Dog breed · United States
The Redbone Coonhound is an American breed of hunting dog. As a coonhound, the Redbone is primarily a hunter of small game that hide in trees, such as raccoons, opossums, and squirrels, but is also capable of handling big game like bears and cougars. Its hunting strategy is to tree wild game where hunters can then shoot the target, rather than directly hunting and subduing the prey.
The breed dates back to pre-Civil War from the Southern United States, and its foundation stock derives from bloodhounds and foxhounds brought by immigrants from Scotland. Unlike other coonhounds which are primarily bred for hunting skill rather than appearance, the Redbone is characterized by its rich red coat in addition to its ability to track game trails for longer than other breeds ("cold nose").
It has been registered with the United Kennel Club since 1902, and with the American Kennel Club since 2010. In popular culture, the breed is best known from the 1961 children's novel Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
History: In the early 19th century, Scottish immigrants brought red-colored foxhounds to Georgia, which would later become the foundation stock of today's modern-day Redbone. Around 1840, Irish-bred Foxhound and Bloodhound lines were added. These additional lines, particularly the Irish Foxhound, may be the origin for the white markings occasionally found on the chest and feet of modern Redbones.
While the Redbone name comes from an early breeder, Peter Redbone of Tennessee, much of the work to create the breed was done in Georgia. The foundation stock belonged to George F.L. Birdsong of Georgia, given to him by Dr. Thomas Henry in the 1840's.
Some of the earliest Redbones were referred to as "Saddlebacks" due to having a black saddle-like marking on the back on top of the all red coat. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was replaced by an uninterrupted red tone, and the name "Redbone Coonhound" was adopted.
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