Activities for Your Hound

Performance Sports

While coonhounds can excel at a variety of canine pursuits (agility, obedience, and therapy dog work), the following activities are a natural match for a hound’s interests and physicality. 

  • Barn Hunt - Based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding farms, barns, crop storage areas, and homes of destructive vermin. A great sport for older dogs (as well as older people). 

  • Fast CAT - The AKC Coursing Agility Test is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs run one at a time, chasing a lure. 

  • Search & Rescue - The National Association of Canine Search and Rescue (SAR) highly recommends that humans are certified in ground SAR before starting this intense training program with a canine partner. 

  • Scentwork - Celebrating the sport of sniffing! A fun and rewarding activity for hounds of all ages and especially helpful for shy dogs to gain confidence.  The AKC also offers a Virtual Scent Work Test that can be completed at home. 

Hunting and Fieldwork

Other Hound + Human Activities

  • Coon Dog Day - A celebration of coonhound culture! Occurs every July in Saluda, North Carolina.

  • Christmas in Middleburg - An annual holiday festival in MIddleburg, Virginia, also known as the “Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital.” Featuring the Middleburg Hunt, whose origins trace to the renowned 1905 foxhunting match between English and American foxhounds (the latter being the winners!)

  • Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard - Located in Colbert County, Alabama, this graveyard is reserved specifically for the burials of “coon dogs” and holds a celebration each Labor Day. 

  • PlottFest - A celebration of the North Carolina state dog, the Plott Hound, a breed originated by the Plott family that gained world-wide notoriety for its bear-hunting abilities. Occurs each April in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.