Hunting Dogs in “Where the Red Fern Grows”

rychoifamily

12 Dec, 2022

Hunting Dogs in “Where the Red Fern Grows”

Hunting dogs are special, because they have different traits than regular dogs. Old Dan and Little Ann in “Where the Red Fern Grows” are hunting dogs. There are many types of hunting dogs, all of which fall into one of these two categories: Gun Dogs and Scent Dogs. Gun Dogs go to retrieve shot prey. Scent Dogs follow the trail of live prey and eventually force the animal up a tree. This is known as “treeing.” Then, the hunter can shoot the animal. Beagles, Redbone Coon Hounds, and American Foxhounds are all Scent Dogs. Not all Scent Dogs “tree” animals, but Bluetick Coon Hounds “tree” its prey very easily. 

Redbone coon hounds hunt raccoons, because people need the fur to make a living. When hunting raccoons during the night, it must be tenacious and have good eyesight, like the Redbone Coon Hound. Then, the hunter sells the raccoon fur to earn money. This practice of hunting and selling raccoon skins started in the 1800s. The other Scent Dogs hunt in the same way as the Redbone Coon Hound. The differences depend on the breed. For example, the Bluetick Coon Hound can hunt any “treeable” animal, and American Foxhounds hunt foxes and deer. 


Hunting and regular house dogs clearly have their differences. For example, hunting dogs tend to be more loyal to their owners and are usually better trained. It takes a very energetic dog to match the energy of a hunting dog. Hunting dog’s faces look different. According to The Blood Hound’s Amazing Sense of Smell, scent dogs like the bloodhound store the scent of animals in their faces, making their faces always look droopy. They also have long, droopy ears to pick up smells and guide them toward the nose. Hunting dogs are usually more athletic, bigger, and less furry.

Today is National Gingerbread House Day! Try making some gingerbread houses! It is almost the end of the year, and I’m so glad we made it this far. I hope your gingerbread house has peppermint and dum-dums or whatever you like to put on it. As for The Decision… We’ll talk more about that on Christmas. Enjoy your baking, making, and eating!