SnoopDogg the Plott Hound at about 7 years old—”The following day, I took him to the vet. The vet said he was a Plott Hound and thought he was about 4 or 5 months old. He was scared to death! The vet said he was heartworm negative and I should socialize him and feed him to put weight on. When he was back to a normal weight, the vet scheduled his series of shots and neutered him. I took him everywhere. He was joined at my hip. After a while, I didn’t even need a leash except when we were in town. Otherwise, I think he was so scared to lose me that I couldn’t have shaken him if I had wanted to. Socialization took a while and is on going even though it has been six years. He still is not comfortable with men, although he will warm up eventually. It definitely is a body type of a man that he is most afraid of, so I assume that had to do with the buckshot he was covered with. He gets along with cats and other dogs and loves kids. He is better about resource guarding (food) and still will not play with a toy. I believe he was removed from his siblings and his mother very early and never got the training that is so important that puppies all learn from their litter mates.
Table of Contents
Plotts as Watch Dogs?
Are Plotts Aggressive?
Von Plott was a big game guide who did much to popularize Plott Hounds. Von and his dogs led hundreds of visiting sportsmen on bear hunts throughout the mountains. As hunters returned home with stories about this North Carolina dog, the Plott Hound’s reputation grew. Von’s dogs were great trackers, but more importantly they were intelligent. They knew what to do on the hunt, were aggressive enough to stay with a bear, and smart enough not to get killed.
Plotts Background
The Plott Hound’s fur should be fine to medium in texture, short or medium in length, and have a smooth and glossy appearance. According to the National Plott Hound Association, the dog’s fur should be brindled. Brindled is defined as “Finely streaked or striped effect or pattern of black or tan fur with fur 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 is the alternative. The Association dictates that while some white on the chest and/or feet is permissible, white found anywhere else is a fault.
Family and Bonding
Photo: In 2009, Lucky the Plott Hound attended the Tar Heel Junior Historian Annual Convention at the museum and received lots of love.
Friendly
The Plott is described as bright, kind, confident, and courageous. He’s loyal to his family and somewhat wary of strangers although he usually warms up quickly to them. He gets along all right with other dogs, but he’s not as friendly toward them as many other hound breeds.
Plott Nature
Plotts do well with other dogs and other animals, though should be closely supervised with smaller mammals such as cats because of their instinct to hunt. They get along very well with the children as well, as they are patient and good-natured.
Intelligence
As said before, Plotts are quick learners. Their intelligence makes simple commands and tricks an easy task to achieve, and should be constantly challenged to further their mental stimulation so they do not become bored.
Love
Plotts as a Pack Animal
The Plott Hound is an agile, muscular dog with a short, often brindle colored coat and historic mountain heritage. Of the 7 breeds of coonhounds recognized by the United Kennel Club, the Plott alone does not trace its ancestry from foxhounds. Its ancestors came from Germany where they were used for boar hunting. Johannes Plott brought a few when he migrated to America and settled in western North Carolina in the 1750s. His son Henry brought a pack to Haywood County in the early 19th century. It was here that the modern breed evolved and achieved fame for its skill and courage in pursuit of bears and wild boars. The Plott Hound was officially adopted as North Carolina’s state dog in 1989.
Physical Traits
The Plott Hound is a medium-sized, powerful, muscular dog. The skull is moderately flat with well-fitted skin. The muzzle is moderately long with flews that make it look square. The lips and nose are black. The prominent eyes are brown or hazel with black eye rims. The hanging ears are broad-set and medium in length. The long tail is set below the topline. The strong feet have webbed toes. The coat is short, smooth, fine and glossy. While most Plott coats are single, from time to time a double coat can occur. Coat colors include any shade of brindle, solid black, brindle with black saddle, black with brindle trim, and a rare buckskin. There may be some white around the chest and feet.