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Plott Hound Breed Summary
Intelligent, Independent, Stubborn, Energetic and Loyal
These guys first came about in the Mountains of Western North Carolina and are an 'All American' dog. They are discussed as being very unique Coonhounds and their ancestors include the Hanoverian Schweisshundens, a type of bloodhound. It is said that five Hanoverian Schweisshundens accompanied the German immigrant, Johanne George Plott, into Wester Carolina in 1750. From these five dogs, and potential mixing from other breeds, the Plott Hound came about. These guys were bred to hunt, protect the home, drive livestock and keep their family's children safe. Nowadays though, you are more likely to see them serving as search and rescue doggies and as pets. They became a recognised breed in 1946 and became the official state dog of North Carolina in 1989!
| Lifespan | 12 - 14 years |
| Height (at the withers) | Males 58.5cm - 71cm, Females 51cm - 58cm |
| Weight | Males 23kg - 27kg, Females 18kg - 25kg |
| Coat | Glossy and dense |
| Colour | Brindle or Black |
| Eye colour | Brown or Hazel |
| Common health issues | Gastric Torsion |
| Other Names | Plott, Plott Cur |
These dogs can be quite a lot to handle and need to be brought up by an experienced hand, so they're not the best breed for first time owners. They can be extremely stubborn which is a result of their independence, a common trait in hounds. This breed therefore must be trained with a lot of patience and positive reinforcement. Once they are trained properly and have matured, they make fantastic family pets due to their intelligence and loyalty to their owners. They have very long-lasting memories and will never forget if someone does them wrong. They can get bored very easily so need lots of physical and mental stimulation to stop them from becoming destructive. Their high energy also means they need lots of exercise and would best suit a family who already lead an active lifestyle.
Most people do not realize that the Plott Hound is one of the few breeds that were developed within the United States. He is quite unique in that he has strong ties to his German roots and is the only Coonhound that does not descend from the Foxhound and instead descends directly from the Hanoverian Schweisshunden which is a type of Bloodhound.
Two German immigrants, Johannes Georg Plott and his brother, brought five Hanoverian Schweisshundens with them when they came to North Caroline in 1750. Johannes Plott’s brother died and he changed his name to Jonathan Plott. Plott began cultivating a hound that was able to hunt bear and other large predators and began breeding the Hanoverian Schweisshundens with Curs and other Bloodhounds. These early dogs were expected to perform multiple jobs around the farm including hunting, protecting and driving livestock and guarding the home from intruders and he also had to be hardy enough to hunt in the rough terrain of the mountains in western North Carolina.
Today, the Plott Hound is still an all-around dog that has the ability to accomplish many jobs. Being a big game hunter, the Plott Hound was used in 1960 by the emperor of Japan to hunt bears that were attacking villagers and their animals.