Redbone Coonhound
Overview
The Redbone Coonhound is a medium dog from the Hound group — an energetic, active breed that needs real daily exercise. In temperament it's intensely devoted and bonded to its family, responsive to training with steady guidance and it would rather not be left alone for long. With a typical lifespan of 10 to 12 years, the Redbone Coonhound is a medium-length commitment.
Is the Redbone Coonhound right for you?
A good match if — you live in an apartment or smaller home; you have children at home; you're active and want a dog to move with; you want a closely bonded companion.
Think twice if — this is your first dog — it asks for experienced handling; a tidy household matters to you; the dog would regularly be left alone for long stretches.
What a Redbone Coonhound needs from you
Day to day, the Redbone Coonhound needs a major daily time commitment from you and intense daily exercise and a job to do. It does best with a moderate amount of space and solid, confident handling. It's a social breed that doesn't like being isolated for long.
Living with a Redbone Coonhound
At home, the Redbone Coonhound adapts to apartment life with daily walks. It's great with kids of all ages, polite but not overly outgoing with strangers, fairly vocal, and a noticeable drooler.
Key facts
- Size
- Medium
- Height
- 1 foot, 9 inches to 2 feet, 3 inches tall at the shoulder
- Weight
- 45 to 70 pounds
- Life span
- 10 to 12 years
- Group
- Hound Dogs
What it needs from you (at a glance)
| Space needed | |
| Experience needed | |
| Maintenance | no data yet |
| Time per day | |
| Need for company | |
| Handling / closeness | |
| Cost level |
Health & what to watch for
The start matters most: get a Redbone Coonhound from someone who health-tests their lines — ask to see the results — or from a reputable rescue, and register with a vet early. Ask the breeder which screenings they run for the breed, and keep it lean and well-exercised. Across every breed the single biggest lever you control is weight — a lean dog lives longer and has fewer problems. Food intolerances usually show as itchy skin, recurring ear trouble or an upset stomach; if that turns up, a vet-guided elimination diet beats guesswork. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice — your vet knows your individual dog.
Best toys
Good toys for a Redbone Coonhound: toys that burn real energy — a ball launcher, a flirt pole, fetch and tug; tough, durable chews built for strong jaws — avoid flimsy toys it can shred and swallow. Rotate a few at a time rather than leaving everything out — novelty is half the value — and always supervise a new chew.
Growing up
The first months are the socialization window: calm, positive exposure to new people, sounds, surfaces and other animals now shapes the adult dog more than almost anything else. Channel the energy early with structured outlets and basic training, or a bored youngster will invent its own jobs.
What it costs
Scaled to this breed’s roughly 26 kg and a ~11-year life, keeping a Redbone Coonhound works out at about:
Rough cross-breed averages in USD — a planning guide, not a quote. Break it down by life phase in the Cost Calculator →
Temperament (at a glance)
| Affection | |
| Energy | |
| Vocalness | |
| Trainability | |
| Tolerates alone |
Its presence, grown
Raised with patience and consistency, the adult Redbone Coonhound settles into a lively, animated presence. It devotes itself utterly to its family — your shadow, your second self. It is polite with newcomers once they are introduced.
As your partner
Picture it as a grown partner at your side: active days, real walks and a partner with energy to share. It would rather not be left alone for long. With children it is gentle and patient — a true family dog.
What makes it unique
What sets the Redbone Coonhound apart is a nose or an eye that locks onto a trail and a single-minded drive to follow it. It is built to go all day, and needs that outlet to be its best self.