Treeing Walker Coonhound Dog Breed

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a hunting dog. They do well as family companions too, as they love kids, love to play and love to be around people. They may not be best for people who have no dog experience, however, as they need a lot of exercise, activity and mental stimulation. If you have ever seen a Treeing Walker Coonhound climbing tree competition, you'll understand that these dogs need a home with people who lead very active lifestyles!

Here are some of the things you should know about these excellent hunting and tracking dogs:

PROS

• Unique bark
• Very energetic
• Highly resilient
• Good watchdogs
• Great with children
• Fine with other dogs
• They can climb trees!
• Moderately easy to train
• Sense of smell is superb
• Huge reserves of stamina
• Very friendly with everyone

CONS

• Not good guard dogs
• Is prone to running away
• Nearly unstoppable prey drive
• Will literally rearrange furniture
• Body odor may be unappealing
• Requires extremely secure yard
• Will bark long and very, very loudly
• Absolutely must be socialized with other pets

On this page, you'll find a bit of Treeing Walker Coonhound dogs 101. These dogs are medium to large in size and look like a large Beagle — but they have a huge amount of energy, stamina, and drive. They are well-known for being beasts in the field but are like lapdogs once home after a hard day of hunting.

These dogs are very aware of their capabilities, and they are extremely intelligent. They can be stubborn for people who fail to arm themselves with as much Walker Coonhound information as possible. These dogs want to work and they want challenges, and if they aren't satisfied, they'll figure out how to get what they want.

Easily the most remarkable talent of these dogs is that they can be trained to climb trees. They are known to literally rearrange furniture and objects so they can climb up. If they do this and they are not in a competition, then there is an issue that must be resolved.

What these dogs need above all are exercise and activity. To them, this means love. They are also keen to have food and agility puzzles at home. If you are a hunter, these dogs will be ready for more long after you are ready to leave. If you are not a hunter: lots of long daily walks, a lot of space to run and many weekly visits to the dog park.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound temperament is a complicated one. These dogs are exceptionally superb hunters, they behave well if properly trained and socialized at a very early age, and they can behave very oddly if upset. If they don't feel a master is up to the task of being an alpha, they may simply run off.

Socialization is mandatory. If you (or your neighbors) have cats, or there are squirrels that get into the yard, these dogs will immediately give chase and in most chances, catch and kill them. While wild animals and rodents will always be this gun dog's target, they simply must understand that non-canine pets are not to be pestered — and a lot of socialization will be needed to accomplish this.

These dogs can be easy to train. It's strongly recommended to keep in mind that they are best as a hunting dog. They are great as companions, however, as they love people, are great with kids and highly tolerant of rough-housing. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that the Treeing Walker Coonhound personality is at its best when these dogs are kept extremely active and mentally stimulated.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a rather healthy breed, and these dogs need to be in top shape to endure the rigors of the hunt. Still, they do have some issues. It's best to know your dog by getting early health screenings and vet checks. You should also keep them clean, free of parasites and taken care of if they are injured in the field. One thing that is particular to Treeing Walking Coonhounds is their somewhat musty scent. They can be bathed regularly to keep the smell from being too strong. Care must be taken to not ruin the coat's natural oils as this can introduce health problems such as skin rashes and worse.

Since the breed may come in close contact with racoons and other animals while hunting, it is important to properly care for any bite/scratch wounds and to make sure your coonhound is up to date on vaccines.

The typical lifespan for a Treeing Walker Coonhound is 12 to 13 years.