American Leopard Hound

The American Leopard Hound is an old breed of tree and hunting dog with an excellent sense of smell and speed. When out on the hunt, they have the ability to stay close to their quarry and avoid injury by ducking and dodging. The purpose for which they’re ultimately bred is to chase animals up a tree and alert the owner to their presence by barking. The dog’s true origins remain shrouded in mystery. One theory is that it descended from dogs brought to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors and possibly mixed with native dogs. Another theory is that it was developed entirely within the southern United States from a mixture of French, English, Irish, Scottish, and Spanish breeds.

Despite its venerable status in the American South, this breed was neglected for decades. By the middle of the 20th century, significant interbreeding with other dogs threatened to destroy what was unique about the American Leopard Hound. Only the efforts of a few dedicated breeders saved it from dilution. Since 2012, it has been classified by the American Kennel Club in its Foundation Stock Service, which works with breeders to provide help and establish standards. The stock service is a level short of full recognition.

The American Leopard Hound is characterized by an athletic body, built mostly for speed and agility, with a long, thin tail, slender legs, and drooping ears. The dense but short double coat, which consists of a rough outer layer and fine woolly underlayer, is some combination of black, blue, brown, gray, red, yellow, or merle colors. Around 60% of all dogs are solid in color; the rest are either leopard-spotted or brindle.

3 Pros And Cons Of Owning An American Leopard Hound

History Of The Breed

The American Leopard Hound is believed to be one of the oldest of the tree dog breeds in the Americas, and while its exact origins are not known, it is reputed that they descended from dogs that were brought to the New World, specifically Mexico, by Spanish conquistadors during the Spanish Inquisition. This hound was then brought to the United States by the settlers who would use it as a hog-hunting dog. Records indicate that the American Leopard Hound was established in North Carolina around the early 1700s.

Size and Weight

The American Leopard is a medium to large-sized dog. However, there is a fairly large range of different sizes.

Common Health Issues

The American Leopard Hound is a healthy breed with a typical lifespan of 12 to 15 years, but they do suffer from several problems, including deafness, cancer, and a developmental disorder called hip dysplasia, in which the joint can become loose in its socket, causing lameness and pain. Serious health problems can also result from the mating of two merle-colored parents. The double merle puppies are much more likely to suffer from deafness and blindness. Good breeders will generally test their stock for common inheritable issues. You can ask them to provide proof that their dogs have received a positive health assessment. You should also keep up regular appointments at the vet to catch health problems early.

Temperament

The American Leopard Hound is a highly intelligent breed, both in terms of social IQ and tracking ability. While it was originally bred to be a hunting dog, it also does exceptionally well as a member of the family. This breed is highly loyal and affectionate toward people of all ages; it seems to be particularly protective of children. Don’t expect to treat it like a simple companion, though. This breed has a very high-energy, purposeful, work-oriented personality; both its mental and physical needs should be met with games, toys, sports, exercise, and social interactions throughout the entire day. If it doesn’t obtain enough activity time, then it might channel some of its energy into destructive behavior.

How To Take Care Of The American Leopard Hound

The American Leopard Hound is a good choice for owners across the entire spectrum of experience levels. They’re fairly easy to train, easy to groom, and easy to feed. However, they do require an owner who’s heavily invested in their lives. Don’t expect to buy one and ignore it for half the day. They also need plenty of space for their physical activity.

The Best Dog Food

The American Leopard Hound will need around three cups of high-quality dog food per day, or at least enough to satisfy its immense activity level. You should watch its calorie intake and limit treats to prevent obesity.

Maintenance And Grooming

The American Leopard Hound should be fairly easy to groom; weekly brushing, combined with the occasional bath, should be sufficient to remove loose hairs and keep it looking clean and healthy. Owners will also need to trim their fast-growing nails with a clipper or grinder to prevent them from splitting or cracking. Clean out their ears on a regular basis to prevent infections and obstructions. Finally, you should devise a suitable dental hygiene plan with your vet to prevent teeth and gum disease.

Training

The American Leopard Hound is intelligent, eager to please, and capable of accomplishing the task at hand. Owners should have little trouble teaching this breed proper boundaries, etiquette, and commands. Clear, consistent directions and the occasional treat-inducements should be effective. Just keep in mind that its training should never be neglected, because as a scent hound, it does have the tendency to follow its nose and get into trouble. Encouraging eye contact and distracting its attention from prey can help focus its mind on your commands.

Exercise

The American Leopard Hound will need at least an hour of exercise every single day. This should ideally come in the form of multiple walks, hide and seek, ball games, fetching, tricks, and free running in a fenced yard. This breed also excels at dog sports and agility challenges. You should be careful about letting it run free in the open because it does have a strong prey drive.

Puppies

American Leopard Hound puppies will benefit from early socialization and training from the moment they’re brought home. While naturally friendly and loyal, this breed can develop some bad behavior like any other dog if its training is neglected. Training should focus on dissuading some of the breed’s natural prey drive and hunting instincts. Besides at-home training, classes can offer additional support to really get the most out of the dog’s malleable early months. Crate training, while not mandatory, can help with housebreaking and behavioral issues. Consult your vet for other issues such as vaccines, neutering/spaying, and microchipping.

The American Leopard Hound And Children

This sociable, protective, and gentle breed will get along very well with children of all ages. However, it is important to teach younger children in particular how to approach and handle this dog, and even then, adults should be present to supervise all interactions in case something negative occurs.

Dogs Similar To The American Leopard Hound

• Treeing Tennessee Brindle: The name tells you what you need to know about this breed. It’s a treeing hound from Tennessee with a brindle coat of fur. With its remarkable intelligence and keen sense of smell, it is an excellent hunting dog.
• Treeing Walker Coonhound: A descendant of the American Foxhound, this breed of hunting dog was primarily designed to hunt raccoons; it can also chase after larger quarry such as deer and bobcats. An affectionate, confident, and intelligent breed, this medium-sized coonhound is characterized by a short and dense coat of black, white, and brown markings.
• Treeing Cur: This is a medium-sized breed with excellent speed in rough terrain. Because it served multiple purposes on the farm, including hunter, guardian, and herder, appearance wasn’t a huge concern for its breeders. As the name suggests, it does have the ability to tree both large and small prey.