In The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, what kind of dog is Toddy?

In The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, Mr. Robert calls his dog, Toddy, a “coon dog.” Toddy is a type of dog called a coonhound. Coonhounds were specifically bred in America to be hunting dogs. Although Mr. Robert claims that Toddy was once the best raccoon (coon) hunter around, Toddy does not hunt anymore. He has gotten too old and does not have the heart for hunting anymore. Mr. Robert illustrates Toddy’s prowess as a hunter as he tells Dad, Kenny, and Byron a story about the time Toddy was almost drowned by a raccoon in the river. Toddy would have died, but Mr. Robert jumped into the water, dragged Toddy out, and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which saved his life.