The Treeing Walker Coonhound is now the 174th breed to be officially registered by the American Kennel Club. The breed joined five of its coonhound counterparts — the American English Coonhound, Black and Tan Coonhound, Bluetick Coonhound and Redbone Coonhound — on the AKC’s list of registered breeds earlier this month after being on the Foundation Stock Service list since 1995.
So what can we expect from the new dog on the block? According to the AKC, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is known for its sharp hunting instincts, confident and sociable demeanor and a bark that can carry for miles.
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The Treeing Walker Coonhound was bred from the Walker Foxhound, a descendant of the earliest English Foxhounds that were brought to America. Around 1945, breeders broke away from the English hound to create the Treeing Walker, a dog bred to be a fast, sensible hunter with superior treeing skills.
In fact, the term “barking up the wrong tree” was coined from the Treeing Walker, whose primary job is to locate its target (most likely a raccoon), chase it up a tree and alert its owner.