Plott Hound - Scent hunting dog breed from America

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Plott Hound - a brave, intelligent scent hound breed originating from America. Possesses a unique striped coat with great endurance and hunting instinct.

Plott Hound - a scent hound originating from the United States, famous for its courage, endurance and excellent tracking ability. With its characteristic striped coat and strong hunting instinct, Plott Hound is not only a true "warrior" but also a loyal companion for every family.

In today's article, the dog breed will help you better understand the origin, characteristics, habits and important notes when raising this rare Plott scent hound, let's find out now.

Origin of Plott Hound

Learn about the origins of the Plott Hound.

The Plott Hound is the only breed of hunting dog developed entirely in the United States. The development and breeding process of this breed is as follows:

  • In 1750, the family of Johannes Georg Plott - a farmer in Germany brought 5 Hanoverian Schweisshund hunting dogs to migrate to North Carolina, USA.
  • After arriving in the US, Mr. Plott and his son Henry Plott continued to selectively crossbreed the original 5 dogs with some local breeds to create a specialized dog breed for the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains - where there are many wild animals such as lynx, black bears, wild boars. And through many generations, Plott hunting dogs were born, carrying outstanding genes such as strong sense of smell, muscular body, brave spirit, fearlessness of wild animals,...
  • In 1946, the Plott Hound was officially recognized by the UKC in the United States.
  • In 2006, the AKC recognized and classified the Plott Hound as a scent hound.
  • Today, Plott is the official symbol of the state of North Carolina.

A special feature of Plott Hounds is that they are not crossbred with other English or Anglo-American hounds, which helps Plotts retain their almost original gene pool with the original German hound - extremely rare and different.

What does a Plott Hound look like?

The Plott terrier has a tall, distinctive appearance.

Plott Hound has a strong, resilient and flexible appearance - the true nature of a large hunting dog, full of wild and strong spirit. Find out more details below.

Dimensions & Weight :

  • Height: male 56 - 71 cm, female 50 - 63 cm
  • Weight: Male 23 - 27 kg, female 18 - 25 kg

Head & Face :

  • Long, slender head, flat forehead, clear but not too coarse skull bones
  • Eyes are medium sized, round, brown or amber in color, and appear sharp and alert.
  • Long, square, strong muzzle, strong teeth
  • Large, soft ears that droop down to either side of the cheeks

Neck & Body :

  • Long neck, clear muscles, flexible in movement
  • Deep, wide chest
  • Elongated body, straight, firm back, slightly tapered belly

Legs & feet :

  • Long, straight legs, flexible joints, good load-bearing capacity
  • Oval-shaped feet, curved toes, thick pads - help move well on rough terrain
  • Hard, black toenails
  • Tail of moderate length, thick at base and tapering towards tip

Fur & fur color :

  • Short, thick and hard coat, able to withstand harsh weather well
  • The most common coat color is tiger striped, typically black and yellow, black and grey, brown and black, or pure black.

What is the temperament of a Plott Terrier?

A Plott hunter is in a state of focused hunting for traces.

The Plott Hound is a fearless, tenacious scent hound, well adapted to harsh environments and with many other distinctive traits that clearly reflect its origins in hunting large game in the Appalachian Mountains, specifically as follows:

Strong hunting instinct - especially with large animals

Plotts have a very clear hunting instinct, especially for large animals such as bears, wild boars or lynxes. They are very brave and ready to confront prey many times larger than themselves.

However, this hunting instinct needs to be controlled if you want to keep them as pets in the family to avoid dangerous situations.

Extremely keen sense of smell & high concentration

Originally a scent hound, Plott has an extremely accurate sense of smell. Once they have picked up a scent, they will focus completely on tracking the trail and ignore all surrounding influences. This is also the most typical behavior of professional scent hounds.

Smart, independent but a bit stubborn

Plotts are very intelligent, able to adapt to terrain, weather and every situation that arises during the hunt. Because they used to hunt independently in packs, they have a high degree of independence and can make their own decisions in many situations. However, this also makes them a bit stubborn if not trained early.

High energy, need daily exercise

As a hunting dog breed that specializes in mountain terrain, Plotts are extremely durable and need daily exercise. Without walks, runs, or playtime, they will become bored, stressed, destructive, or bark excessively.

Loyal and devoted to family

Plott is an extremely loyal dog, especially when raised from a young age. But they are usually most attached to only one person - the person who feeds, cares for and trains them from a young age.

This breed of dog is also very affectionate and friendly with children if introduced early, but not suitable for very young children, because this dog's hunting instinct is very strong.

Highly alert - tends to protect territory

Plott Hounds have a very good guarding nature and react quickly to strangers. Although not too aggressive, they will keep their distance from strangers until they feel safe. Because of this, Plott is a very effective guard dog.

Notes when raising Plott hunting dogs

Important notes when raising Plott Hound dogs.

Here are some important notes that you need to know when you want to raise a Plott hunting dog to help you take care of this dog more effectively.

Need training from a young age to control hunting instincts

With a strong hunting instinct, Plott often chases small animals such as chickens, cats, rabbits, etc. if not trained early. Therefore, you need to have a training plan for this dog from a young age to be able to control this situation well.

Not suitable for small apartments, sedentary people

Plott Hounds are very energetic due to their origin as hunting dogs in rough terrain, so if they are locked up for too long and do not get at least 1 - 2 hours of exercise each day, they will become bored, bark a lot and even have negative behaviors.

Because of this they are not suitable for small apartments and need a lot of space and time to run, play or hike.

Regular health check-up

Due to their long drooping ears and frequent outdoor activities, Plot is susceptible to ear infections, bone and joint diseases, hip dysplasia, etc. Therefore, you need to plan regular health check-ups as well as take care of and clean your dog regularly.

Barking Control

Plott Hound has a loud bark and is often used to warn of danger. However, if you do not train it properly, this dog can bark persistently when hearing any strange sound, causing discomfort to people around.

Some optimal solutions to limit this situation are:

  • Practice stopping barking on command
  • Avoid exposing them to loud noises.
  • Maintain a stable mind

Should only be kept by experienced people.

Plott is an intelligent and quite stubborn hunting dog, so they are only really suitable for an owner who has a lot of experience to be able to teach, care for and train properly, thereby helping this dog become more obedient and calm.

If you don't have much experience in teaching and training hunting dogs, it can be very difficult to "tame" this dog.

Beautiful Plott Hound Pictures

If you want to admire more beautiful and impressive moments of Plott hunting dogs, do not miss the collection of images shared below. From the majestic posture in the middle of the mountains to the close everyday moments - all exude the wild, brave beauty of this rare hunting dog breed.

Image of majestic and brave Plott hunting dog.

Plott the terrier rests majestically.

The sharp eyes of the Plott Hound.

Image of Plott the terrier looking sad and bored.

A Plott Hound puppy with a cute, adorable appearance.

Photo of Plott the terrier competing in a show competition.

A Plott Hound in the snow.

Through the article that dogbreed.wiki shared above, it can be seen that the Plott Hound is not only an ancient scent hound but also has many valuable qualities such as loyalty, strength, intelligence and endurance. If you are an active person and want to raise wild, friendly dogs, the Plott Hound is a perfect choice.

Don't forget to visit our Blog section to read more articles on the same topic to discover more beautiful and unique dog breeds!

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