American Foxhound Dog Breed

American Foxhound Dog Breed

The American Foxhound is a breed of dog that is cousin to the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt by scent.

Appearance
While every standard calls for the American foxhound is about 21-25 inches tall to the withers, and weighs anywhere between 65-75 pounds, many of them (especially the show strains) are larger, with males standing 26-29 inches and females 25 to 28 inches. Some breeders have theorized that this is due to the considerably improved diet the dogs receive. For years it was traditional to feed Foxhounds on a diet of "dog bread," a variation on cornbread. The legs of a Foxhound are very long and straight-boned. The foxhound’s chest is rather narrow. It has a long muzzle, and a large, domed skull. The ears are wide and low-set. The eyes are hazel or brown, and are large and wide-set. The coat is short and harsh.

Temperament
The American Foxhound is sweet, kind, loyal, and loving at home. As with all hounds they need careful training, excellent socialization and owners that are willing to give them ample exercise. Foxhounds are easy to live with and thrive as members of a family. However, they are not ideal apartment dogs, and shouldn't be left alone indoors for extended periods of time. A bored foxhound will find ways to keep themselves entertained and can be very destructive. They require regular exercise, with routine access to a secure yard the best option. Almost tireless, foxhounds make great walking and jogging partners. Many foxhounds quickly learn to open gates or scale small fences to go wandering. On the hunt the foxhound is a warrior. Once a scent is picked up, the foxhound will follow it, neglectful of commands. This is why they should never be trusted off-lead, because their hunting instinct is strong. Foxhounds are rarely street savvy, and will follow a scent trail into the street where they can be hit by cars. They cannot be expected to act like retrievers, because though affectionate, they are independent by nature. Although a few foxhounds have been trained in obedience, most will not follow commands unless it suits them. Most scent hounds are bred to give "voice". Foxhounds are not nuisance barkers, but they do have loud, deep voices that carry a great distance. Although most hound people love the sound, many urban or suburban neighbors do not appreciate the deep barks or melodious howling of a foxhound. Any family willing to meet the needs of this active and independent breed will be rewarded with a happy, fun-loving companion.

Health
This breed is not generally a breed that carries genetic disorders. Overfeeding these dogs can easily cause them to gain weight. A minor health risk in American Foxhounds is thrombocytopathy, or platelet disease. While dysplasia was largely unknown in Foxhounds, it is beginning to crop up occasionally, along with some eye issues. It is not typical or customary for Foxhound breeders to screen for any heriditary disorders at this time.

The breed's lifespan is generally 10-13 years.

The American Foxhound is an energetic breed. It needs plenty of exercise, for example, a fairly long walk followed by a game of fetch.


History
In 1650, Robert Brooke sailed to Crown Colony in America with his pack of hunting dogs, which were the root of several strains of American Hounds. These dogs remained in the Brooke family for nearly 300 years.

George Washington received French Foxhounds, Grande Bleu de Gascogne, (which look much like an American Bluetick hound) as a gift from the Marquis deLafayette. Many of the dogs Washington kept were descended from Brooke’s, and when crossed with the French hounds, helped to create the present day American Foxhound.

Though there has long been a rumour that the new breed was originally used for hunting Indigenous peoples of the Americas, this is not true. The breed was developed by landed gentry purely for the sport of hunting foxes. With the importation (or migration) of the red fox, Irish Foxhounds were added to the lines, to increase speed and stamina in the dog, qualities still prevalent in today's dogs.

Today there are several different strains of American Foxhound, including Walker, Trigg, July and Penn-Marydel. Though the different strains look quite different, they are all recognized as members of the same breed. Most show hounds are Walkers, many of the pack hounds (used with hunting foxes on horseback) are Penn-Marydel and hunters use a variety of strains to suit their hunting style and quarry.


Miscellaneous
The American Foxhound is Virginia's state animal.
Although few are registered in the American Kennel Club, the American Foxhound is a very popular dog in the Southern United States. Most breeders do not register with the kennel clubs because they are mainly interested in producing working hunters and not show dogs. Instead their dogs are registered in stud books published by the Foxhound publications Chase and the Hunter's Horn.
The most famous strain of American Foxhound is the Walker (not to be confused with its distant cousin, the Treeing Walker Coonhound).
The novel The Hunter's Horn by Harriette Simpson Arnow features a pair of all white Walker Foxhounds.

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American Foxhound Dog Breed