Treeing Walker Coonhound
Also called: Walker, Treeing Walker
A fast, lean, loud tricolor coonhound that trails hot and trees raccoons, the most common competition and hunting coonhound.
- Type
- Hounds
- Hunts
- Raccoon, bear & cat
- Weight
- 50 to 70 pounds
- Height
- 20 to 27 inches at the shoulder
- Lifespan
- 12 to 13 years
- Coat
- Short, smooth tricolor coat of white, black, and tan
- Energy
- Very high energy
- Cold and water
- Fair. Lean and short-coated, so it needs care in cold weather.
What it is best at
- Trailing and treeing raccoons at night.
- Fast, hot-trailing hunts in a wide range of country.
- Competition coonhunting.
Temperament
- Energetic, friendly, and eager.
- Intense on a track and very vocal.
- Social with other hounds.
Things to know before you get one
- Needs lots of exercise and room to run.
- Loud, and does best with a secure kennel and fence.
- Likely to follow a scent and ignore a call.
Training and exercise
Start early with a solid recall and crate habits. Walkers learn from experience in the woods, so give them regular hunts with an experienced hound. A GPS collar helps keep track of a fast dog in big country.
Common health concerns
- Ear infections and hip dysplasia.
- Bloat in some deep-chested dogs.
- Injuries from rough terrain.
Ask breeders for health testing records, and talk to a veterinarian about screening, vaccines, and tick and heartworm prevention.
Often compared with
- Beagle: smaller, with a similar tricolor coat, used mostly for rabbits.
- Bluetick Coonhound: heavier and blue-ticked, with a slower, deeper voice.
Field notes
Treeing Walkers descend from fast foxhound lines and are known for speed and a hot, ringing voice. They are the breed most often seen in coonhound competitions.
Related guides
This is a general breed profile, not veterinary or training advice. Dogs vary individually, so meet the parents and talk to experienced owners before you choose. Rules about hunting with dogs, releasing dogs on public land, and dog training seasons differ by state; our state resources directory links to each state's official regulations.