50-70 lbs
20-25"
United States
Nicknamed Walker or TWC because its full name is something of a mouthful, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is a great dog to get to know. With a long history of helping its human parents to hunt, this breed has a whole host of positive character traits, all of which you’ll learn about here.
And that’s not all. In this guide to the ins and outs of the Treeing Walker Coonhound, you’ll also learn:
The result of English Foxhounds breeding with a ‘Tennessee Lead’ hound and his descendants, the Treeing Walker Coonhound has an unusual story to tell and is an unusual dog. Large, powerful and graceful, this is not a breed to be messed with, although, of course, they are as cuddly and friendly as any other pup.
The ‘treeing’ part of its name is a reference to the fact that, as a formidable hunter, this breed would reach its target ahead of other dogs, and then pursue the animal up a tree to corner it before the human cavalry arrived.
If you’ve ever brought home a Treeing Walker Coonhound puppy you’ll know first-hand how these dogs can melt hearts. Read on to find out even more about this unique breed.
Are you a Treeing Walker Coonhound owner? Make sure your pup is covered for any health scares by comparing top-rated pet insurance plans in seconds.
When it comes to examining how a certain breed came into existence, often the story is relatively plain or difficult to pinpoint. With the Treeing Walker Coonhound, however, the tale is a wonderful one, with a single unforgettable detail.
The ‘Coonhound’ part of the TWC’s name comes from the English Foxhound, whose alias was the English Coonhound. We already know why ‘treeing’ is in the name, so now we need ‘Walker’ and the picture is complete.
It’s not too common for breeds to be named after specific people, but one of the men who helped develop the Treeing Walker Coonhound was John W. — you guessed it — Walker.Alongside George Washington Maupin (who, sadly, got none of his names into the breed’s title), John W. Walker bred English Foxhounds but called them Walker Hounds.
In the 1800s, the two men acquired a dog that, legend has it, they could only buy because it had been stolen by a horse trader from a deer chase. This lightning-fast, rat-tailed, black and tan hound then mated with one of the men’s Walker Hounds, producing multiple litters of the Treeing Walker Coonhound.
A typical Treeing Walker Coonhound size is in the 20 - 25-inch region. Muscular and sweet-faced, this is a gorgeous dog, no mistake about it. With large brown eyes and a gentle expression on their face, this breed is often compared to a Beagle. It’s agile and graceful, but powerful.
The Treeing Walker Coonhound colors are distinctive: the dog has a glossy coat in either a tri- or a bicolor pattern that’s black, white and tan, or any combination of these colors.
It’s recommended that Treeing Walker Coonhounds get about a mile of exercise a day. Of course, it might be more convenient to pack some of these miles into the end of your weekend on long, relaxing strolls than during the busy week. But this dog should get some form of exercise every day; it’s not a dog that will fare particularly well if left at home with no one to play with.
If you live in a space without a huge deal of room — or a backyard — a Treeing Walker Coonhound may not be the most sensible option for you. This dog will fare best in a placewhere it has enough space to roam but also where it’s at slightly less risk of annoying nearby neighbors with its bark, which can be quite loud.
This dog’s coat is low-maintenance, not requiring much in the way of brushing. Brushing it once a week isn’t a bad idea. Also pay attention, of course, to its teeth and nails, which should be brushed and trimmed respectively; aim for once a week for teeth and about once a month for nails, depending on what’s happening with your individual dog’s nails.
Because of this breed’s vulnerability to the ear condition otitis externa, checking and cleaning your dog’s ears is important. You may want to keep the hair around their ears nice and trim, to make ear infections a little less likely — and spotting them a little less difficult.
It’s a strong dog, but the Treeing Walker Coonhound isn’t invincible. Sometimes it will fall ill or simply have inherited an unfortunate condition. Here are some problems that will be more likely to affect the breed:
So associated with this kind of dog that it’s sometimes known as coonhound paralysis, acute canine polyradiculoneuritis is a condition that affects a dog’s legs and, consequently, other areas of the animal’s life like muscle tone, pain sensitivity, and ability to go to the toilet.
It’s possible that polyradiculoneuritis is caused by contact with the saliva of a raccoon, but other potential causes include a reaction to a vaccine; an autoimmune reaction; or a toxoplasma gondii infection. While treating your dog, your vet will want to closely monitor them in hospital, where they may need help with oxygen and with consuming enough liquid.
Affecting almost every single breed of dog, hip dysplasia is one condition that parents of Treeing Walker Coonhounds need to look out for in particular. It’s an issue that’s often diagnosed more frequently in larger dogs. This is when the ball and socket of both hip joints are malformed in some way, causing the head of the dog’s femur to grind in the socket of the joint, not glide smoothly. It can be caused by malnutrition, injury or weight gain and will be noticeable as a result of your dog not moving smoothly, not jumping, or having lameness in the hind legs.
A very common condition, otitis externa affects the outer canal of your dog’s ear. If you notice your dog is irritable around their ear, has discharge there, or is generally irritated and depressed, they may have this problem, which gets more serious the further into the ear it goes. Generally, this isn’t a hugely serious condition. Otitis interna, by contrast, can be, because the irritation, swelling and discharge is occurring closer to vital nerves and the brain.
Make sure you look after your Treeing Walker Coonhound’s health as best as you can. Is your pet covered for all of the above conditions on your pet insurance? Compare top pet insurance providers in seconds.
A typical Treeing Walker Coonhound lifespan is 12-13 years, so look after this precious dog - consider investing in a wellness plan so that it is as well cared for as possible.
Our friends and online partners at Dog Food Advisor can offer you a wealth of advice about specific types of food and exactly what they contain. But, because they get tons of exercise, Treeing Walker Coonhounds definitely need to be fed enough good-quality, protein-rich food.
Try around two, maybe three cups of food a day.
Like all hunting dogs, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is an intelligent dog who will respond to training well. Extremely fond of human interaction but with a desire to maintain a level of independence, it’s not necessarily the kind of dog that will spend days on your lap when it could be chasing after balls or other dogs.
One thing to bear in mind is that with strangers this breed can be a little aloof and quick to bark. Try to use training techniques to teach your Treeing Walker Coonhound puppies that strangers aren’t automatically dangerous and that they can even be trusted to stroke and play with your dog.
Sharing a house with a Treeing Walker Coonhound should be an absolute pleasure. You’ll find, if you have children at home, that you can trust your TWC with them. This pup is friendly with everyone and doesn’t have a tendency to bark or yap at kids. They may, however, slip into predator mode when small pets are about.
Are Treeing Walker Coonhounds aggressive? No, but think carefully before introducing one into a house with a cat in it (if you love your cat, that is); your new pup may give it a rather hard time.
Written by Wag! Staff
Published: 08/30/2006, edited: 11/16/2023
More articles by Wag! Staff
