Plott Hound
Encyclopedia
The Plott Hound is a large scent hound
, specifically a coonhound
, originally bred for hunting boar
.
.
The Plott is a strongly built yet moderate hound, with a distinct brindle
-colored coat. Their appearance suggests the capacity for speed, stamina and endurance.
The Plott may have an identification mark on the hound used to identify the dog when out hunting. Such a mark is not penalized in conformation show
s.
According to the National Plott Hound Association, the dog's fur should be brindled. Brindled: "Finely streaked or striped effect or pattern of black or tan hairs with hairs of a lighter or darker background color. Shades of colors accepted: yellow brindle, red brindle, tan brindle, brown brindle, black brindle, grey brindle, and maltese (slate grey, blue brindle)."
Acceptable colors are any of the above mentioned brindles. Black with brindle trim in the alternative. The Association dictates that while some white on chest and/or feet is permissible, white anywhere else, except on chest and/or feet, is a fault.
(UKC) registered Coonhounds, the Plott Hound does not trace its ancestry to the foxhound. And, of those six breeds, we can be most certain of the Plott’s heritage and the men most responsible for its development.
The ancestors of today’s Plott Hounds were used for boar hunting in Germany many years ago. Johannes Plott left his native Germany and came to this country in 1750. He brought a few wild boar hounds with him. These dogs had been bred for generations for their stamina and gameness. Plott and his family settled in the mountains of western North Carolina. Though there is no evidence that Johannes ever came to western North Carolina, his son Henry settled there around 1800 and was responsible for the Plott hound legend of an incredible big game dog. The Plott Balsams
are a mountain range that carries the family name to this day.
Plott supposedly kept his strain entirely pure, making no outcrosses. In 1780, the Plott pack passed into the hands of Henry Plott.
Shortly after, a hunter living in Rabun Gap, Georgia who had been breeding his own outstanding strain of “leopard spotted dogs” heard of the fame of the Plott Hounds and came to North Carolina to see for himself. He was so impressed that he borrowed one of Montraville Plott’s top stud dogs for a year to breed to his own bitches. This single cross is the only known instance of new blood being introduced into the Plott Hound since they first came to this country. Eventually Mont decided not to continue this breeding practice and gave all the leopard dogs away, returning to his original breeding practices.
Other crosses possibly took place around the year 1900. G.P. Ferguson, a neighbor of the Plott family in North Carolina in those days, was a major influence on the Plott breed. He made a careful study of the Blevins hounds and the Cable hounds of that era. To what extent he used these bloodlines in his Plott breeding program is not known.
The Plott Hound was first registered with the United Kennel Club in the 1900's. They have a clear voice that carries well.
Scent hound
Scent hounds are a type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. The Scenthound breeds are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among canines....
, specifically a coonhound
Coonhound
A Coonhound is a type of scent hound and a member of the hound group.Coonhounds are an American style of hunting dog developed for the quarry and working conditions found in the United States. Coondogs are highly valued.-History:...
, originally bred for hunting boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
.
Description
The Plott Hound is one of the least known breeds of dog in the United States, even though they are the state dog of North Carolina.Appearance
The Plott Hound should be athletic, muscular, and agile in appearance. It should be neither low-set and heavy, nor leggy and light: it has medium build. Its expression should be one of intelligence, confidence, and determination. Its skin should not be baggy like that of a BloodhoundBloodhound
The Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
.
The Plott is a strongly built yet moderate hound, with a distinct brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
-colored coat. Their appearance suggests the capacity for speed, stamina and endurance.
The Plott may have an identification mark on the hound used to identify the dog when out hunting. Such a mark is not penalized in conformation show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
s.
Coat and color
The Plott Hound's fur should be fine to medium in texture, short or medium in length, and with a smooth and glossy appearance.According to the National Plott Hound Association, the dog's fur should be brindled. Brindled: "Finely streaked or striped effect or pattern of black or tan hairs with hairs of a lighter or darker background color. Shades of colors accepted: yellow brindle, red brindle, tan brindle, brown brindle, black brindle, grey brindle, and maltese (slate grey, blue brindle)."
Acceptable colors are any of the above mentioned brindles. Black with brindle trim in the alternative. The Association dictates that while some white on chest and/or feet is permissible, white anywhere else, except on chest and/or feet, is a fault.
Size
Plott Hounds are approximately 22 to 27 in (50 to 71 cm) at the withers for males, (50 to 58 cm) 21 to 25 in for females. Males should weigh 23 to 27 kg (50 to 75 lb). Females should weigh 18 to 25 kg (40 to 65lb).Temperament
This breed is active. They are vicious fighters on game, have a super treeing instinct and take readily to water. They are quick to learn. They are often indifferent to other dogs but seek the attention of humans. Voice is open trailing, bawl and chop.History
Of the six breeds of United Kennel ClubUnited Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
(UKC) registered Coonhounds, the Plott Hound does not trace its ancestry to the foxhound. And, of those six breeds, we can be most certain of the Plott’s heritage and the men most responsible for its development.
The ancestors of today’s Plott Hounds were used for boar hunting in Germany many years ago. Johannes Plott left his native Germany and came to this country in 1750. He brought a few wild boar hounds with him. These dogs had been bred for generations for their stamina and gameness. Plott and his family settled in the mountains of western North Carolina. Though there is no evidence that Johannes ever came to western North Carolina, his son Henry settled there around 1800 and was responsible for the Plott hound legend of an incredible big game dog. The Plott Balsams
Plott Balsams
The Plott Balsams are a mountain range in western North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Plott Balsams stretch from the city of Sylva in the Tuckasegee River valley to the southwest to Maggie...
are a mountain range that carries the family name to this day.
Plott supposedly kept his strain entirely pure, making no outcrosses. In 1780, the Plott pack passed into the hands of Henry Plott.
Shortly after, a hunter living in Rabun Gap, Georgia who had been breeding his own outstanding strain of “leopard spotted dogs” heard of the fame of the Plott Hounds and came to North Carolina to see for himself. He was so impressed that he borrowed one of Montraville Plott’s top stud dogs for a year to breed to his own bitches. This single cross is the only known instance of new blood being introduced into the Plott Hound since they first came to this country. Eventually Mont decided not to continue this breeding practice and gave all the leopard dogs away, returning to his original breeding practices.
Other crosses possibly took place around the year 1900. G.P. Ferguson, a neighbor of the Plott family in North Carolina in those days, was a major influence on the Plott breed. He made a careful study of the Blevins hounds and the Cable hounds of that era. To what extent he used these bloodlines in his Plott breeding program is not known.
The Plott Hound was first registered with the United Kennel Club in the 1900's. They have a clear voice that carries well.