Dog Breed Information, Description, Origin, History, Temperament, Height, Weight, Exercise, Life, Group, Articles, Health, Books, Photos, Posters,
Wallpapers, Training, Dog names, Links and more.
A Bloodhound (also known as the St. Hubert Hound) is a large breed of dog bred for the specific purpose of tracking human beings. Consequently, it is often used by authorities to track escaped prisoners, missing children, or earthquake victims. It is a scenthound, famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. It possesses the keenest sense of smell of any breed of dog, as well as an extremely strong tracking instinct. Bloodhounds are one of the most affectionate and friendly breeds of dog, known as "Gentle Giants."
Appearance: Bloodhounds weigh from 80 to 110 lb (36 to
50 kg) and stand 23 to 27 inches (58 to 69 cm) high at the
withers. The acceptable colors for Bloodhounds are black and
tan, liver and tan, or red. In the Middle Ages, they also
occurred in other solid colors, including white (known as the
Talbot Hound), but these no longer occur.
The colors appear in other breeds descended from the early
Bloodhounds, however. Bloodhounds possess an unusually large
skeletal structure; most of their weight is concentrated in
their bones, which are very thick for their length. The coat
is typical for a scenthound: hard, and composed of fur alone,
with no admixture of hair. Bloodhounds tend to be fastidious,
and never have to be bathed, although they should be brushed
often.
Temperament: This breed is a mellow, cheerful,
affectionate dog who is nonetheless tireless in slowly and
steadily following a scent. Because of its strong tracking
instinct, it can be willful, and somewhat difficult to
obedience train. However, with the proper amount of time and
effort, this can be achieved.
Bloodhounds are extremely loyal companions, and if
separated from their masters for long periods of time are
known to mourn and stop feeding as a sign of distress.
Affectionate, gentle, and even-tempered, they make excellent
family pets but, like any large breed, may require supervision
when around small children because of the possibility of
knocking them over with their bulk.
Health: Like most large breeds, their life
expectancy is only 10 to 12 years.
The Bloodhound is prone to hip dysplasia, and is the breed
that is the most frequent victim of bloat. Consequently, the
American Bloodhound Association is attempting to concentrate
funds for research into bloat at a small number of veterinary
schools, in order to increase the likelihood of obtaining
valuable results.
History: The bloodhound was first bred ca. AD 1000
by monks at the St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium. Its excellent
tracking skills were drawn on in breeding other scenthounds,
such as the Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, Bavarian Mountain
Hound, and many others.
In the American antebellum South, the Bloodhound was
frequently used to track runaway slaves, which accounts for
the large number of Bloodhounds and breeders still located in
that region. Bloodhounds, which are almost always used in a
pack, do not attack upon reaching their quarry, as many
erroneously believe, but surround him and bay, alerting the
searchers.
Scenting ability: The Bloodhound's physical
characteristics account for its superlative ability to follow
a scent trail left several days in the past. Humans constantly
shed skin cells, as newer cells replace older ones. Under
optimal conditions, a Bloodhound can detect as few as one or
two skin cells. Odors are identified by scent receptors in a
dog's nasal chambers; the larger the chambers, the greater the
dog's ability to detect skin cells.
The Bloodhound's nasal chambers are larger than those of
most other breeds. The large and long pendent ears serve to
prevent wind from scattering nearby skin cells while the dog's
nose is on the ground, and the folds of wrinkled flesh under
the lips and neck, called the shawl, serve to catch stray
scent particles in the air or on a nearby branch as the
bloodhound is scenting, reinforcing the scent in the dog's
memory and nose.
Since the Bloodhound relies on shed skin cells for its
tracking ability, it can only be used to track living people.
If searchers are reasonably certain that the target has died
(as, after the second day or so, in the World Trade Center
attacks), they will use cadaver dogs, frequently German
Shepherds.
Origin of name: The name "Bloodhound"
comes from careful breeding in the middle ages, resulting in
it being known by the 14th century as the "blooded
hound" or Bloodhound, hound of noble ancestry.
Noteworthy examples: Ch. Heathers Knock on Wood,
known as "Knotty," is one of the most awarded
Bloodhounds of all time. He has received more Best in Shows
than any other Bloodhound, and is the first liver-and-tan
Bloodhound ever to win a Best in Show. Knotty was awarded the
Best in Show at the Eukanuba Tournament in 2005, and placed
second in the Westminster Kennel Club Show in that same year.
This is especially noteworthy, as it is very unusual for a
large scenthound to place highly in any national show in the
United States. No Bloodhound, for example, has ever received a
Best in Show at WKC, in over 100 years. Knotty recently (May
2006) retired from competition after placing second in the
breed at Crufts in the UK.
HeyDogs is an easy to use site that keeps both dog professionals and dog enthusiasts up to date on the latest information on dogs. You can find the best in dog training, behavior, natural health, agility, clicker training, and other dog related topics
Looking for the perfect
Dog name? Dogs names for your new Puppy.
Browse thousands of Dog names, names for both male
and female dogs, Start looking by clicking on a
letter!
Hi Cats is a website you can find extensive information on all Cat Breeds, Articles, Health, Books, Photos, Desktop Wallpapers, Posters, Training, Cats names, Links and more.
Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/boxistc/public_html/heydogs/breeds/b/bloodhound.html on line 1053
Warning: include(http://www.heydogs.com/footer.html) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/boxistc/public_html/heydogs/breeds/b/bloodhound.html on line 1053
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.heydogs.com/footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/boxistc/public_html/heydogs/breeds/b/bloodhound.html on line 1053
HeyDogs.com Dog Breeds Information
Guide menu 
