Plott

Plott Temperament

Plotts are able to sniff and follow trails by nature. Many hunters like to adopt this breed not only for their uncanny hunting abilities, but also because this breed makes a smooth transition into the home. They make wonderful family pets because they are very loyal and devoted to their family. As a hunting dog, this breed is strong, courageous, and at times it can be headstrong. If approached by a stranger, this breed can be very timid until it warms up to the stranger.

Plott Upkeep

This breed is very easy to keep up with, as long as they have a fenced in yard to roam around in. If the yard is not fenced in, they may get carried away with a scent that will cause it to roam far away from home. This breed requires canine or human companions. They also require the opportunity to hunt, since it is in their blood. Taking this breed for a hike is extremely beneficial, as long as it stays on a leash to avoid it from straying. Plotts are excellent in the water and enjoy a good swim as well. Their coat is very short so coat maintenance is very minimal.

Plott Health Concerns

The only health concern that surrounds this breed is Chronic Hip Dysplasia, however, even this condition is only ever occasionally seen. As for major and minor health concerns, there aren’t any. It is suggested, due to the Chronic Hip Dysplasia being occasionally seen, that this breed gets hip test throughout its life to ensure that it does not develop the condition, or to ensure that it gets treated if it does. A healthy Plott will live approximately 11-13 years.

Plott History

The Plott is currently the state dog of North Carolina, but its roots stem from Germany where Hanoverian Schweisshunds were valued for their uncanny ability to hunt wild boars and find game that has been wounded. In 1750, there was a 16 year old boy named Johannes Georg Plott, and he brought five of these dogs with him when he moved to a new home in the Great Smoky Mountains. At the time, there were no wild boars that were living in the Great Smoky Mountains, however, the dogs showed that they were very able to trail large animals, bears in particular. Not only were they able to find the location of bears through trailing, they were also known to attack and bring down bears that weighed up to as much as 500 pounds. The Plott, named after the boy who brought them to the Great Smoky Mountains, bred their dogs for seven generations . Other mountain men bred the Plott with their own dog breeds. In the early 1900s, it was first documented that this breed was actually crossed with other lines to improve the Plott strain. The breed was initially used for bear, wild boar, and mountain lions, there were quite a few Plotts that were very successful in treeing raccoons for coon hunters. In 1998, this breed finally was admitted into the AKC. This was only 9 years after it was already considered the state dog of North Carolina.