Plott

Petit Bleu de GascognePoitevin

Plott – General Description

The Plott Hound is a large scent hound, specifically a coonhound, originally bred for hunting boar. 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.

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Classification and Standards

• AKC Hound Group
• UKC Scenthound Group

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Background

Coonhounds are an American style of hunting dog developed for the quarry and working conditions found in the United States. Coondogs are highly valued.

In the colonial period, foxhounds were imported for the popular sport of foxhunting. Various breeds of foxhounds and other hunting hounds were imported from England, Ireland, and France, making up the initial composition of the dogs that were later known as Virginia Hounds.

Foxhounds were found to be inadequate for hunting animals that did not hide near the ground, but instead took to the treetops to escape, such as raccoons, opossums, bobcats and even larger prey like cougars and bears. The dogs were often confused or unable to hold the scent when this occurred, and would mill about.

The name is derived from their original use in hunting raccoons.

Treeing dogs were developed, chosen for a keen sense of smell, the ability to track, chase and corner any manner of animal independent of human commands, and, most importantly, to follow an animal both on the ground and when it takes to the trees. A good coonhound will bark and keep its prey treed until the hunters arrive. Bloodhounds specifically were added to many coonhound lines to enhance the ability to track. Some dogs have webbed toes to deal with the rivers and swamps so common in their hunting grounds.

Coonhounds can hunt individually or as a pack. Generally, hunters do not chase their quarry along with the hounds, unlike organized foxhunting, but wait and listen to the distinctive baying to determine if a raccoon or other animal has been treed. Besides raccoons, coonhounds are excellent at handing all manner of prey if trained properly.

Other Coonhounds include:

• American Black & Tan Coonhound
• Bluetick Coonhound
• English Coonhound
• Redbone Coonhound
• Treeing Walker Coonhound

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Character & 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. Plott Hounds are also good family pets, but young children will not do well with this breed because of its hunting instinct.

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History

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.

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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4]

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Size & 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 beautiful, strongly built yet moderate hound, with a distinct brindle-colored coat. His 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 (50 to 71 cm) at the withers for males, (50 to 58 cm) 21 to 25 in for females. Males should weigh 50 to 75 lb (23 to 27 kg). Females should weigh 40 to 65 lb (18 to 25 kg).

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Health & Maintenance

No unusual health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed.

References

1. McCoy, Erin Kathleen. “North Carolina State Dog”. State Symbols USA. – http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/North_Carolina/dog-plott-hound.html
2. “1. JOHANNES GEORGE PLOTT (ELIAS ISAAC PLATZ) was born Abt. 1734 in Heidelberg, Batavia, Germany, and died 1810 in Lincoln County, NC.” – http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/l/o/Laurence-E-Plott/GENE2-0001.html
3. North Carolina Office of Archives and History. “Plott Hound Historical Marker”. StoppingPoints.com. – http://www.stoppingpoints.com/north-carolina/sights.cgi?marker=Plott+Hound&cnty=Haywood
4. “Plott Quick Facts”. Dognation.net – http://www.dognation.net/dog-breeds/hound/plott.php

• secretary.state.nc.us – http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/pubsweb/symbols/sy-plott.htm
• akc.org – http://www.akc.org/breeds/plott/
• slate.com – http://www.slate.com/id/2184281/pagenum/all/#page_start
• ukcdogs.com – http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/PlottHoundRevisedJanuary12009
• Strike and Stay: The Story of the Plott Hound, Bob Plott, The History Press, 2007 pp. 25–30

Photo Credits

1. DTabCam (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
2. Mw2bonn (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
3. Plotthund (Own work Eget bildearkiv) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
4. Dr. Dominik Hessenmöller de:Benutzer:AlfredPennyworth (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Plotthound.jpg) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
5. Mw2bonn (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

This article is licensed (except where noted) under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article Plott and Coonhound.

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Breed Standard

Plott

HISTORY

Of the seven breeds of UKC registered Coonhounds, the Plott Hound and the American Leopard Hound do not trace their 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.

The ancestors of today’s Plott Hounds were used for boar hunting in Germany many years ago. Jonathon 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.

In those days there were no wild boars in this country. Jonathon Plott used his dogs for hunting bear.

Plott supposedly kept his strain entirely pure, making no outcrosses. In 1780, the Plott pack passed into the hands of Henry Plott.

Shortly after that time a hunter living in Georgia who had been breeding his own outstanding strain of “leopard spotted bear 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 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.

Other crosses possibly took place around the year 1900. G.P. Ferguson, who was 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 1946. Today’s Plotts are known for their great courage and stamina. They have a clear voice that carries well.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Plott is a beautiful, strongly build yet moderate hound, with a distinct brindle colored coat. His appearance suggests the capacity for speed, stamina and endurance.

CHARACTERISTICS

This breed is active, fast, bright, kind, confident and courageous. They are vicious fighters on game, have a super treeing instinct and take readily to water. They are alert and quick to learn. Voice is open trailing, bawl and chop.

HEAD

The head is moderately wide in skull and somewhat flat on top. The muzzle is of medium length, strong but not squared off in profile.

TEETH – Scissors bite preferred, even bite acceptable. Undershot or overshot are disqualifying faults.
EYES – Prominent, set moderately wide apart in skull, brown or hazel in color. Eyelids tight, with no drooping. Expression is kind and intelligent.
NOSE – Large, with well-opened nostrils. Fully pigmented, black in color.
EARS – Set moderately high and of medium length, soft to the touch, with no erectile power.

NECK

Medium length, well muscled, slightly arched at the crest.

FOREQUARTERS

Forelegs perfectly straight and well covered with smooth muscles. Pasterns short, strong and nearly upright. Shoulders are muscular and sloping to indicate speed and strength. Length of leg from elbow to ground is approximately one-half the height at the withers.

BODY

Chest is deep to elbow and moderately broad, giving adequate lung space. Ribs are nicely sprung, tapering to a graceful tuck-up at the flank. Back is broad, well muscled, level. Never roached. Loins muscular and slightly arched. Overall proportion is square or slightly longer than tall, measured from point of shoulders to point of buttocks and withers to ground.

HINDQUARTERS

Hips are smooth, round, proportionately wide and well muscled. Legs are strong and muscular above the hock, with moderate angulation at the stifle and hock joints. Short and straight from hock to heel, never cow hocked. Without rear dewclaws.

FEET

Round, cat-like foot, with deep pads and well-knuckled toes.

TAIL

Rather long, moderately heavy, strong at the root and tapering to the end. Some brush. Carried free, well up and saber like.

COAT

Fine to medium coarse in texture. Short or medium in length, with a smooth and glossy appearance.

COLOR

The National Plott Hound Association’s definition of the word “brindle”: “A fine 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.)” Grey muzzle accepted.

Acceptable colors are any of the above mentioned brindles, or black with brindle trim. Some white on chest and/or feet is permissible. White anywhere except on chest and/or feet is a fault.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Height at withers for adult males, 22 to 27 inches. For adult females, 21 to 25 inches.

Weight for males is 50 to 75 pounds, for females 40 to 65 pounds.

GAIT

Quick and agile, with head and tail carried well up.

ELIMINATING FAULTS

(A dog with an Eliminating Fault is not to be considered for placement in a bench show/conformation event, nor are they to be reported to UKC.)

Males under 22 inches or over 27 inches. Females under 21 inches or over 25 inches. (Entries in Puppy Class are not to be eliminated for being undersize.)

DISQUALIFICATIONS

(A dog with a Disqualification must not be considered for placement in a bench show/conformation event, and must be reported to UKC.)

Any solid color. Undershot or overshot. Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Albinism. Deaf. Blind.

Note: Spayed and neutered dogs may compete in all UKC Licensed Coonhound Events, including bench shows, nite hunts, water races and field trials.

© United Kennel Club