Bluetick coonhound is a hunting dog with striking blue-and-white fur. Its coat is mottled blue and white, usually with black spots on the back, ears, and sides. It often has tan markings on the cheeks, over the eyes, and on the chest. The bluetick coonhound ranges in size from 21 to 27 inches (53 to 69 centimeters) tall at the shoulder. It weighs about 45 to 80 pounds (20 to 36 kilograms). Females are somewhat smaller.
Hunters prize the bluetick coonhound for its ability to track raccoons and other small game and chase them up trees. It has a sharp sense of smell. It is thought to have descended from the grand bleu de Gascogne and English foxhound breeds. It was originally classified as an English coonhound. But American breeders developed the bluetick coonhound as a distinct breed after 1945.
