The Redbone Coonhound is the only solid-colored coonhound.
Redbone Coonhounds make excellent water dogs; they can actually follow a scent through the water.
Because of their excellent sense of smell and high level of intelligence Redbones are being used more and more in search and recovery operations.
The Redbone Coonhound is said to have the most pleasant "voice" of all coonhound breeds. Pleasant or not, it is loud and melodious; the baying characteristic of scent hounds is accentuated in coonhounds.
The Redbone has cat-like paws that allow it to work well on a variety of terrains.
The Redbone Coonhound is an exclusively American breed. It was created to be the "superstar" among the coonhounds, not just with better hunting skills but also with better looks.
The best known fictional Redbones are Little Ann and Old Dan, from the book Where the Red Fern Grows. This is a very popular children's book that helped increase the popularity of the breed, which was fairly unknown outside hunting groups. The story centers on the two dogs and the boy who worked hard to buy them and train them to hunt. They form an incredibly tight, almost magical bond, with each risking his or her life for the other. The dogs finally make the ultimate sacrifice in defending their boy. The book was made into a movie first in 1974, to which a sequel followed in 1992; recently, in 2003, a remake of the original movie was released starring the singer Dave Matthews.
The Redbone is the second dog to be registered with the United Kennel Club since 1904; it belongs to the Scenthound group. The breed is currently classified in the American Kennel Club's Miscellaneous Class and is awaiting official recognition; it will be put in the Hound group.
Redbones, like all coonhounds, will change their baying when they tree their pray. All hunters have to do is listen to the way their hounds are baying in order to tell if the hounds are merely following a scent or if they've treed their quarry.
In 1937, Mr. Key Underwood of Alabama buried his dog Troop, a Redbone Coonhound/Birdsong mix in a hunting camp the two had frequently spent time in to plan hunting strategies. He marked the grave with a rock on which he chiseled Troop's name and the date. This laid the foundation for the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard, as hunters started following Underwood's example when their favorite coon dogs died. It is said that there are strict requirements for allowing a dog to be buried in this graveyard; apparently, it must be proven that your dog was a coonhound or burial will be denied. This graveyard is for coonhounds ONLY and it is the only graveyard of its kind; it has become quite a tourist attraction.
Redbone Coonhounds are often affectionately referred to as "Reds."
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