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Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: the Hound Hybrid with a Huge Heart for People

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix

The Rottweiler Coonhound mix is a hybrid dog that is equally influenced by two different purebred dog breeds, the Rottweiler and the Coonhound.

While there is technically only one purebred Rottweiler (although there are several breed lines), there are a number of different purebred Coonhound dogs.

This means your Rottweiler Coonhound may have different Coonhound parents based on which purebred Coonhound your breeder has chosen.

In this article, we walk you through everything you need to know to decide if the Rottweiler Coonhound mix is the right next to dog for you and, if yes, to help you pick the healthiest puppy.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix

The Rottweiler Coonhound mix is one of the much newer designer (hybrid) dog breeds that is taking shape today.

Rottweiler Coonhound puppies have one Rottweiler dog parent and one Coonhound dog parent. There are a number of registered Coonhound breeds, which means you definitely want to learn all you can about the specific Coonhound parent dog.

Sometimes Rottweiler Coonhound’s parents are also both hybrid (Rottweiler Coonhound mix) dogs themselves.

See a Rottweiler Coonhound Mix

This wonderful video from the Wisconsin Humane Society shows off the many charms of Dozer, a lovable, playful, adorable Rottweiler Coonhound mix.

The History of the Rottweiler and the Coonhound

Taking some time to delve into the history of each parent dog is one of the best ways to make sure you are the right dog parent for a Rottweiler Coonhound mix dog.

Each dog breed, and thus each hybrid dog breed, will have certain daily needs – a certain amount of exercise and play, you-time, grooming and brushing, and training. These needs can differ a lot from one dog breed to the next!

When you learn the history of each parent dog breed you will begin to understand on a new level where these needs come from and how they evolved.

Rottweiler history

The Rottweiler is the eighth most popular (out of 195 American Kennel Club registered dog breeds) purebred dog breed in America today.

Rottweilers are descended from a canine lineage that dates back at least 2,000 years to the time of the ancient Roman Legions when these dogs were charged with herding and protecting vast herds of livestock as the armies moved about.

Rottweilers later became valued as protector dogs and eventually took their breed name from the town of Rottweil, Germany, where many dogs traveled with herds and ranchers back and forth to livestock markets.

Today Rottweilers are sought after for their talents in protection, police, military, guarding, and search and rescue work. Rottweilers also make great service and guide dogs and are popular companion canines.

Coonhound history

There are several breeds of Coonhound that are registered purebred dog breeds under the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Some Coonhound breeds are much more popular than others, which says a lot more about how many breeders are breeding each Coonhound line than about whether one Coonhound is a better companion canine than the next.

As the AKC Coonhounds organization explains, these breeds of Coonhound are as follows:

  • American English Coonhound: 175th most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • Black and Tan Coonhound: 138th most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • Bluetick Coonhound: 130th most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • Redbone Coonhound: 142nd most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • Plott Hound: 171st most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • Treeing Walker Coonhound: 137th most popular (out of 195 AKC breeds).
  • American Leopard Hound: foundation service stock so no ranking.

The Coonhound breeds that are more likely to be crossed with the Rottweiler are the first four breeds listed above here.

As the American Kennel Club (AKC) points out, all Coonhound dog breeds are classified first as hounds, next as scenthounds, and finally as hunting dogs (specifically for either foxes or boar).

All but the Plott Hound have foxhound dog ancestors. The Plott Hound has boarhound ancestors.

It is very likely that all Coonhounds today share ancestry with ancient molosser and mastiff dog breeds that were bred down and refined separately for tracking and hunting work.

This means that any Coonhound influence in your Rottweiler Coonhound will give your dog an exceptionally keen and sensitive sniffer as well as a nearly overpowering desire to follow a scent wherever it leads.

Your dog will be big and brave with a very strong prey drive – a desire to chase moving things up trees and trap them there.

Coonhounds may bark but are known to the bay (a form of howling) and may do this at night as well as during the day.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Personality and Temperament

You are likely very curious about what type of personality and temperament a Rottweiler Coonhound dog might grow up to have.

Luckily, the two-parent dog breeds are actually quite complementary in terms of their overriding personality and temperament.

Rottweiler personality and temperament

The Rottweiler wouldn’t be the eight most popular dog breed in the United States – out of nearly 200 purebred dog breeds – if this dog didn’t have a very pleasing personality and temperament overall.

These dogs love being with people and crave the attention of their people. A Rottweiler needs to be at the center of your life and will become destructive and unhappy if left alone – even if in the company of other dogs.

Coonhound personality and temperament

The Coonhound’s personality and temperament are one independent dog that has been bred over generations to work and live alongside people.

While these dogs can be stubborn at times, especially if there is an interesting scent to follow or something to chase, their smarts and people-focused nature make them easy to love.

Rottweiler Coonhound personality and temperament

With a Rottweiler Coonhound mix, you will be choosing a smart, independent, strong-willed yet people-focused dog.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Size, Height, and Weight

While it is hard to know in advance how much genetic influence each parent dog may have – and in what ways – on your Rottweiler Coonhound mix puppy, one thing you can count on is this: your dog is going to be big!

Rottweiler size, height, and weight

The Rottweiler can be a truly massive dog in adulthood, walking a fine line between being a large dog breed and a giant dog breed.

The female Rottweiler will typically weigh about 15 pounds less than the male in adulthood, with an overall weight range of anywhere from 80 to 135+ pounds.

Height-wise, there is also typically a difference between females and males of about two inches. The overall height range for adult Rottweilers is 22 to 27 inches from paw pads to shoulder tops.

Coonhound size, height, and weight

Depending on which Coonhound breed your breeder chooses as the Coonhound parent dog, your Rottweiler Coonhound could easily weigh anywhere from 45 to 110 pounds in adulthood.

The largest of the Coonhound breeds is the Black and Tan Coonhound, which weighs 65 to 100 pounds and will easily outweigh all of the other Coonhound breeds by 15 to 20 pounds.

All Coonhound breeds are tall and lean, with the average height from paw pads to shoulders being around 21 to 27 inches tall.

Rottweiler Coonhound size, height and weight

With this overview, you can expect your dog will fall into the middleweight range between the two parent dog breeds, which would mean anywhere from 45 pounds to 135 pounds, but more likely between 60 pounds and 100 pounds.

In height, your adult Rottweiler Coonhound mix dog may stand anywhere from 21 to 27 inches tall, but will most likely stand between 23 and 25 inches tall.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Training and Exercise Needs

Whenever you are considering making a lifetime commitment to a hound or a working dog breed, you can expect your dog to need a substantial amount of daily enrichment in the form of activity, play, and exercise.

While this will change somewhat throughout your dog’s life and will probably be most intense in late puppyhood and young adulthood, it is important to make sure your own lifestyle and your dog’s activity needs are a good match.

Rottweiler training and exercise needs

The Rottweiler is definitely an active dog breed, although not as much as some of the herding dog breeds.

Because the Rottweiler is a large/giant dog breed, you will need to be careful not to over-exercise your dog until they are done growing and the growth plates (bones) have fused and hardened permanently. Your veterinarian can tell you when this happens.

After that, you can expect your active and energetic Rottweiler to want at least an hour of daily exercise and play and perhaps more.

Rottweilers have a very strong prey drive and a protective instinct that can turn aggressive without proper training.

Rottweiler dogs need early and ongoing socialization and training to be able to tell the difference between a neutral situation and a threat and learn how to respond to each in a safe and appropriate manner.

Coonhound training and exercise needs

Coonhounds, like Rottweilers, are working dogs to their core. For this reason, they will need plenty of daily activity, training, and exercise to stay healthy, happy, enriched, and non-destructive.

Coonhounds in general tend to be very people-focused, smart, and eager to learn and to please their people. However, you should never let a Coonhound off-leash in an open area due to their high prey and scent drive.

Rottweiler Coonhound training and exercise needs

Any Rottweiler Coonhound puppy is going to grow up to be a dog that needs a minimum of one hour per day of playtime, exercise, activity, and training.

This will ensure your dog doesn’t become bored and then destructive.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Shedding, Grooming, and Coat Care

It is actually not accurate to say that some dogs shed and others do not. All dogs (even so-called “hairless” dog breeds) shed somewhat. But some dogs show their shed hair a lot more than others.

This is because some dogs have thick coats that catch the shed hair before it falls to the ground. These are the dogs that are usually called “non-shedding.”

The protein that causes pet allergies for some people is actually in a dog’s saliva, urine, and skin, and it simply gets transferred to the fur when the dog licks or grooms.

So some dog owners will find they have fewer allergies when they choose a “non-shedding” type dog breed where the hair gets trapped in the coat.

However, you should know upfront that the Rottweiler Coonhound definitely sheds and sheds visibly! This is especially true when the seasons change.

Rottweiler shedding, grooming, and coat care

Rottweilers have a short, neat, refined coat that lies flat against the body. The coat is a double layer, with a water-resistant coarser outer layer and a soft and insulating inner layer.

Rottweilers shed all year long and seasonally they go through event owners often call a “coat blow.” This is a period of very intense shedding when the coat is replenishing itself.

Coonhound shedding, grooming, and coat care

All Coonhound dog breeds shed in a similar way to how Rottweilers shed – somewhat year-round and heavily once or twice per year at the changing of the seasons.

All Coonhounds have a short, neat, double-layer coat, although the colors and patterns can be different depending on the breed.

Rottweiler Coonhound shedding, grooming, and coat care

From this overview, you can easily predict that your dog will shed quite a bit at least once or twice per year and more lightly on a year-round basis.

Luckily, your Rottweiler Coonhound’s daily coat maintenance will be easy – some regular brushing and the occasional bath will be all you will have to do.

However, you will need to regularly check and clean your dog’s floppy ears, which can develop an infection from lack of airflow.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Longevity and Health

Every dog lover wants to make sure their pup is around as long as possible. While large and giant dog breeds don’t tend to live as long as smaller dog breeds on average, there is still a lot you can do to maximize your dog’s longevity.

One of the best ways is to learn all you can about potential heritable health issues in each parent dog. This allows you to make sure the breeder has tested parent dogs to screen out passing those health issues to the puppies.

Rottweiler longevity and health

The Rottweiler has an average life expectancy of nine to 10 years.

According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, the Rottweiler has the following known genetic (heritable) health issues that parent dogs could potentially pass along to puppies:

  • Hip and elbow dysplasia.
  • Heart and eye issues.
  • Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy (JLPP).

Coonhound longevity and health

Coonhounds have an average longevity of 10 to 15 years depending on the specific breed.

According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, the Coonhound dog breeds have the following known genetic (heritable) health issues that parent dogs could potentially pass along to puppies:

  • Hip dysplasia.
  • Elbow dysplasia.
  • Eye issues.
  • Cardiac issues.
  • Autoimmune thyroiditis.

Rottweiler Coonhound longevity and health

As you can see, your Rottweiler Coonhound has a general possible life span of anywhere from nine to 15 years.

Overall, both the Rottweiler breed and the Coonhound breeds can have quite similar genetic (heritable) health issues. This is partly because of their larger size as many large breed dogs have hip and elbow joint issues.

When you work with a reputable hybrid dog breeder, the breeder will be happy to show you the results of parent dog genetic pre-screening tests to reassure you that their dogs are free of these health issues.

As well, a responsible, health-focused breeder should give you proof that all required immunizations and pest treatments have been completed on schedule. And your breeder should provide you with an initial guarantee of the puppy’s good health.

If the breeder does not readily provide these three things – or if they tell you they can’t, won’t, or don’t have them available – do not work with that breeder.

Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: Is This the Right Dog for You?

The Rottweiler Coonhound mix dog can be a great choice for an active person or family who wants to make their dog the center of daily life.

If this describes you, then the next step is to locate a Rottweiler Coonhound breeder who is expecting a litter. Alternately, it is always great to check with local rescue organizations to see if you can give a relinquished dog a new forever home.

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