Calling a raccoon a coon is a lazy southern/midwestern habit. In my days 50’s, 60’s, 70’s to now, I never thought of the word coon as a racist term. To me, it was alway a rodent with penchant for getting in my sweet corn. Talk to your black neighbor in Missouri, they more than likely will bitch cause their (coon) hound ain’t getting the dang coons/raccoons out of his sweet corn. The hound be it a red bone, walker, or blue tick hound better earn his keep. Just saying.
Never thought of using coon dogs to keep raccoons out of a garden (besides getting hides), but that would work. It would also provide some interesting noise and entertainment to break the monotony of sleep. ;)