Breed History
In 1750, George Plott arrived in America with five Hanoverian Hounds, and for seven generations his descendants bred their dogs in the mountains of North Carolina....
The dogs came to be called by the family name and were well known as coonhounds. The Plotts original purpose however was to hunt bears, and small groups of Plotts have been known to tree or even bring down a 500-pound bear. A skilled trailer of cold scents, the Plott is still used to hunt such game as mountain lion. Only one known cross has ever been made in the history of Plott hounds, with the tan and black saddled Blevins, resulting in the black saddle of some Plotts today. The Plott is one of the handful of breeds originating in the United States, and the only of those few breeds without British ancestry. Also the only breed from North Carolina, the Plott was named state dog on August 12, 1989. Because the Plott family only rarely sold its dogs, the breed is rare outside the southern United States. Though the breed makes a good companion, it is generally used for hunting. The Plott entered the AKC registry on August 1, 1998, and was admitted to the Miscellaneous Class on October 1, 1998.