Hellenic Hound vs Coonhound - Breed Comparison | PetzLover

The Coonhound, hailing from the United States of America, is a scenthound or hunting dog of which there are 6 distinct breeds which are recognized by the United Kennel Club.

Because foxhounds were regarded as inadequate for hunting, people started looking at the developlent of other hounds who had a keen sense of smell and the ability to track and animal effectively and without necessarily a human commanding it.

Foundation dogs were selected because of their keen sense of smell and Bloodhounds were also added to the Coonhound line to provide the Coonhound with superb tracking skills. Its precise origins are unknown but it is believed that many of the European hunting hounds were involved in its development as well as the Kerry Beagle and the FrenchBleu Gascogne hounds.

It was in 1912 that the first Black and Tans were registered with the United Kennel Club. In 1945 the American Kennel followed.

Developed in Southern Greece, the Hellenic Hound was bred to hunt hare and is an ancient breed. It is a medium sized breed with strong scent and tracking skills. It is believed to have been in existence for thousands of years. The ancestry of the breed included the Lagonikoi or laconikoi, native to southern Greece in ancient times. The breed was spread by sailors on Greece trading ships and colonization.

Todays Hellenic Hound is found throughout Europe. Kept somewhat isolated by the mountains, the breed was protected from outside breeding and they remained pure for centuries. It is a fearless, smart and hyped up purebred. The Hellenic Hound needs to have a job and if you don’t give him one, he will find one. He is smart and independent which sometimes makes him stubborn. It also takes this dog longer to mature than others, sometime between two and three years. It is not good for first time owners. Today’s hound is still a popular hunting dog and companion animal as well. They are rarely seen outside of the Greek country.

In 1996 the Hellenic Hound was recognized as the first Greek dog breed into the FCI. They are not recognized by the AKC. Its numbers continue to decline.

Known also as the Black and Tan Coonhound, the Coonhound is a medium to large dog weighing 23–34kg and standing at 53-69cm. He makes an exceptional pet.

He has a short, dense coat of black and tan in color with tan markings around the muzzle. He has long, floppy ears and a long tail. With his long, strong, muscled legs he is able to pick up speed when on the hunt. He is known for his deep, booming bark.

Temperament:

The Coonhound isn’t as jaunty as some other dog breeds but he is social, playful and friendly. He is even tempered and sensitive, and you’ll know when you’ve hurt his feelings as he gets a look about him of utter misery.

He definitely isn’t suited to apartment living and being left on his own, and is therefore not suited to an owner who works all day and leaves him on his own. They just love human companionship, and enjoy taking part in all the activities of their owner's life.

Early training and socialization will be necessary to ensure he grows up calm, obedient, relaxed and confident. When he has been socialized he makes an excellent family pet, getting on well with children as well as with other pets in the home.

Today’s Hellenic Hound is not a big dog but rather very average or medium. It is an athletic dog and looks like it. It has a balanced body with a deep chest and thick neck. It has medium height legs that are strong and muscular with paws that are prepared for the terrain it always works on. Its coat is short and tight. The colors of the Hellenic Hound are black with tan or white on the chest. Their heads are noble and rounded with a rectangle shaped muzzle. They have v shaped, long ears and round eyes. Their toe nails are black and so is their nose. It has excellent scent glands, very quick responses, speed and stamina. Their tail is thick and tapers off.

The Coonhound is often described as a carefree, happy-go-lucky type of dog breed who is social and who just loves to spend time with his human family.

They just love their human family, and are full of mischievous tricks, being amusing and entertaining for the family.

He is a playful, gentle dog and he seems to keep his puppy nature much longer than with other dog breeds, but this is part of his appealing nature. He isn't a dog breed for everyone as some dog owners might want a more serious breed, but when trained and socialized, he promises to turn out to be an adored family pet.

Children friendliness

yes, they are very fond of children as long as they are carefully socialized.

Special talents

Great hunter, stamina ,scent, voice

Adaptable

He needs to have a yard or land. He doesn’t do well in apartments.

Learning

The breed is very intelligent and can be very trainable. However, they can also be stubborn and that makes training harder.

Coonhounds usually enjoy very good health, but they can still suffer with any one of the more common dog illnesses there are. They’ve got long ears so they are more prone to ear infections. Also, hip dysplasia has been recorded too.

It is why so many breeders opt to have their dogs certified by the Orthopedic Foundation of America.

Ear infections in dogs with long ears are common and most dogs who suffer with an ear infection will scratch at the ears and shake their heads. There can also be redness in the ear.

Mites, bacteria and yeast are all common problems, and your veterinarian can treat it and show you how to clean the dog’s ears to keep them free from infection in the future.

The Hellenic Hound is a fairly healthy breed having been isolated on the Island of Greece for the most part. They are susceptible to:

Joint dysplasia

Could be hips, elbows or knees. If untreated can lead to lameness or inability to walk.

Arthritis

Causes joint pain and can cause lameness or inability to walk.

Bloat

Can be fatal if not treated immediately. To avoid it don’t feed a large meal before or after exercise.

Hunting injuries

Can be a variety of things that occur during the hunt.

Ear infections

Need to keep the ears clean and dry in order to avoid infections.

Exercise:

Your Coonhound will want a lot of exercise. While you keep him on a leash when walking him or allowing him to run while you cycle, he’ll also want a place where he can run off the leash.

Grooming:

Even though the Coonhound is a short haired dog, he does shed. Making use of a rubber curry brush, brush him down twice a week to maintain his beautiful black, velvety coat.

Because he is an athletic outdoor dog, he may be more prone to picking up ticks and fleas and there are excellent shampoos available that keep these parasites at bay for a good many days.

Feeding the puppy

Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day a total of 2 cups

Feeding the adult

Feed the adult twice a day a total of 2-3 cups

Points for Good Health

The Hellenic Hound has excellent stamina, speed and scenting ability.

Games and Exercises

This is a very active, athletic dog that needs to work and needs exercise. He is powerful, quick and has great endurance. It thrives on hunting but will need other activities on the days it doesn’t hunt. It needs a yard or land to play in. Agility, Field Trials, tracking, hunting and fly ball are all activities the Hellenic Hound will enjoy.