Bloodhound
Description
The Bloodhound, or St. Huberts hound… legend has it that this dog was bred in or around 1000 A.D. by Monks in St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium. We have no doubt that the dog if of French ancestry. Many wonderful hounds came from France. The Bloodhounds exceptionally good nose led breeders to breed other scent hounds like the American Fox Hound, English Foxhound, and the Bavarian Mountain Hound to name a few. The male Bloodhound stands between 25 and 27 in. tall at the withers and weighs between 90 and 110 lbs. Female Bloodhounds stand between 23 and 25 in. tall at the withers and weigh between 80 and 100 lbs. He is a strong, well muscled dog with a short, hard coat of fur that comes in black and tan, red and tawny, or liver and tawny.
Temperament
The Bloodhound is amazing with children. They have a tremendous amount of patience when it comes to kids. They will let kids climb on them or over them. It is suggested that you make sure the children don’t hurt him because he will just lay there and take it without even so much as a warning growl. You will need to use a firm but gentle hand in training your Bloodhound the have a independent nature. Because of their strong sense of smell they are not the easiest dog to train, and will wander off following their nose.
Grooming/Exercise
Grooming the blood hound is easy and requires nothing more that a grooming glove, bathing when needed and to make their coat shiny rub it with a chamois cloth. Make sure you keep those wonderful ears clean. Bloodhounds have an odor that bathing is not going to get rid of. Bloodhounds need a large secure area for play, and long daily walks on a leash. Letting them roam off leash could get them into trouble. You can live in a apartment with a Bloodhound as long as his execersize needs are met.
Health
Life Expectancy is 10 to 12 years.
Possible Issues
- Refrain from exercise after meals
- Hip Dysplasia
- Ear Infections
- Entropion
- Suggest dog sleeping on padded bed to avoid calluses on the joints
