The Bloodhound

Appearance

The Bloodhound is a scent hound of great size and strength with a noble dignified expression. When in fair condition adult males can weigh over 50kg, and stand approximately 69cm high at the shoulder, where as bitches weigh approximately 45kg and are about 63cm high. They do not reach their full weight and body type until 2-3 years of age.

The Bloodhound comes in 3 colors: Black and Tan, Liver and Tan (Red and Tan) and Red (Tawny). Darker colors sometimes interspersed with lighter or badger colored hair and sometimes flecked with white. A small amount of white is allowed on the chest, feet and the tip of the tail. While there are variations of these colors, they still fall into one of these color patterns.

While still in proportion the ideal Bloodhound has a large head and wrinkled face with pronounced lips and throat giving him a solemn expression. The eyes are deep sunken and the lids form a diamond shape. The skin may pull the lower eyelids down giving that "morning after" look. The ears hang low and are long and soft. The neck is long, allowing the hound to follow a trail with his nose to the ground without tiring. The shoulders should be muscular and sloped back with good angulation front and rear. The chest should be deep with the ribs well sprung. Feet should be well knuckled and the coat is short.

History

Bloodhounds have a a history that extends back to the 7th Century AD in France. "Blood," in the breed name "bloodhound," probably comes from "blooded" - meaning a hound of pure breeding. In French-speaking parts of Europe Bloodhounds are still known as St. Hubert hounds.

Today's Bloodhounds are descended from those hounds, bred by Hubert, a 7th-century French monk who later became patron saint of hunters, and from hounds bred by other medieval noblemen who kept scent hounds as hunting dogs. Many strains, including hounds brought back to Europe by the Crusaders from the Holy Land, have blended to produce today's gentle giants. It was not until the 16th century that the Bloodhound was used to track humans.

Mantrailing has enjoyed a steady increase in modern day law enforcement and search and rescue. With the Bloodhound’s olfactory sensitivity being approximately 3 times as powerful as that of the popular working dogs such as the German shepherds and Labrador. And given their undisputed sense of smell, they have not only been able to find their quarry successfully, (some trails have been over 300 hours old), but, also pursue people who are travelling in vehicles, as well as indicating/ locating bodies in water.
Trails performed by proven trailing Bloodhounds are permissible and accepted as evidence in courts of law through out most US States..

Temperament

Bloodhounds are not for every one, due to generous flews they can fling saliva 20 feet with one shake of their head. Bloodhounds are friendly, often good with children but care must be taken with young ones as they could knock a toddler over with one wag of their mighty tail. They are not generally aggressive toward other people, dogs or other animals, though some can be reserved with strangers.

Compared with other breeds, Bloodhounds are willful, stubborn and very disobedient, until it is realized that hounds of this breed have retained the true hound characteristics of hunters and make their own decisions. At the same time they are incredibly sensitive dogs. You cannot discipline a bloodhound like you can an average dog, they need firm, fair, and most importantly,CONSISTENT (it may sound contradictory) but, also gentle handling, they really are a unique breed.

Care / Grooming

CARE/ GROOMING: Bloodhounds are basically a “Wash and Wear “ type of dog, only requiring a bath just enough to keep them clean.

A good brushing is required every so often though, more so when they moult which occurs a couple of times through the year. However, eyes and ears should be checked on a daily basis, and cleaned if necessary.

It is also a good idea to have on hand a towel to wipe their face after drinking and eating if they are to reside in the house.

Because of the Bloodhound's “head strong nature” and their “love” of using their nose, it is most important that not only is the hound kept in a fully enclosed area at all times, but it is highly recommended that they be kept on a leash while out on a walk. Once they get on the scent of a trail, you can yell to you are blue in the face and they will not take any notice of you. To have a loose bloodhound is to end up with a dead bloodhound!

Health

The most common health problems associated with the breed would be:

* Eyes. Entropian or Ectropian, which is a turning in or out of the eyelid. This is not a life threatening problem, and could be rectified with surgery.

* Hip and Elbow Dysplasia which is a potentially crippling disease.
Breeders should screen their breeding stock with OFA to chance of their puppies having these problems.

*Bloat – Because of their physical shape, Bloodhounds are extremely prone to Gastric Torsion or Bloat as it is more commonly called.

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