Affectionate, gentle and a little bit slobbery – here comes the Bloodhound!
History of the Bloodhound
There is some debate about the origin of the bloodhound. Records show that the Bloodhound originally came from France and Belgium, while others show origins in Scotland. (For the purposes of grouping my drawings and writing – I’m including the Bloodhound as a Scottish dog)
Before they were known as Bloodhounds in Europe, they were called St. Hubert hounds after Francois Hubert. He developed the breed in a monastery in Belgium. Hubert eventually was canonised and made the patron saint of hunters in France.
Bloodhounds appear in English writing in the 14th century and Scottish writing from the 13th century. Robert the Bruce and William Wallace of Scotland are recorded as being followed by “Sleuth Hounds” which were later recognised as the same animal as a Bloodhound.
The breed appeared in America in the 1800s. The Bloodhound is known for its ability to track down people or animals by their scent. They are able to do this even days after the person or animal has passed by. This is because they have the strongest sense of smell in the dog world.
Today they work with police and rescue groups as trackers. When they find what they are looking for they are more likely to happily lick than cause any harm.
Bloodhound Appearance
The Bloodhound is easily recognised by its long face, floppy ears, droopy eyes and prominent wrinkles.
Bloodhounds are large, powerful dogs. They are 58 to 69 cm tall at the withers. Their coat is short and dense and comes in several colours – black and tan, liver and tan, red and tawny or red.
Due to the deep wrinkles around their ears, face and neck, the Bloodhound needs regular and consistent cleaning and grooming. They also need their ears cleaned regularly.
Temperament
A bloodhound is a gentle and patient animal. They are renowned for being good with kids and are happy around other animals. Bloodhounds are playful, lovable and make great family members.
They need a long daily walk to use up some of their abundant energy. While they can walk for very long periods and if they find an interesting scent, they love to follow the trail, they also love lazy time at home.
Bloodhounds drool, snore, howl and can sniff humans in inappropriate places, but they are devoted pets who get along well with strangers and their own loved ones.
Do you have a Bloodhound? What do you love most about them?
