Plott Hound
The Plott Hound is a large scent hound, specifically a coonhound, originally bred for hunting boar.
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 Bloodhound. 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 shows.
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 (55 to 71 cm) at the withers
for males, 21 to 25 in (53 to 63 cm) for females. Males should weigh 50
to 75 lb (23 to 27 kg). Females should weigh 40 to 65 lb (18 to 25 kg).
Temperament
This breed is active. They have a superb treeing instinct, take readily
to water and are quick to learn. They are often indifferent to other
dogs but seek the attention of humans. Voice is open trailing, bawl and
chop. They have a clear voice that carries well.
History
The ancestors of today’s Plott Hounds were used for boar hunting in
Germany many years ago. Originally from Germany, Johannes Plott
emigrated to the United States 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.Of the seven breeds of United Kennel Club (UKC)
registered Coonhounds, the Plott Hound does not trace its ancestry to
the foxhound. And, of those seven breeds, we can be most certain of the
Plott’s heritage and the men most responsible for its development.
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
1946. Plotts were recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2006.
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