Coonhounds have their name from their hunting practices which involved raccoons. Whilst black and tan coonhounds, in particular, are predominantly used for hunting raccoons, others don’t solely specialize in this and instead are used to hunt foxes as well as raccoons and other types of prey. As a member of the hound group, a coonhound is a type of scenthound.
The black and tan coonhounds were originally bred in the United States from strains of a bloodhound and a foxhound.
A coonhound doesn’t refer to one specific breed but rather several representative species. This includes the black and tan coonhound, the Treeing Walker Coonhound, the American English Coonhound, the Bluetick Coonhound, and more. The first breed to be officially registered was the black and tan coonhound. Treeing Walker Coonhounds earned their name courtesy of their ability to trail faster than the other species of coonhounds, often chasing their prey into the trees until their hunter arrived.
Each breed is recognized for sharing similar personality traits with a very similar melody to their voices. Despite there being several different species of coonhounds available they are all united by their name which signifies their ability to hunt for a raccoon by its scent. They can be used to hunt individually or as part of a pack.