Plott Hound

The Plott Hound is an American big-game hound bred to trail and bay bear and boar in the southern Appalachians, and the state dog of North Carolina.

History

Its origin is unusually well documented: Johannes Plott emigrated from Germany to North Carolina in 1750 with a handful of Hanoverian boar hounds, and his family bred their descendants in the mountains for over two centuries without outcrossing to the English hounds around them. It is the only American coonhound-group breed without foxhound ancestry.

Temperament

The breed is known for being courageous, determined and intensely focused at work, affectionate and loyal at home, with a sharp carrying voice.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and real work; it is a poor fit for a household with neither. Secure ground matters because the nose wins. The short coat is easy.

Health

Generally robust from working selection, with bloat given the deep chest and ear infections among the known concerns. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.