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History It is most likely that the Bluetick is principally descended from the quick foxhounds of England, with some introduction of the blood of various French hounds, which were used for hunting big game. The French dogs were known as being very cold nosed. George Washington received five such French hounds from General Lafayette. Blueticks were originally registered with UKC as English. In 1946, at the request of the Bluetick fanciers, UKC began registering Blueticks as a separate breed.
This standard has been framed for three real purposes: first, to act as a guide for the Judges at Bench Shows; second, to furnish suggestions for breeders for improving the breed and to promote higher ideals for their breeding programs; and third, to advance this breed to a state of similarity throughout the country
Scale of Points | (Revised as of January 1, 1976) | Head | 10 | Neck | 5 | Shoulders | 10 | Chest and Ribs | 10 | Back and Loins | 15 | Hindquarters | 10 | Elbows | 5 | Legs and Feet | 20 | Coat and Color | 5 | Stern | 5 | General Makeup | 5 | Total | 100 |
BREEDINGOnly recognized pedigrees and U.K.C. registered bloodlines acceptable.GENERAL APPEARANCEAppearance of the Bluetick Coonhound should be that of a speedy, well-muscled individual, not clumsy or chunky built. Body should be neat, coat glossy; head carried well up but not goose-necked. Eyes clear and keen. Tail carried gaily above back, not curled or dropped between legs. Feet round and well padded. A pleading hound expression, not wild or cowering. Active, ambitious, and speedy on trail.CHARACTERISTICSVOICEThe Bluetick should be a free tonguer on trail, with a medium bawl or bugle voice when striking and trailing, may change to a steady chop when running, with a steady coarse chop at tree.HEAD & SKULLSkull very slightly domed and broad between ears, never narrow. Stop prominent. Length from occiput to end of nose: males, 9 to 10 inches; females, 8 to 9 inches. Muzzle, from stop to end of nose, should be square, well proportioned in width with the skull, with depth and flews well covering the lower jaw. Depth of 3 to 4½ inches.TEETHEven, neither undershot nor overshot.EYESShould be rather large, set wide apart at the stop, round. Dark brown, not lighter than light brown in color. Lids of eyes should be firm and close, without excess third eyelid showing (no drooping).EARS Well attached slightly below top of skull. Should be thin with slight roll, taper well towards a point, and should reach well towards the end of nose. Ears set low enough on head and devoid of erectile power. Ears well attached to head to prevent hanging or backward tilt.NECKNeck should rise with slight taper, not carried too high or too low, not thick at shoulders; muscular and of moderate length. The throat is clean, with very small trace of dewlap (excess dewlap objectionable).
FOREQUARTERSFORELEGSStraight from the shoulders down to the feet, well boned and muscular, with a strong, straight pastern. Forelegs should appear straight from either side or front view.
BODYMeasured from point of shoulder to root of tail, the body should be equal to or slightly longer than height measurement.The shoulders are clean, gradually sloped down from top of shoulder to point of shoulder, and muscular. Not broad and protruding, but to appear as part of body, showing freedom of movement and strength.The chest should show considerable depth, rather than excessive width, allowing plenty of lung space. Fairly even width from shoulders, extending well down toward the elbow; in girth for adult males, 26 to 34 inches, and females, 23 to 30 inches.The ribs should be well sprung with good depth, and taper gradually to floating ribs, resembling a curve in the chest, rather than a sunken drop-off between chest and belly.The back should be muscular, blending well with the neck when the head is held alert, sloping down slightly from withers to loins. The loins should be broad, well muscled and slightly arched.
HINDQUARTERSThighs of gradual taper with excess muscular development, giving abundant propelling power. Breeching full and clean down to hocks. Hocks firm and moderately bent, not excessively bent (as cow hocks).
HIND LEGSHind legs to appear straight with the body when viewed from behind.
FEETRound with well-arched toes. (No upward trend or toeclaw.) Thick, tough pads. When standing should appear to have cat-like feet. No hind dewclaws.
TAILAttached slightly below the back line, well rooted, and tapering to a moderate length as compared with length of hound. Carried high with a forward curve as of half moon. Tail well coated (not flagged), not rat tail.
COATMedium coarse and laying close to the body, to appear smooth and glossy. Neither too rough or too short.
COLORPreferred color of the Bluetick is a dark blue, thickly mottled body, spotted by various shaped black spots on back, ears and sides. Preference running to more blue than black on body. Head with black predominant, also ears. Tan dots over eyes and on cheeks with a dark red ticking on feet and lower legs below body line, on chest and below tail. Red may be eliminated as to the desire of the breeder, as well as the tan head coloring and amount of black on body. A majority of blue mottled body preferred to lighter ticking over the body. The amount of blue ticking should control over the amount of white in the body coat. Off colors not allowed.
SIZE & WEIGHTSlightly higher at shoulders than at hips; not lower at the shoulder than at hips. Adult males: 22 to 27 inches at shoulder; 55 to 80 pounds. Females: 21 to 25 inches at shoulder; 45 to 65 pounds.
DISQUALIFICATIONSA disqualifying fault is a fault that makes a dog ineligible for placement in a Bench Show. Points are not to be deducted; neither is the dog to be removed from bench. Other than those disqualifying faults listed here and those listed as disqualifying faults by U.K.C., deviation from standards is to be considered a fault for which points are to be deducted according to the degree of the fault and the emphasis placed on that body part according to the point system.TEETH front teeth must touch with mouth closed.
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