dog's peace of mind! A few exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging/Bicycling: Two 20-minute walks (or 15-minute jogs or bike rides) per day is a good target
• Fetch/Frisbee: Redbones love chasing a ball, stick, or Frisbee
• Tug-of-War: Great indoor activity; use a rope or old towel
• Hunting: Puts these dogs in their natural element
• Canine Sports: Redbones can excel at obedience or agility trials and other events
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity; bonus if you can find a remote area

When indoors, giving your Redbone access to balls or toys will allow the dog to burn excess energy. It's also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks, jogs, or bike rides after breakfast and dinner and playtime in the afternoon.

In terms of overall maintenance, these dogs will need fair to frequent care. Redbone Coonhound shedding is seasonal: moderate for most of the year, but heavier during the twice-yearly shedding seasons. Drooling is a regular issue.

Redbones have short, smooth, double-layered coats that shed a fair amount most of the time--but when they blow their undercoats in the spring and fall, the shedding is more profuse. Owners can brush their Redbones twice a week or so with a grooming glove to minimize the shed, ad hair cleanup--vacuuming the floors, and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will be necessary from time to time. (Brushing and cleanup will obviously be required more often during shedding season.)

And a Redbone Coonhound may drool in anticipation of food, after drinking water, or when especially excited or nervous. Owners should keep spare rags in rooms where the dog spends time, to use to clean up excess slobber--and if your Redbone Coonhound drooling is excessive, tie a bandanna or towel around the dog's neck to keep its chest and neck from getting dirty and stinky from the drool.