Bloodhound Dog Breed Information

General Information:

Height: 23 to 27 inches at the shoulders
Weight:” 80 lbs. to 110 lbs.”
Life Span: “9 to 11 years”
Coloring: The colors are black and tan, liver and tan, and red
Area of Origin: France, Belgium, Britain
Similar Breeds: The extinct Norman hound, and Santongeois, and the modern Bleu de Gascogne, Gascon Santongeois, Ariegeois and Artois Normande; modern St Hubert is the English bloodhound

History and Origin:

The history and origin of the bloodhound is somewhat confusing and entangled. The breed is a scent hound that is strong and large with a noble, serious and dignified facial expression. They have a very noble and distinguished history no matter how entangled.

The story begins in France – not Belgium or Britain. In the year 1000, Europeans celebrated the Millennium with Saint Hubert hounds at their side. These are the hounds that the French consider to be the ancestors of the Bloodhound of today. These hounds were bred by a 7^th century monk name Hubert who became the patron saint of hunters. His hounds, bred with other hunting hounds owned by other noblemen in medieval times.

These were also scent hounds and hunting dogs. The current breed also includes hounds from the Holy Land that the Crusaders brought back. All of these hounds combined to create the gentle and loving giant of a dog that we know today. The name Bloodhound comes from the purity of the breeding line at some point in the 16^th century. In most of France and other French speaking areas in Europe the Bloodhound is still referred to as the St. Hubert hound.

According to the European legends the St. Hubert Hounds were first bred about 1000 AD at a Belgium Monastery but it is much more likely that it was bred in France where so many other hounds were bred. The St. Hubert Hound is considered the ancestor of other hounds such as the Bleu de Gascogne, the Norman hound that is now extinct, the Artois Normande, Santongeois, Ariegeois and Gascon Santongeois and the Bloodhound. There are also some who believe that the St. Hubert Hound was not a pure bred at all but rather a mixed breed.

Whatever their ancestry, several pairs of black hounds were sent to the King of France every year from the monks of the Abbey of St. Hubert. Charles IX (1550-1574) actually preferred white hounds and thought the St. Hubert hounds were suitable for the masses but not the royals who wanted to hunt successfully. Charles felt they were smaller than his beloved Chiens-gris, too long of body and not very strong. They were believed to be of mixed breeding, all colors and distributed widely as opposed to the pure bred hounds of France.

However from 1553 to1610 when Henry IV was on the throne, the St. Hubert hounds were viewed more favorably as Henry gave a pack to England’s James the first. By 1788 they had degenerated and were mostly unknown. Into this void stepped the Bloodhound, related to the hounds of St. Hubert or not they are one of the oldest breeds of hounds and particularly of scent hounds.

Being one of the oldest of the scent hounds, the Bloodhound, with its good looks, has been known as a “unique dog in a baggy suit”. They are affectionate dogs but they are also shy and sensitive. The first bloodhounds appear in Europe many years before the Crusades with two different lines being brought in from Constantinople. One strain was black and the other white. The breed was widely praised for being able to follow a cold scent be it animal or person.

In the later part of the 19^th century, there were a large number of Bloodhounds exported to France from Britain to re-establish the St. Hubert line. By the middle of the 20^th century the governing body FCI in Brussels acknowledged the claim that Belgium was the country of origin. The British however have never accepted this and still believe that England is the country of origin. The European St. Huberts are now accepted as bloodhounds by the United Kingdom Kennel Club.

It is unknown when the Bloodhound was introduced in the United States, but it is known that they were used to track runaway slaves prior to the Civil War. Later in the 19^th century Bloodhounds began to be bred in the United States. The Bloodhound has now been established in the United States for more than one hundred years.

He is a companion and partner to law enforcement and evidence produced by a Bloodhound trail in the U.S. has been ruled accurate enough to be admissible in any American court of law. It was first recorded that a Bloodhound assisted law enforcement in 1805 in England. It was then that the Thrapthon Association for the Prevention of Felons used a Bloodhound to trail thieves and poachers. Today’s Bloodhound is bred specifically for tracking of human beings.

The Bloodhound’s ability to follow or find a human scent over great distances and days after the person was in the area is their calling card. Their tracking ability extends even to water. In 1962 the National Police Bloodhound Association was founded in the United States. It is not just that the Bloodhound is an amazing scent hound; it is also their incredible tracking instinct as well. There are many breeds of scent hounds, but none can do what the Bloodhound can do.

The Bloodhound is the ideal scent hound. Powerful and larger than most breeds of hounds, the Bloodhound has loose, thin skin especially with deep folds of skin around the neck and head. Some historians don’t believe it is possible to say with any real accuracy what the specific ancestry of the bloodhound has been. Whether British, French or Belgian no one can really prove. All that is known is the current Bloodhound meets standards set by the Kennel Clubs of multiple countries.

Personality and Temperament:

The Bloodhound is very affectionate but it also is a dominate dog that will take charge if you do not. The owner of a Bloodhound needs to be lovingly but firmly in charge. The Bloodhound is calm and even keeled, shy and sensitive. He will get along with other dogs and humans.

However when the Bloodhound has a scent, he will be relentless in following it. This can make the breed seem to be hard headed and stubborn. It is in fact hard to control a Bloodhound with a scent even on a leash. Otherwise they are gentle giants, great with families and children.

Exercise & Training:

Bloodhound puppies will easily follow obedience training, socialization and housebreaking. Once the dog is about 18 months old, scent and tracking training can begin. To start off this training should be presented as a game. You can start by having a family member walk away in the puppy’s vision and out of sight. Run with the dog to find the person and reward them when they do. You can start to use a scent article for the dog to ‘pick up the scent’ even though he saw the person walk away. Give the dog the scent article to smell and tell him to ‘follow’.

You can then introduce the young dog to the tracking harness. Put this on right before you enter the trail and take it off as soon as you are done. When the puppy reaches the person they should be rewarded either with verbal praise or a treat or both. As training goes on the handler will learn to read the dos and the dog will learn to make its own course corrections.

Grooming:

Because the Bloodhound has so much excess skin and skin folds, grooming is a very important component of its care. The Bloodhound will smell badly if this is not done at least on a weekly basis. Not only will she smell better, she will look better and she will feel better. This eliminates dead hair and dander. With its long ears, wrinkles and flaps scents and dirt are trapped in these areas. The Bloodhound also tends to drool. Never use fragrance or dips with a Bloodhound’s sensitive nose and be careful with shampoos.

The Bloodhound needs to have its nails trimmed on a regular basis or their feet will splay due to the size and thickness of the nails. Also be sure to use some sort of salve on their pads to keep them soft and protect them from cracking.

The ears of a Bloodhound are not only long they are heavy. They are inclined to have issues with their ears so be sure to keep them clean and dry. This will help with odor as well. Do not use anything to stick into their ears just as you would not with your own. The eyes are just as sensitive because of their famous droopiness. Flush the eyes regularly and keep them wet.

Oatmeal and baking soda are the best materials for the care of the Bloodhound’s coat. They will need to be bathed regularly but you need to protect their coat at the same time.

Each time you bath your Bloodhound you will need to do it twice. The first time will remove any dirt or substances the dog has gotten into. The second time is for whatever your dog needs. Do they need flea shampoo? Do they need a shampoo that deals with their oily coat? Again oatmeal is always a good choice. Finally be sure to use a good conditioner or deep moisturizer to protect the coat. In between baths an extreme odor eliminator product is essential. Also make sure you use the appropriate product to dry out the wrinkles, folds and flaps.

If you intend to show your dog you will need to use some type of high sheen product before the dog enters the ring. The most common problems the Bloodhounds have are with their ears and the strong body odor. Without an extreme odor eliminator, your Bloodhound will not be able to stay in the house with the family. You will have an unhappy and maladjusted Bloodhound if she is not allowed to live with the family. They do not shed much but make sure you have a shedding blade to get the dead coat off the dog. This will make him feel better. Professional grooming might be your best bet.

Health and Wellness:

Bloat is a major problem with Bloodhounds but they also have other gastrointestinal issues. They have a lot of problems with their eyes, ears and skin as was mentioned in the section on grooming. A Bloodhound owner has to be watching for these ailments on a routine basis, especially with bloat being the number one cause of death among the breed. Bloodhounds will also overheat very quickly so never leave them unattended in a car in the heat.

A Bloodhound will usually live just about 7 years which is in sharp contrast with the toy breeds that live almost twice as long as the hound. They have perhaps one of the shortest lifespans of any breed. As the number one killer of Bloodhounds, bloat is responsible for about 34% of all deaths. The next highest cause of death at 27% is cancer.

Interesting Facts about the Bloodhound:

The Bloodhound represents the oldest of the races of hounds that hunt by scent and are therefore naturally called scent hounds.
Unlike what many people believe, the name Bloodhound has nothing to do with the scent of blood or what the hound is trailing. Rather the term refers to a “blooded hound” or a “blue-blood”, meaning the dog is bred true and is aristocratic. Breeders go to great lengths to keep the line pure.
It is also true that dignitaries or the aristocracy of the Church were at the forefront of the Bloodhound development in the 12^th At that time the Church was very involved with breeding of hounds and even bishops rode on the hunts.