blue tick
A speckled blue-black coonhound bred for night hunting.
Also called bluetick, Bluetick Coonhound.
Updated September 21, 2026
blue tick pronunciation
/BLOO tik/
Meaning
Short for Bluetick Coonhound. A cold-nosed Southern hunting dog with a mottled blue coat, famous for trailing raccoons and bawling at the tree till you catch up. Folks just say blue tick the way they say hound, no kennel-club ceremony required.
How folks use it
- “That blue tick struck a trail before we even left the truck.”
- “He's got three blue ticks and a Walker in the pen.”
Origin and etymology
American coonhound stock built from English foxhounds and French cold-nosed hounds, often tied in lore to dogs Lafayette sent Washington. Breeders broke Blueticks out as their own UKC breed in 1946. The name comes from the blue ticking on the coat.
Frequently asked questions
Is a blue tick only for coons?
Coons are the classic job, but hunters run them on other game too. The dog was built to trail and tree.