The Best of Both Worlds
Wayne Cavanaugh

The 50th Anniversary of Autumn Oaks will be the largest collection of both nite hunt and bench show hounds in the world. Accordingly, it will be a prime opportunity to reassess where we have come from and where we are headed. It will be a great time to not only see the best of both nite hunt and bench show hounds, but also to consider whether or not we are all headed down the same path.

In the first draft of this article, I had a nice soft opening couple of paragraphs about a bunch of different breeds and how they are evolving as two separate types. After I read it, though, I decided I may as well cut right to the chase, so here it is: the divide between nite hunt dogs and bench show dogs is becoming more apparent and, if not kept in check, could result in two different hounds for each coonhound breed. While I completely understand that some of you are interested in either hunting or showing, but not both, I’d like for you to consider what happens if that divide gets worse. In the end, we end up with exaggerated hounds on both sides - and neither side wins.

Bear with me as I use English Setters as an example. I use them because hunt and show setters are too divided to be fixed - coonhounds are not even close to being that divided yet. If, however, we are not at least mindful of what has happened in other hunting breeds, we could see the same divide in coonhounds. The show setters may look pretty, but are they better dogs? Has breeding only for looks compromised health and temperament? Is the temperament it takes to run around a show ring the same temperament you can live with at home between dog shows?

It is not just the show dogs that lose on these divides, the hunting dogs do too. When a dog is bred for competition hunting only, their function is as exaggerated as their looks. To win the most competitive bird dog events you need a fast horse and a dog that hunts a mile in front of you. How is that dog going to work for you on a nice fall weekend with your hunting buddies? Chances are you’ll turn them loose and never see them again. Is this the kind of exaggerations and separation that we want for coonhounds?

Again, there is no way the coonhound hunt and show divide is as bad as the setter example. I also realize that this can be controversial territory. I do, however, see more distinct coonhound traits that make me think it’s time to talk about it more publicly.

We need to ask ourselves if the lightning speed and hyper overdrive in a hound that flies by the first three coons before he scores a tree are a sign of an exaggerated future for hunting hounds. Is the bench show hound that stands fashionably post-legged only because his shoulder and hindquarter angles have been bred out a sign of beauty over functional conformation? Is fashion over function the future for bench show hounds? I sure hope not.

Every month when the photos of the nite hunt and bench show winners come in, I have no problem finding a few nite hunt winners that have better balance of front to rear and better shoulder and hindquarter angulation than the bench show winners. They may not be standing as pretty, but if you really try to look objectively, you can see that form follows function and that function can be pretty darn beautiful.

Yes, there are plenty of spectacular nite hunt dogs that are hard to look at, but I can sure think of more than a few good looking, superb nite hunt hounds that have things to offer to a bench show breeding program. The exact same thing is true the other way around; a lot of heart may occasionally carry flat and splayed feet on a nite hunt, but not for long.

If there is a troubling sign in the bench show ring, it would be a lack of front and rear angulation when viewed from the side. Yes, their legs are nice and straight when seen head-on because most anyone can see that. Easy-to-see features, though, should never become the fashion. Fashion is not going to get you too far in the woods; an overall balance of parts and shoulder and rear angulation will. One reason that some judges don’t recognize these traits may be that they may be more difficult to learn to see. It is easier to see straight legs from the front than it is to see and understand the function of shoulder angulation, for example.

We have sure come a long way from judging a hound only by how long it can stand like a statue. The next step is to consider the functional parts of a hound as well as the pretty parts when handing out the trophies. Bench shows are intended to select the most functional looking hounds that meet the breed standard. The breed standard is solidly based on function. Bench shows should never become just another beauty contest. Nor should nite hunts become a contest of who can run the fastest.

I am certainly not saying we have a big problem with this divide, even though I guarantee you some readers will read it that way no matter how I write it. I am saying that this divide is something that can happen quicker than you think. History proves it over and over.

I’m sure we can all recite a nice long list of excellent hounds that have excelled both on the bench and in the woods. There sure are some great dogs that I would consider complete coonhounds. I would even go as far to say that at least one past winner of the Purina Outstanding Nite Hunt would have been competitive for the Purina Bench Show award. A few years back, someone asked me who to breed their bench show female to and when I suggest a particular Grand Nite Champion based on looks alone they look at me like I was from Mars!

Not considering a dog just because it has the wrong kind of title for you, regardless of the dog’s overall quality, is quite simply, well, stupid. Good looking hunting hounds, as well as bench show dogs that can hunt and have strong hunting pedigrees, are exactly the dogs to consider in both bench and hunting breeding program. Focusing on current fashion can ruin a breed real quick. Focusing on only a single feature can also do some quick damage to the gene pool.

My hope is that by talking about the things in this article you agree or disagree with will help us all consider the whole dog, the whole package, when making breeding decisions for the future of these magnificent hounds.