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American Leopard Hound

intelligent / sociable / energetic
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Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

22 – 27 males

21 – 25 females

Weight

45 – 75 lbs males

35 – 65 lbs females

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    98% 98%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    98% 98%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

One of the American Leopard Hound’s best qualities is intelligence. The breed is particularly protective of youngsters and is caring and affectionate toward its family. One of the first tree dog breeds in the United States, American Leopards have extraordinary tracking skills and can frequently follow their prey for miles.

The American Leopard Hound is a medium to a large-sized dog with three patterns—Solid, Leopard, and Brindle—nine approved colors, and a variety of markings. However, 60% of all American Leopards are solid-colored dogs.

The breed can hunt a wide range of game species, including but not limited to raccoon, bear, bobcat, cougar, squirrel, and any other wildlife that prefers to live in trees. They do exceedingly well in adverse temperatures, both hot and cold, as they are a particularly hardy breed.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a American Leopard Hound

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The majority of American Leopard Hounds are strong dogs. Owners-to-be of American Leopard Hounds should engage with a responsible breeder who can inform them about the breed's particular health issues. To lessen the possibility of sickness in their puppies, good breeders genetically screen their breeding material. When two American Leopards with merle coloring mate, double merle puppies may result. These puppies are considerably more likely to be blind, deaf, or have vision or hearing impairments.  

Grooming

For you and your dog, grooming can be a great way to strengthen your relationship. The undercoat of American Leopard Hounds is silky and wooly, while the outside coat is smooth and dense. The occasional bath will keep them clean and looking their best in addition to the weekly brushing they receive. Regular trimming with a nail clipper or grinder is advised to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking of their robust, quickly developing nails. To prevent a buildup of wax and debris that could cause an infection, examine their ears frequently. You should brush your teeth frequently.  

Exercise

An active breed, the American Leopard Hound. Playtime in the backyard, especially one that is enclosed, or daily walks are two options for getting exercise. Indoor games like hide-and-seek, chasing a ball tossed across the floor, or teaching them new tricks can also be a form of exercise. Dog sports training, such as agility, obedience, and rally, can also be a terrific method to exercise your dog. American Leopards are an energetic hunting breed that would thrive in a rural, active family.  

Training

American Leopard Hounds are obedient and thus simple to teach. They were developed as hunting dogs and are renowned for their endurance, concentration, and agility. They must be trained to respond to commands since, as scenthounds, they have a propensity to follow their nose and stray.  

Nutrition

The American Leopard Hound should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

History

One of the original tree dog breeds in the Americas is the American Leopard Hound. Unknown are the exact origins of the American Leopard. People who have studied the history of the breed say that dogs that the Spanish conquistadors brought to the New World contributed to its development.

Various canines are thought to have contributed to the evolution of the breed. According to some researchers, the conquistadors’ dogs may have bred with Mexican native canines before being transported to the United States by settlers, where they proceeded to evolve into the breed we know today. Others claim that the breed’s entire history may be traced to the southern United States, where it originated from a blending of Scottish herding and Spanish, French, English, and English hounds.

American Leopard Hounds had established themselves in eastern North Carolina by the early 18th century. It later traveled south into Texas and Oklahoma before heading west into Tennessee and Kentucky from there.

Early in the 20th century, the breed started to dwindle and was permitted to mix with other breeds; by the 1950s, there were very few purebred animals left. When they did, three people—J. Leroy E. Smith, Richard McDuffie, and A.W. Carter started looking for representatives of the breed on their own. In order to develop and advance the breed, these three individuals got together in 1960 and founded the American Leopard Cur Breeders Association (ALCBA).

An all-purpose tree dog known as the American Leopard Hound has been bred. Because of their strong desire to serve their master, they stand apart among the tree dog breeds; no breed is easier to teach. They are also unmatched when it comes to fighting and holding off the game without getting wounded. They follow the quarry closely, yet they have the rare capacity to “duck and dodge” to prevent harm. They are very devoted to and protective of the kids at home.