The bluetick coonhound has a short, glossy coat with an unusual pattern that features beaglelike black spots on the dog's back, and tan markings on his face and chest. The bluetick also has red markings on the lower legs. The rest of the dog's coat is a grayish speckling that appears blue. In newborn pups this coloring isn't as obvious.
Within Four to Eight Months
Bluetick coonhound puppies are born with most of the adult colorings, with the large black spots being predominant. They have tan faces, black heads and red legs; but they lack the black-on-white speckling or ticking that the adult dogs have. The tiniest pups just appear to have gray fur where the speckling will eventually grow in. In matured bluetick coonhounds, ticking consists of tiny black spots on white that create the grayish-blue tone. The ticking begins to show when the pup is around 4 months old. By the age of 8 months, the adult coloring is fully present.