Bloodhound

Breed Type: Hounds

Weight: 90 to 110 lbs for Males, 80 to 100 lbs for Females

Height: 25 to 27 inches for Males, 23 to 25 inches for Females

Coat type: Short and smooth coat.

Known worldwide as a tracker, Bloodhounds have been used since times immemorial in rescue and criminal operations. They thrive on the hunt rather than the kill. Bloodhounds revel in tracking and have been used to hunt animals, criminals, runaway slaves, and lost children. Following a scent that is hours or days old or over long distances, bloodhounds have proven their worth as the archetypal trailing dog. Originating from St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium, the breed is also named as St. Hubert hound. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of Bloodhounds, browse through the following lines.

History
Turning back the pages of history, bloodhound was first bred in 1000 AD by monks at the St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium. The dogs were later brought to England the Normans and were later taken to the United States. Known as the Flemish Hound, the breed has its roots based in France, the home of many of the modern hound breeds. Many other breeds, such as the American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, Brazilian Fila Brasileiro and Bavarian Mountain Hound trace their lineage back to this ancient scent tracker.

Most of the bloodhounds found today are in black and tan, or red. However, it was not the same in the Middle Ages. In those times, bloodhounds usually occurred in solid colors. The white variety of Bloodhound, which existed in medieval Europe, was given the name, Talbot Hound. Its genes and characteristics have been continuously found in other canines. Bloodhound excellent tracking skills have been found in other scenthounds as well.

Appearance
Weighing 33 to 50 kg, Bloodhound usually can stand to a height of about 58 to 69 cm at the withers. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this breed is its large skeletal structure, with most of the weight concentrated in their bones. The bones of the canine are too thick in comparison with the length. Bloodhounds have a coat texture that is typical to the scenthound variety - hard and composed of fur alone, with no admixture of hair.

One of the most peculiar features is its extraordinarily strong back in comparison to its size. Talking about facial structure, Bloodhounds have deep-set eyes and a long muzzle, with long and drooping ears. The loose-fitting skin around the face makes the dog exhibit a droopy and depressed expression. Black and tan, liver and tan, or red are the only colors bloodhounds is found in, though the primitive ones were also available in white

Personality
Bloodhounds are known for their affable, affectionate, even-tempered and gentle nature, making them excellent family pets. Their good natured can be proved with the fact that they would allow children clamber all over them, while lying on the floor. Attention seekers, the canine is extremely boisterous when young, determined and independent. However, their strong tracking instinct sometimes makes them difficult for obedience training. The larger breeds require constant supervision, when around small children because chances are that they might knock the little kid over with their bulk.

Bloodhound usually becomes extremely fond of its owner and loves everyone. While some are seen greeting wanted and unwanted visitors happily, the other might be too protective and would not allow anyone to come even in the vicinity. One of the positive qualities of bloodhounds is that they live in harmony with other dogs and household pets. A rarest quality of bloodhounds is that they can follow a trail that is over 100 hours old, thereby making them the most picked tracker for rescue and criminal searches.