Do Treeing Walker Coonhounds Shed? (Moderately)

Treeing Walker Coonhounds are mid-sized dogs that hunt cougars, bobcats, bears, deer, and raccoons. The dog also has a very clear, ringing voice for communicating.

Is the Treeing Walker Coonhound a heavy shedder? Treeing Walker Coonhounds shed moderately, which is true of most of the six Coonhound breeds. The dog’s short, smooth coat is easy to maintain, though, requiring only general brushing and infrequent bathing.

In today’s article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Treeing Walker Coonhound’s rate of shedding as well as how you can keep this dog’s coat and skin healthy. Let’s get started!

Treeing Walker Coonhound Shedding

If you’ve read my article on Coonhounds, then that may have been your first introduction to the Treeing Walker Coonhound.

The Treeing Walker is one of five other Coonhound breeds. Like his brethren, he’s a moderately heavy shedder.

Why is that? It comes down to two factors: the texture and coat length.

Let’s talk about the texture first.

The ideal coat texture if you want a low-shedding dog is usually coarse or wiry. The curled shape of the coat allows it to hold onto dead hair longer, so it doesn’t fall off the dog and all over your furniture.

Some straight-haired dogs can be low-shedding (the Afghan Hound comes to mind), but they usually have longer coats.

That brings me to my next point then, the length of the Treeing Walker Coonhound’s coat.

Dogs grow fur in various stages. These stages include hair growth, then a period of rest, and finally, the hair follicles are considered dead and shed from the dog’s body.

The period of rest is very important, as that’s a phase where the hair follicle isn’t dead, so it’s still attached quite well to the body.

Dogs with longer fur, such as the Afghan Hound, tend to go through all four hair growth cycles more gradually. This means it takes longer to reach the stage where the hair sheds, which makes them shed more infrequently.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound, on the other hand, has very short fur. The close-cropped fur grows much faster, which means it’s quickly onto the last stage of the growth cycle, where the hair sheds.

That said, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is at least single-coated, so you don’t have to worry about him blowing his coat in the winter and the summer.

The rate of shedding you experience now should be consistent throughout the year.

As explained in our dog FAQ guide, there are other reasons dogs can shed, but it mostly comes down to the dog breed and the factors I just discussed.

Grooming Your Treeing Walker Coonhound

Adopting a Treeing Walker Coonhound will mean cleaning up some loose hair with a vacuum cleaner, but at least the grooming aspect won’t suck up too much of your time.

After all, that short, smooth coat is a double-edged sword. Sure, it sheds a bit, but it’s also quick and convenient to groom.

You won’t have to comb the dog every day. You can probably get away with brushing the Treeing Walker Coonhound about once a week.

I would suggest using a rubber brush or rubber hand glove for the job. Rubber brushes are great at collecting loose surface hair that would have fallen off anyway.

Plus, you give your Coonhound a nice massage every time you comb them with a rubber brush. Since the dog has such short fur, they’re definitely going to feel the calming effects of a body massage as you brush them.

There are more reasons still to brush your dog.

For instance, each time you brush, you spread natural oils that keep their skin moisturized. Your Coonhound won’t become an itchy mess who sheds even more than usual.

Your Treeing Walker will also have an appealingly shiny coat. You’ll want to grab your phone and take lots of photos!

You don’t have to worry about trimming this Coonhound’s coat. It’s short enough that it won’t tangle or mat, which means less discomfort for this dog.

The smooth texture of the Treeing Walker Coonhound’s coat repels dirt and grime. Unless your dog stinks to high heaven, then you can usually wait three months before it’s time for a bath.

There are some other regular habits you should commit to when taking care of the Treeing Walker Coonhound besides brushing your dog.

This breed is susceptible to ear infections, so you should make it a habit to clean the dog’s ears at least once a week. As you do, be sure to remove any lingering debris and ear wax.

Keep your eyes peeled for symptoms of a canine ear infection, which include discharge (which can be red, brown, or yellow), ear redness, and a distinct odor from the ears.

At least monthly, it’s a good idea to trim the Treeing Walker Coonhound’s nails or take your pup to a groomer. Structural issues can result if the dog’s nails get too long, and the nails will be painful too.

Unlike some dogs that hate being groomed, the Treeing Walker Coonhound quite enjoys it. To them, it’s a chance to bond with their favorite person, you!

How To Reduce Excessive Shedding

Does your Treeing Walker Coonhound shed more than his breed standard dictates? If so, then it’s worth evaluating some areas of the dog’s care and lifestyle to determine why this excessive shedding has occurred and get it under control.

First, I would suggest reviewing your Treeing Walker Coonhound’s diet.

A healthy diet is one that has balanced amounts of proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and nutrients. It’s full of fresh, nourishing ingredients, not nutritionally void filler.

You may decide to augment your dog’s diet with supplements, especially omega-3 fatty acids.

Be sure to talk to your vet before giving your Coonhound supplements. The vet will be able to recommend which supplements are best as well as the right amount.

If your Treeing Walker Coonhound is still scratching and shedding even after you improved their diet, it’s worth taking them to the vet for a potential food allergy.

From corn to wheat, chicken, and rice, dogs can be allergic to many ingredients found in a lot of commercial canine food.

The vet may switch your Treeing Walker Coonhound’s diet for a bit to see if different foods produce the same allergic reaction. Then they may gradually reintroduce the old foods to determine which one(s) is the allergen.

And by avoiding giving your dog food with that ingredient in the future, the days of ultra-heavy shedding should come to an end.

While you’re at the vet, be sure to ask them to look for fleas on your dog. Besides sucking blood and possibly acting as a vector for disease, fleas can also leave your poor Coonhound itchy, scratchy, and miserable.

Once they’re on flea medication and, later, a flea preventative, your Treeing Walker shouldn’t itch so intensely anymore. That will bring down your dog’s rate of shedding as well.

If you want to know more about what causes shedding and how to get it under control, check out our complete guide to reducing dog shedding.

About the Treeing Walker Coonhound

If you’re wondering whether you should adopt a Treeing Walker Coonhound, allow me to help you out by providing some background info on the breed. 

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a mid-sized dog from the United States. The Coonhound started with hunting raccoons but eventually expanded its repertoire to include cougars, bears, bobcats, and deer.

The American Kennel Club calls the Treeing Walker Coonhound courteous, brave, smart, and affectionate to the point of being lovey-dovey.

That said, I would caution you against bringing a Treeing Walker into an apartment or any other cramped living environment.

For one, this is a decently sized dog, with males about 27 inches tall and 70 pounds on average.

And even if your Treeing Walker Coonhound didn’t feel constricted in an apartment, these are loud dogs.

As I touched on in the intro, the Treeing Walker Coonhound is quite vocal. The dog will bay and howl, and its voice is strong, ringing, and clear.

You can get a preview of what this beautiful dog sounds like in this video:

Your apartment neighbors mightn’t be too thrilled with all that noise, but it’s not that difficult to train your dog and keep the noise to a minimum.

What about exercise?

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is very active and requires both physical and mental stimulation. Ideally, it would be best to have a large yard to accommodate this dog or access to a dog park.

If you adopt a Treeing Walker Coonhound when it’s young and socialize it with other canines, this dog will typically get along well with your four-legged friends.

However, the same does not go for smaller creatures, from cats to hamsters. The Treeing Walker Coonhound may perceive these cuddly household pets as prey and could give chase.

That said, this Coonhound loves children and is typically great with them.

Bottom Line

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a mid-sized Coonhound breed (one of six) from the US that is beloved for its friendliness, distinctive bray, and lovingness. Although he used to hunt smaller creatures, he’s mostly a companion dog today.

Like most Coonhounds, the Treeing Walker sheds moderately. Its close-cropped, smooth coat makes maintenance easy, and this dog loves being brushed and will grow closer to you for it.

If you’re looking for a sweet four-legged companion, the Treeing Walker Coonhound could be just what you’ve been looking for!