Profile of the Bloodhound
Most peoples idea of the Bloodhound is based on Hollywood movies, where packs of these hounds lead lawmen through the forest in pursuit of an escaped prisoner. But there's a lot more to the Bloodhound than that.
For starters, these dogs are often used in search and rescue work, scenes of natural disasters, and even to find lost children. And, they are also also surprisingly good as pets.
The breed traces its origins to Belgium, where it went by the name, St. Hubert Hound. It originally came to Britain with the invading Normans in 1066. Because of the dog's exceptional scenting ability and its value as a tracker, strict measures were put in place to ensure that there was no cross breeding with other dogs. These attempts to keep the bloodline pure, let to the breed being called the 'blooded' hound, and the name, Bloodhound, derives from that.
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These are large, heavy dogs, standing up to 27 inches at the shoulder and weighing as much as 1i0 pounds. The coat is smooth and loose-fitting, with characteristic skin folds, the ears and long and pendant.
Another defining feature is the sad, droopy facial expression. Three coat colors are permitted by the breed standard, red, black and tan, and liver and tan.
These dignified hounds are gentle, easy-going and affectionate. They are extremely loyal and have been known to go into mourning at the loss of someone close to them.
Their gentle nature makes them excellent with children, and despite their serious demeanor they can be quite playful when the mood takes them. Bloodhounds just love attention and are sensitive souls who don’t respond well to harsh treatment.
They are independent dogs, bred specifically to think for themselves. Unfortunately, this has the effect of masking them difficult to train, despite their obvious intelligence.
The Bloodhound is a dog that was simply born to track. These dogs are simply unable to resist any interesting scent they encounter and for this reason it is imperative that they dog is not able to escape from your property. You should also never walk your Bloodhound off the leash. Not unless you want to spend your time chasing after him!
If you're thinking of adopting a Bloodhound, you'll need to be prepared for to do quite a bit of mopping up. Bloodhounds are droolers, and they also have a habit of leaving puddles behind whenever they drink. They are also one of the loudest snorers of the dog world!
Grooming is quite easy, but needs to be done regularly. The dog will require a brush own a few times a week, and daily during the shedding season. You will also have to keep the ears clean and dry and wipe the skin folds with a damp cloth, as both of these areas are prone to bacterial and fungal infections.
Typical lifespan for a Bloodhound is between 10 and 12 years. They are a relatively healthy breed, but do have some health issues. In common with many large breeds, they can suffer from hip dysplasia, and they are also prone to elbow dysplasia, gastric torsion and inversion of the eyelids.
If you’re looking for a name for your Bloodhound, the best advice is to visit a dog names, website. The one that I recommend is Puppy Names HQ, which has a huge database of excellent dog names including 1000s of cute dog names.
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