BLOODHOUND

Temperament: Stubborn, Even Tempered, Affectionate, Gentle
Height: 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder
Weight: 80 to 110 pounds
Life Expectancy: 11 to 15 years
Dog Breed Group: Hound Dogs

ABOUT THE BLOODHOUND

The Bloodhound’s ancestors were created in medieval France to trail deer and boar. Today, this is a highly active and intelligent dog breed whose keen sense of smell has found them a special place in law enforcement and search and rescue. Their fans love them for their sweet nature and unique appearance.

It’s not everyone who can live with a large dog who slings slobber, exudes a distinctive hound odor, wants nothing more than to follow his nose, wreaks destruction in puppyhood, has endless energy and endurance, and is the definition of the word stubborn. If you can, you’ll find the Bloodhound to be kind, sensitive, and tolerant of children and other animals. With the right family, he’s a dog of great character who brings much joy and laughter.

PERSONALITY

The bloodhound is a gentle, patient, noble and mild-mannered animal. He’s especially good with children and is known to be exceptionally tolerant of tots who clamber over him. He also generally gets along well with other animals.

Beneath this mild-mannered demeanor, however, run deep streaks of determination and independence. A bloodhound has a mind of his own, and tends to make his own decisions rather than obey his owner’s commands. This tendency is especially true if the dog has detected an interesting scent; if that happens, he’ll be single-minded in his determination to follow the trail as far as he possibly can.

The bloodhound is one of the most melodious members of dogdom. He can perform full canine arias that feature expressive baying, howling and whining.

FEEDING

Recommended daily amount: 4 to 8 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.

NOTE: How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level.

Bloodhounds are messy eaters, so you may want to tuck the ears into a snood before mealtime. Choose water dishes with a narrow diameter to help keep the ears from dragging in them.

HEALTH

In Bloodhounds, the most serious and potentially expensive health problems are hip and elbow dysplasia, malformations of hips and elbows. Eye conditions such as entropion (the eyelids roll inward), ectropion (the eyelids roll outward) and keratoconjuntivitis sicca, also known as dry eye, are potential concerns. Another health problem that may affect the Bloodhound is hypothyroidism, a common hormonal disease in dogs in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroxin.

The American Bloodhound Club participates in the Canine Health Information Center Program. For a Bloodhound to achieve CHIC certification, he must have OFA certification for hips and elbows and an OFA cardiac test. Additional certifications that are recommended but not required are OFA for patellas (knees), a PennHIP score for hips, and Canine Eye Registry Foundation certification for intraocular disorders, including persistent pupillary membranes and cataracts.

CARE

They are best suited to homes with large fenced yards. Many are escape artists and require fences at least six feet high.

Bloodhounds need long daily walks and are capable of going for miles. If you live in the country or enjoy hiking, this is the breed for you. You may also wish to train your Bloodhound for search and rescue work or tracking tests.

Like all breeds, a Bloodhound puppy’s exercise should be limited until he reaches physical maturity. The rule of thumb is 5 minutes for every month of age; therefore, a 3-month-old puppy should be exercised for only 15 minutes a day, a 4-month-old for 20 minutes, and so on. Know your dog’s signs of fatigue.

Be diligent in letting your Bloodhound know what’s okay to chew and what isn’t.

Keep training sessions short, about 15 minutes, and always end them when your Bloodhound has done something well and you can praise him for it. Give firm but gentle corrections, never harsh verbal or physical punishment. Most important, remember this bit of advice: Never tell a Bloodhound what to do, ask him.

GROOMING

Use a rubber hound glove to brush the Bloodhound’s short coat, remove dead hair and distribute skin oils. You can brush the dog daily or weekly, depending on your tolerance for finding dog hair around the house.

Bloodhounds shed seasonally, in the spring and fall. A tool called a shedding blade can come in handy during that time to help remove the excess hair.

Bloodhounds typically don’t need baths very often if they are brushed regularly.

Cleaning the facial wrinkles is part of grooming a Bloodhound.

The rest is basic care. Trim the nails as needed, usually every few weeks, and brush the teeth for overall good health and fresh breath.

Source: dogtime, hillspet, vetstreet.