Description. The Plott is a medium sized dog being some 20-24 inches in height, and weighing 45-55 pounds. They're muscular in appearance with a long tail and medium sized hanging ears; their overall look is somewhat reminiscent of a Labrador.
Colouration of the coat can be any shade of brindle, which is a motley effect, they can also come in solid black or a mix the two, White in the area the chest and or feet is also common. They can be quite fast dogs and have a level of stamina that allows a high standard of endurance. One of the distinctive factors for this breed is webbing between the toes.
Commonly, they will have a single coat although double coats are not rare. History. The dogs were introduced to America by Jonathan Plott, who originally came from Germany with his brother. They had taken with them five Hanoverian hounds, which are used in Germany for the hunting of wild boar.
These then became mixed with more indigenous dogs. The dogs were bred by the family 200 years and today's Plott dog is the result. The family were looking for hunting dogs to help hunt raccoon and bear in the Appalachian hills and Blue Ridge areas. Their fearless nature is due in no small part to this breeding.
Temperament. They are sprightly, quick, active, quite clever, and are courageous with an excellent level of confidence. Instinctively they are determined fighters when set upon game or are defending. They are not commonly a pack animal and are not particularly sociable with other dogs, but they do enjoy and seek out the company and attention of humans.
They are a good family pet when sufficiently exercised. However, it should be borne in mind that as instinctive hunters they may not interact well with small children. Another consideration, with this breed, are other pets in the house as this is a fearless hunting dog, there may be problems with other pets. This is especially true with smaller animals, but as it was originally bred to hunt bears, even larger pets may be seen as a challenge.
Health issues. The breed is considered very hardy and lives between 12 and 14 years. It does have a tendency to eat very quickly, which can make it susceptible to some gastric problems, bloat, torsion, and intestinal twists. These dogs should only be exercised a reasonable time after they are eaten, to reduce the incidence of these problems.
Grooming. The Plott hound, with its short coat is fairly easy groom. All that is necessary is occasional combing and brushing to clear out any debris and shed hair. Whilst grooming it is a good idea to check that the ears are free of infection, and are clean. If the dog is used for hunting then on return you should check their feet and coats for any signs of ticks or fleas etc.
Living conditions: This breed can live outdoors if adequate protection is supplied for them. However, great care should be taken if you live near roads as they have no road sense whatsoever. They enjoy a lot of exercise and are well suited to long brisk walks or even jogging, you jog the dog runs alongside.
They do enjoy the chance to run free, but you must bear in mind they are natural instinctive hunters, and whilst free may decide to chase smaller animals. Ideally, they are suited to a house with a medium to large garden which is fenced off and secure, they are not suited to apartment life.
They are not particularly playful, but the throwing of balls, sticks, etc. and playing chase in the garden will exercise at least some of their natural hunting instincts.
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