Plott Hound Fact Sheet

Von Plott with Jenny, Link, Bill’s Bell, Drum, Happy,

and John

Photo courtesy of the Plott Family

“The Olympic Athlete of the Dog World”
---Steve Mohr of British Columbia

*Hunting during colonial times was for survival; today hunting is mostly for pleasure

*Colonists mostly brought over Foxhounds from Europe but according to oral history the Plott hound’s ancestry is German.  Johannes Jorgen Platz—anglicized to Johannes George Plott--emigrated from Germany in 1750 on the ship Priscilla bringing three striped and two yellowish hounds

*Johannes arrived Philadelphia September of 1750; traveled to New Bern, NC and then to Cabarrus County.  He reared three sons—his son Henry Plott was most noted for breeding the Plott hound—When Johannes became too old to hunt, he gave his dogs to Henry

*Henry left Cabarrus County and moved to Haywood County—hounds became known for protecting livestock

*Plott Balsams named for Henry and descendants—mile marker 457.9 on Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville, NC.  Henry’s sons John and Amos were best known for the hounds—John for breeding them; Amos for hunting them. Henry left his dogs to his oldest son John who continued the breeding program and in turn left his dogs to his son Montraville.

* Mont supposedly permitted first outcross to a leopard dog. John Plott, Mont's oldest son, preferred a hot nose dog--one that could find a scent quickly.

*Von favored a cold nose strain of Plott hound.  Mont left his dogs to Vaughn (Von)

*1920 Gola Ferguson developed third strain of Plott hounds by permitting second cross with Blevins hound 

*1936 first organized boar hunt permitted in North Carolina so Plott hounds began to hunt wild boars

*1946 UKC recognized Plott hound in Scenthound category--First Plotts registered were Dan and Bess 

*1989—The Plott hound was declared state dog of North Carolina after being introduced into legislation by Democratic Senator Robert Swain 

*1998 AKC recognizes Plott hound in Miscellaneous category; moved them to Coonhound category in 2007

*2008 Black Monday--First Plott hound to win Best of Breed at Westminster

 

 

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