The words Dog Breed Info with the letter D inside of a black paw print

The Purebred Treeing Walker Coonhound

Information and Pictures

Close up front side view - A white and black with brown Treeing Walker Coonhound is standing across a sidewalk surface and it is looking to the right, its mouth is open and it looks like it is smiling.

Tugger the Treeing Walker Coonhound as an adult

Other Names
  • TWC
  • Walker
Pronunciation

Tree ing Waw-ker Koon-hound

Description

The Treeing Walker Coonhound has powerful, mobile shoulders. The ears are large compared to the head. The upper lips hang well below the lower jaw. The forelegs are long, straight and lean. The smooth coat is fine and glossy and comes in a tricolor and a bicolor pattern. (Tricolor is preferred by breeders.) Although it comes in tan and white, it must never be called "red," to distinguish it from the Redbone Coonhound.

Temperament

The Treeing Coonhound is good with children and gets along with other dogs. Training is accomplished with little trouble, as these dogs are able to learn from example. They are primarily working and hunting dogs, but will also make great companion dogs. Working, to the Treeing Walker Coonhound, is not work but a sport and diversion. They thrive on consistent and ample attention. The Treeing Walker will be high-strung without enough mental and physical exercise. Loving and eager to please, the Treeing Walker is intelligent, skilled and confident. Some say they are the best breed for coonhound field trials because of their speed, ability to locate quickly and good treeing ability. They are swift with a very good sense of smell and a distinctive howl. Socialize at a young age.

Height, Weight

Height: 20 - 27 inches (51 - 69 cm)
Weight: 50 - 70 pounds (23 - 32 kg)

Health Problems

A relatively healthy breed.

Living Conditions

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is not recommended for apartment life. These scenthounds are too anxious to lie idly around a suburban home or condo. They are suitable for hot, sunny climates.

Exercise

This very anxious and energetic dog has been bred for severe physical exercise. Coonhounds are born natural hunters, so they have a tendency to run off and hunt if they are not kept well-fenced while exercising on their own. They have no road sense at all, so they must be kept in a safe environment. They need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk or jog. Coonhounds that do not receive enough mental and physical exercise may become high strung and even destructive.

Life Expectancy

About 12-13 years

Litter Size

About 5-10 puppies

Grooming

The Treeing is an easy-care breed. An occasional combing and brushing is all that is needed. Check the ears regularly for any sign of infection and be sure to keep the insides of the ears clean. Bathe only when necessary. This breed is an average shedder.

Origin

The Treeing Walker is a descendant of the English Foxhound, which Thomas Walker imported to Virginia in 1742. Sometime in the 1800s, a dog known as "Tennessee Lead," a stolen dog of unknown origin, was crossed into the Walker Hound. He was a powerful dog, excelling in game sense, drive and speed, and having a clear, short-chop mouth. The Treeing Walker was not recognized as its own breed until 1946. This direct lineage brings us this efficient hunter. This coonhound has retained the looks of its ancestor, the English Foxhound. An underlying sense of game coupled with untiring speed and manly drive make this coonhound unstoppable. The coonhound lineage doesn't really stop at the Walker, for American hunters also employ other varieties as well. One such coonhound is known as the Running Walker. The Treeing Walker Coonhound is an efficient and reliable hunter of raccoons, squirrels and opossums. The Treeing Walker "trees" its prey, and can then sometimes virtually climb the tree to get at it. With a little training, however, it will merely bay its distinctive howl, telling the hunter that the prey has been cornered.

Group

Hound

Recognition
  • ACA = American Canine Association
  • ACR = American Canine Registry
  • AKC = American Kennel Club
  • APRI = American Pet Registry, Inc.
  • CKC = Continental Kennel Club
  • DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
  • NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
  • NKC = National Kennel Club
  • UKC = United Kennel Club
Close up - Top down view of a small white and black with brown Treeing Walker Coonhound puppy that is standing across a hardwood floor, it is looking up and forward. It has a black nose and wide round dark eyes.

Tugger the Treeing Walker Coonhound as a young pup

Close up side view head shot - A white, brown and black Treeing Walker Coonhound dog standing outside and it is looking to the right. The dog has a large muzzle and a black nose with long drop ears.

Asha is Tugger's mom.

The left side of a tall brown and black with white Treeing Walker Coonhound dog standing across a large stone wall with the view of a valley.

"This is Clary's HiSpeed This Buds 4 U, affectionately known as `Bud` at home. Bud is a Treeing Walker Coonhound. He is UKC/AKC registered. Bud is a UKC Conformation Champion, Bench Show Champion and an AKC Grand Show Champion. Here, he is displaying his skills on the wall at Lovers Leap."

The left side of a tricolor, brown and black with white Treeing Walker Coonhound dog jumped up at the side of and barking up a tree. The dog has a long tail.

Clary's HiSpeed This Buds 4 U, affectionately known as `Bud,` treeing his quarry

The front left side of a tricolor white, brown and black Treeing Walker Coonhound dog walking across a patchy grass surface looking forward wearing a red bandana.

Roscoe the Treeing Walker Coonhound at 2 years old—"Roscoe does not bark, he bays and howls."

A tricolor large-breed dog laying on a blue cloth couch with its head on its front paws. It has long soft drop ears.

Molly the Treeing Walker Coonhound at 4 years old—"I got Molly when she was 1 year old through an animal rescue group out of San Francisco. They had rescued her from an animal shelter. She is now almost 8 years old and the perfect dog. Molly is well known throughout our town from our long, daily walks where she makes sure everyone knows how much she likes to be petted and scratched."

A tricolor large-breed dog outside barking up a tree next to a road.

Molly the Treeing Walker Coonhound at 4 years old

The left side of a tall, shiny-coated, black and white with brown Treeing Walker Coonhound dog walking across a sidewalk looking forward.

Tugger the Treeing Walker Coonhound as an adult

A tall, white with black and brown Treeing Walker Coonhound dog standing across a grass surface and it is barking at something up in a tree at night.

This is a Treeing Walker treeing a coon.

The left side of a white and black with brown Treeing Walker Coonhound dog laying on a pillow and it is looking to the left. The dog has a tan chew in its mouth.

Jack the Treeing Walker Coonhound at 4 years old chewing his bone on his dog bed—"We adopted Jack in May of this year from the Nashville humane society. Jack is a LARGE Treeing Walker Coonhound weighing in at about 72 lbs. But he's a walker through and through. He loves to fetch with a stick and truly enjoys his large bone. He's fantastic with my 3 year old daughter, who's been taught that dogs don't like the same things we do. He's patient, kind, absolutely loyal and loves nothing more than work days (out in the yard or on the truck). His velvety ears and hound dog scent are the first thing I see in the morning. He's also great friends with our family cat (Poppy), and he knows she's in charge (under me) and values her space unless she wants to play with him. He loves to run at the dog park with other coonhounds."

See more examples of the Treeing Walker Coonhound