The Happy-Go-Lucky, Hard-Working Plott Hound Quiz

Answer: Wild boar and bears

The foundation Plott hounds were bred to be excellent at wild boar hunting, and the Plott family also focused on breeding them to hunt bear. The family lived in an area that's still rural today, and certainly was in the early 19th century, so large game abounded. The Plott Balsams, a mountain range in western North Carolina, is named for them.

Answer: The North Carolina mountains

The North Carolina mountains made it easy for the Plotts (the people) to avoid accidental breeding of their dogs, while trying the dogs on bear and other big game to test their skill. The Plott family is still active in breeding, showing and writing about their dogs.

Answer: Brindle

They can be any shade of brindle, from yellow or red to dark brown, or even black shading into brindle. A little white on the chest and feet is also allowed, but no more than that. Breeders have disagreed on what colors are best, but brindle is still always the focus.

Answer: False

Even young Plott hounds can have frosting on their muzzle, which gives them the elderly gray-muzzle look that other breeds get as they age. Our Plott that we adopted as a one-year-old looked full of ancient wisdom, sitting like a sphinx, with her gray muzzle and serious wrinkled hound-dog face, till she went tearing around in the woods, running into things in her excitement.

Answer: North Carolina

The Plott family's home state honored the dog that they developed there. Though Plott hound events are held in many places, an annual "PlottFest" is held in Maggie Valley, N.C. Amtrak runs a passenger car on its North Carolina line called the Plott hound.

There's a state highway marker where Plott Creek Road meets US 23 southwest of Waynesville, N.C., mentioning that the breed was developed near there.

Answer: Tracking big game

Plott hounds have stayed at the work they've always been best at. They could surely do other scent work, but their rarity means one hardly ever sees them sniffing out drugs or tracking criminals, compared to more common breeds.

Answer: Yes, they like to run or play daily

Plott hounds are energetic and enjoy a strenuous hike or run or hard play session. Like many hounds, they crash out on the couch or bed for the rest of the day and look lazy, if you don't know what they were doing before.

Answer: Fox hounds

Hounds, or dogs in general, come in all shapes and sizes, but the Plott hound is fairly average, not noticeable as being especially big or small. It's not genetically descended from the fox hound, even though the rest of the registered coonhound breeds are.

Answer: False

There's no such thing. Plott hounds come in only one coat length: short-haired. Grooming is simple.

Answer: 21st Century

The AKC was founded in the 19th century, in 1884, but the Plott hound wasn't recognized as a breed by them until the 21st century, in 2006.