So, look at the front assembly very carefully. Germany would look remarkably like the land that his family would eventually settle in the mountains of western North Carolina. In fact, in an effort to remove the hound-like appearance in some Plott strains, a disqualification was added. When we do breed a litter, our focus is on conformation, ability, and personality. In fact, I can find you a dozen real live Plotts today that we can match to photos from yesterday. So began the development of this unique hound named after Herr Plott in honor of the multi-generational breed- ing program pursued by him and his large family. Some hunters choose to use freeze branding as a method of identification so some Plotts encountered could have white hair with initials or numbers that the ken- nel owner uses to identify his pack. These riders use Plotts to track, bay, and help capture maverick Mex- ican cattle that have crossed into the US. Look at how this dogs chest (far left) comes down and meets his elbow. Burkett notes, The Plotts intel- ligence, tractability, and desire to please their master make them trainable for any- thing In addition to the obvious choice of field trials, the Plott can excel in agility, tracking, nose work, rally, obedience, dock diving, and much more. 5. Just as many of todays Plott breeders, 216 S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE M ARCH 2011, hound-like when compared to the Bloodhound, the Black & Tan Coonhound or the other scent hounds for that matter. Perhaps the most outstanding tempera- ment trait of the Plott is his unmatched courage. It will be the focal point on a well-made dog. This can be both a plus and a minus in training, because the trainer must be exactly correct in training for any new task. Were getting too many dogs that look unbalanced, especially if theyre straight in the shoulder and straight in the hindquarter assembly. They learn quickly and never forget anything! PLOTT TEMPERAMENT The unanimous opinion among Plott breeders is that this hound of another color differs not only in looks from other coonhounds, but also in temperament. If you are just a hound person it is a must have for your library. You could run a plumb line and drop it right where the shoulder blades meet and it will come straight down through the elbow to the floor, right behind the foot. Th is is a pack animal and works with other dogs, not to say there isnt competition amongst the dogs themselves but they typically work together. The heart, lungs, and all of the organs that make them run are right there. Powered by Alexander definitely strives for dual dogs in her breeding program. You want to see a dog that can extend its front, that can push behind, show balance, propulsion and locomotion movement with ease, and cover ground., left: PuppyGood muscling, right: Older dogGood muscling, left: Adult maleGood Inner and Outer Thigh, Great Muscling, center: Too Straight, right: Excellent Rear Angles. What you see is what you get. Keeping this in mind while judging them and not compar-, ing them to the other coonhound breeds. They are very active and tend to growl sometimes before their eyes are even open. This provides the most power. For example; we really want a dog that aggressively engages the bear, hog or lion. Withers-back-loin-croup is all you need to remember. If the ribs dont go back into the loin far enough, or deep enough, theres going to be a basic, functional problem. RESOURCES: 1. AKC ACCEPTANCE BRINGS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PLOTT With the acceptance of the Plott into the regular classes and activities of the AKC in 2006, new challenges and oppor- tunities face breeders of this superlative hunting hound. Their courage, tenacity and versatility have no limits and no means to easily measure. The New World offered more than bears for sportsmen who hunted with Plotts. Achieving that goal for this breed will be well worth the effort. No coonhound should, be penalized for scars, ripped ears as this is very much a working breed and should remain that way. Another important point regarding the shoulder assembly is the point of the elbow. Georges hounds eagerly took to trailing this large game animal. Just as important is the perfect 130-degree angle of the back joint, providing the leverage to push the dog forward. Given their temperament and superb nose, Plotts make wonderful search and rescue dogs. George took several of his Hanoverian Hounds with him. A fearless, determined hunter as the Plott is does not hunt with their tails tucked but up and proud as they track game. If a croup is too short and steep, it will affect the tail set. Romans ruled it as well as the German monarchy however it had been besieged by both the French and British during the 1600 and 1700s. I couldnt tell if you was on a bear or someone had escaped from the prison again. You see John Plott was said to adhere more strictly to his fathers taste in Plotts. The Plotts help protect the multibillion dollar beef cattle industry all along our southern border. BIO Amanda Alexander has been involved in coonhounds for 15 years with her fam- ily. King Louis XIV even threw his hat in the ring from 1689-1697. They also assist the USDA Border Patrol Tick Force. The Texas fever tick carries a fatal hemolytic disease seen in cattle and sheep that can decimate herds of livestock. photo, Wikimedia, Two unidentified members of the Plott family with their hounds before a hunt. Some of these dogs are worth a lot of money and to keep track of each others dogs at night its easier at times to see the white markings than a darker dog. These are for iden- tification purposes only and should not count against the dog. If Plott breeders can work cooperatively to ensure the Plott remains a truly dual dog, success in both venues will follow. The Plotts keen nose and relentless Champion littermates, CH Simmons IN Storms Gotcha with her littermate GCH Simmons IN DayDreams Gotcha winning the Pairs Championship at a UKC show. THE PLOTT FAMILY The Plott family bred and raised these Hanoverian Hounds in the early 18th century. In coonhounds, were also losing some angle from the stifle joint to the point of the hock. Feral pigs had already entered North America thanks to Span- ish expeditions, both as a food source as well as for hunting sport. Ill guarantee that you wont see many dogs made like this. Th is is a disqualification in the breed to have such feet and hunters, take this into consideration. Th ey work by scent and use their voice to communi- cate with the hunter to let them know when, 282 S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014, they have reached their game. Lets dive into the standard for a minute. This mark- ings allow the owners to quickly separate packs when gathering the dogs after a hunt and they discourage theft of dogs that sell for large sums of money. A tail that goes straight up may affect the pitch of the pelvis. I hope we all know that there is no such thing as two equal dogs and the color should seldom have impact on judging. We get to the point in coonhound shows that were looking for such tight feet that we might be getting a little carried away some- times. The Plott will have it mastered quickly and permanently stored in his memory. If you are a hound judge or a potential hound judge it is a photographic bible in learning the desired look of this breed. The shoulder blades are angled at 45 degrees , as is the upper arm, forming a perfect 90-degree L. A good shoulder is oblique, the way a bone curves back into the curvature of the body. By comparison, the Beagle is a layabout, and the Pit Bull a pansy. Plott breeder, Burkett, adds that these hounds are more aggressive than the typi- cal coonhounds. They currently proliferate throughout the Southeast, California, Hawaii, and into the Midwest and even the Northeast, presenting a real threat to agriculture. One of the characteristics that sets the Plott apart fromthe other coonhoundbreeds is their color. Together, they have been in Plotts for 12 years now. In addition, he can compete with the traditional coonhound breeds in that oh- so-crucial voice of hunting hounds. CHALLENGES FOR BREEDERS AND JUDGES Realistically, most of the die-hard big game hunters using Plotts will not rush to AKC conformation events. Many times in my seminars I use the phrase, if it looks wrong, it probably is wrong. I naively assume that the judges I see are dog people and I will continue to err on that side of things. Not every Plott should be bred just based on its pedigree, so our dogs wont make an impact as far as in the breeding pen but moreso as breed ambassadors. She shared some final thoughts on breeding Plotts: We do not breed very often, as we feel there arent enough qualified homes to place pups and we typically keep pups we produce. They are a movement dog with good reach and drive. There must be enough depth of brisket for lung capacity. If the withers are too steep, the shoulders arent laidback enough; theres going to be a basic, functional problem. And remember that the tail is an extension of the spine. The AKC standard thankfully allows the solid black and solid buckskin colored Plotts. His ancestry does not include the Foxhound nor does it hold a direct infusion of Bloodhound genes. As the nine Plott children grew up and moved into adjacent regions and states, they took their hounds with them, furthering the fame and popu- larity of this new breed. Another hallmark of the Plott tempera- ment is their cognitive ability. Several di ff erent shades of brindle is acceptable along with a black sad- dle and brindle legs. The area around Waynesville, NC is gor- geous. Plotts can also be solid black. As I like to say at my seminars, the Spinone is the hound of the sporting group and the Plott is the sporting dog of the hound group. The standard goes on to give a length range that unlike the old black and tan standard, does not promote length of ear but lack thereof. Being a Plott always said something more to me than being just a coonhound. Although in the eastern half of the country he hunts mainly raccoon and feral pigs, the Plott can still use that bawl and chop on large carnivores in the western lands of the US, Canada, and parts of Mexico. A few years later, the Hildebrands would move to Lancaster county Pennsylvania. To calmly accept handling by judges and the attentions of ringside observers takes careful preparation. Topline is level slopping from withers to hip slightly and tail set is below the croup. Hence, the need for a tough, aggressive, fearless hound to hunt them; exactly the qualifi- cations met by the Plott. Longer, low set ears and heavier boned bodies were at the end of Vons leash while his brother John had the higher set, short- er ear of a cur. (Johannes) George Plott, Duch- ess of Brookhaven, Find a Grave. Th eir coat can either be short and smooth but thick enough for protection or a double coat that has a softer under coat and a sti ff er outer coat for pro- tection. The toughness of the Plott and his ability to track a cold trail so impressed local land owners that they came to the Plott family to buy hunting dogs and breeding stock. Feral pigs can dev- astate 40 acres of forest in a single night and destroy acres of crops within hours. photo courtesy of Wikimedia, Amanda Alexanders superb Plott, BIS GCH CNC CCH Black Monday, was bred by Christina Officer. You need to picture the Plott doing its job and then say, can that dog right there do that job? Coonhounds are a scenthound and the tail carriage will be up. Writer Richard B. Woodward notes, Outdoorsmen from as far away as Africa and Japan hold the Plott in near-mystical esteem as perhaps the worlds toughest dog. You want to see a dog that can extend its front, that can push behind, show balance, propulsion and locomotion movement with ease, and cover ground. Add to those traits a keen intelligence and a desire to please his human, the Plott should only increase in his popularity with those who love to participate in performance events with their dogs. Some are aloof with strangers as they typically have one mas- ter that turns them loose on game.