English Coonoodle
Hybrid Breed Description
The English Coonoodle is a cross between the English Coonhound and the Poodle. Because each hybrid inherits a unique combination of traits from both parents, we recommend thoroughly researching both breeds before choosing an English Coonoodle. Pay special attention to temperament, health issues, and care requirements, as your dog may express characteristics from either parent breed.
English Coonhound
The American English Coonhound, commonly called English Coonhound, presents a sleek, athletic build designed for speed, endurance, and agility across challenging terrain. Males typically stand twenty-four to twenty-six inches tall at the shoulder while females reach twenty-three to twenty-five inches, with weights ranging from forty-five to sixty-five pounds for most individuals, though some may reach eighty pounds. This medium to large breed features a muscular yet graceful body with a deep chest, strong back, and well-defined musculature that enables hours of sustained activity during hunts. The breed displays a broad, moderately-sized head with a slightly domed skull and expressive, kind dark brown eyes that convey intelligence and determination. Their most distinctive feature includes long, low-set ears that hang down and, when extended forward, reach the tip of the nose. These floppy ears frame the face and contribute to their hound appearance. The muzzle is square-shaped and proportionate to the head, creating a balanced profile. The English Coonhound's body exhibits perfect proportion with no exaggerated features, creating an overall impression of speed and hunting capability. English Coonhounds possess a short to medium-length coat that feels hard and protective to the touch. The coat comes in three distinct color patterns that define the breed: redtick featuring red speckling on a white background, bluetick with blue-gray ticking, or tricolor combinations including black, tan, blue, brown, red, and white. These ticked or speckled patterns create unique markings on each dog. The breed's tail is set moderately high, carried with a slight curve, and tapers to a point. Their movement demonstrates remarkable grace and efficiency, with a ground-covering stride that showcases their hunting heritage and athletic prowess.
Key Characteristics
The American English Coonhound exhibits a fascinating dual personality, displaying calm, mellow behavior indoors while transforming into a determined, tireless hunter when pursuing prey. At home, these dogs are sweet-natured, friendly, and surprisingly laid-back companions who enjoy lounging with their families. They form strong bonds with their owners and demonstrate loyalty and affection, though they maintain enough independence to work autonomously during hunts. Their sociable nature makes them generally good with children and other dogs when properly socialized from an early age. The breed possesses an extremely high energy level and powerful prey drive inherited from generations of selective breeding for hunting raccoons and other game. When they detect a scent, their hunting instincts override nearly everything else, making reliable recall training essential. Their characteristic loud, ringing bark or bay serves as a tracking tool during hunts but can become problematic in residential settings if not properly managed. Without adequate mental and physical stimulation, English Coonhounds may develop destructive behaviors, excessive barking, or attempt to escape enclosures to follow interesting scents. English Coonhounds require experienced owners who understand their needs for substantial daily exercise and mental engagement. They thrive with owners who can provide running, hiking, or other vigorous activities for at least sixty minutes daily, preferably more. The breed can be stubborn and somewhat challenging to train for tasks outside their hunting instincts, requiring patience and positive reinforcement methods. They are not recommended for apartment living or novice dog owners due to their high energy, vocal nature, and strong drive to pursue prey. When their substantial exercise needs are met, they become calm, sweet companions who integrate well into active families willing to accommodate their hunting heritage.
The American English Coonhound is generally considered a healthy, robust breed with a lifespan of eleven to twelve years, which is typical for dogs of their size. Their active lifestyle and strong working heritage contribute to overall good health, though like all breeds, they are predisposed to certain genetic conditions that responsible owners should monitor. Hip dysplasia represents one of the primary orthopedic concerns, occurring when the hip joint develops abnormally and creates instability that can lead to arthritis, pain, and mobility issues. Reputable breeders screen breeding stock for this condition to reduce its prevalence in puppies. Ear infections pose a significant health concern for English Coonhounds due to their long, floppy ears that trap moisture and debris, creating an ideal environment for bacterial and yeast overgrowth. The breed's ear canals require weekly cleaning and regular monitoring for signs of infection including redness, odor, discharge, head shaking, or scratching. Prompt treatment of ear infections prevents more serious complications and maintains the dog's comfort and hearing health. Their hunting background also means they may sustain injuries during outdoor activities, requiring vigilant supervision and protective measures. Bloat or gastric dilatation-volvulus represents a potentially life-threatening emergency common in deep-chested breeds like the English Coonhound. This condition occurs when the stomach fills with gas and twists on itself, cutting off blood supply and requiring immediate veterinary intervention. Feeding smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding vigorous exercise immediately after eating can help reduce bloat risk. Additional health concerns may include hypothyroidism affecting metabolism, cataracts and other eye problems causing vision impairment, and progressive retinal atrophy leading to blindness. Regular veterinary checkups, maintaining a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise, and selecting puppies from health-tested parents help ensure English Coonhounds live long, active lives.
Poodle
The Standard Poodle presents an elegant, athletic appearance combining grace with substance in a well-proportioned frame. These medium to large dogs stand eighteen to twenty-four inches tall at the shoulder and weigh forty to seventy pounds, with males typically larger than females. The breed exhibits a square profile when viewed from the side, with height approximately equal to body length from chest to rump. Their body features a deep chest, well-sprung ribs, and a level topline that creates an impression of refinement and athleticism. Poodles possess distinctive heads with long, straight muzzles, dark oval eyes that convey intelligence and alertness, and long ears that hang close to the head. The skull is moderately rounded with a slight but definite stop, and the entire head maintains elegant proportions. Their necks are strong and arched, flowing smoothly into well-laid-back shoulders. The breed's legs are straight and parallel with moderate bone and oval feet that provide sure footing. Poodles move with a light, springy gait that demonstrates their agility and soundness. The Poodle's most recognizable feature is their dense, curly coat that grows continuously rather than shedding seasonally like most breeds. The coat texture is naturally harsh and woolly, forming tight, even curls throughout the body. This unique coat comes in solid colors including black, white, blue, gray, silver, brown, café-au-lait, apricot, cream, and parti-color combinations of white with another solid color. The coat requires extensive grooming every four to six weeks to prevent matting and maintain the breed's characteristic appearance, whether in show clips like the Continental or English Saddle, or practical pet trims. Despite the maintenance requirements, Poodles are considered hypoallergenic due to minimal shedding, making them popular for people with allergies.
Key Characteristics
The Standard Poodle ranks consistently among the most intelligent dog breeds, displaying exceptional trainability, problem-solving abilities, and eagerness to please that make them excel in virtually any canine activity. These highly versatile dogs adapt readily to various roles including companionship, service work, therapy, hunting, and competitive dog sports. Their keen intelligence means they learn commands quickly and can master complex tricks and tasks, though it also means they can become bored without adequate mental stimulation and may develop undesirable behaviors if under-challenged. Poodles exhibit friendly, playful, and responsive personalities that make them wonderful family companions. They form strong bonds with their families and actively seek human companionship and interaction, preferring to remain close to their owners throughout the day. The breed does not tolerate isolation well and may develop separation anxiety if left alone for extended periods. While generally good with children when properly socialized, their sensitivity to rough handling means they thrive best in households with older, respectful children. Poodles can initially appear reserved or aloof with strangers until they assess the situation, a trait stemming from their natural wariness rather than aggression. The breed possesses moderate to high energy levels requiring at least sixty minutes of daily exercise through walks, playtime, and mentally engaging activities. Despite their refined appearance, Standard Poodles retain strong hunting instincts and often display enthusiasm for games, swimming, and retrieving activities. They excel at various dog sports including obedience, agility, tracking, and rally due to their trainability and athletic abilities. Without sufficient physical and mental stimulation, Poodles may bark excessively, develop destructive chewing habits, or engage in other problem behaviors. Their people-oriented nature and territorial instincts mean they make effective watchdogs, alerting owners to unusual activity with barking, though they typically lack aggressive tendencies toward people.
Standard Poodles enjoy relatively long lifespans of twelve to fifteen years, longer than many breeds of comparable size, though they face several breed-specific health concerns that owners should monitor. Hip dysplasia represents a significant orthopedic issue where abnormal hip joint development leads to instability, inflammation, and eventual arthritis causing pain and mobility problems. The large size of Standard Poodles increases their susceptibility to this genetic condition, making screening of breeding stock essential. Treatment options range from weight management and anti-inflammatory medications to surgical intervention in severe cases. Addison's disease affects Poodles at higher rates than most breeds, occurring when the adrenal glands fail to produce adequate cortisol hormone. This serious endocrine disorder causes lethargy, depression, stress intolerance, and digestive problems that can be life-threatening if undiagnosed. Conversely, some Poodles develop Cushing's syndrome where excessive cortisol production leads to weight gain, increased thirst and urination, panting, and skin problems. Progressive retinal atrophy poses another concern, causing gradual photoreceptor degeneration in the eyes that eventually results in blindness. DNA testing can identify carriers of this inherited condition. Bloat or gastric dilatation-volvulus represents an emergency condition common in deep-chested breeds like Standard Poodles, requiring immediate veterinary attention when the stomach fills with gas and twists. Feeding multiple smaller meals daily and avoiding vigorous exercise around mealtimes helps reduce risk. The breed also faces increased rates of epilepsy causing seizures, sebaceous adenitis creating skin and coat problems, and von Willebrand's disease affecting blood clotting ability. Dental disease requires attention due to their continuously growing coat sometimes affecting facial hygiene. Regular veterinary care, genetic health testing, maintaining appropriate weight, and selecting puppies from health-screened parents significantly improve the likelihood of a long, healthy life for Standard Poodles.
Important to Remember
Each hybrid dog is unique and may inherit any combination of traits from either parent breed. The information above represents the characteristics of the purebred parent breeds. Your English Coonoodle may favor one parent over the other or display a blend of both. We strongly encourage you to read the complete breed profiles for both the English Coonhound and Poodle to fully understand the range of possible temperaments, health concerns, and care requirements.