bloodhound

Bloodhound

Bloodhound
Other names	Chien de Saint-Hubert St. Hubert Hound
Country of origin	Belgium / France
Traits
Classification & standards FCI Group 6 Section 1 #084 standard AKC Hound standard ANKC Group 4 (Hounds) standard CKC Group 2 - Hounds standard KC (UK) Hound standard NZKC Hounds standard UKC Scenthounds standard

A bloodhound (also known as the St. Hubert hound) is a large breed of dog famed for its ability to follow scents hours or even days old over great distances. The combination of keen nose and powerful drive to track give it its place as top scenthound and have led it to be used to track escaped prisoners, missing persons, and even missing animals.

Appearance

Bloodhounds weigh from 33 to 50 kg (80 to 110 lb), although some individuals can weigh as much as 72 kg (160 lb). They stand 58 to 69 cm (23 to 27 inches) high at the withers. According to the AKC standard of the breed, larger dogs are to be preferred by conformation judges. The acceptable colors for bloodhounds are black and tan, liver and tan, or red. In the Middle Ages, they also occurred in other solid colors, including white (known as the Talbot) – colors that appear in other breeds descended from the early bloodhounds. Bloodhounds possess an unusually large skeletal structure with most of their weight concentrated in their bones, which are very thick for their length. The coat is typical for a scenthound: hard and composed of fur alone, with no admixture of hair.

Temperament

This breed is a gentle dog which is nonetheless tireless in following a scent. Because of its strong tracking instinct, it can be willful and somewhat difficult to obedience train. Bloodhounds have an affectionate, gentle, and even-tempered nature, so they make excellent family pets. However, like any large breed, they require supervision when around small children because they can knock them over with their bulk. Bloodhounds are also characterized by a stubborn "what's-in-it-for-me?" attitude, a likely cause (in conjunction with their size and propensity for excessive drooling) for the high rate, in comparison with other breeds, of bloodhounds given up for adoption once full-grown.

Health

Illnesses

Compared to other purebred dogs, bloodhounds have an unusually high rate of gastrointestinal ailments, with bloat being the most common type of gastrointestinal problem^[1]. The breed also suffers an unusually high incidence of eye, skin, and ear ailments^[1]; thus these areas should be inspected frequently for signs of developing problems. Owners should be especially aware of the signs of bloat, which is both the most common illness and the leading cause of death of bloodhounds. The thick coat gives the breed the tendency to overheat quickly.

Lifespan and mortality

Bloodhounds in a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey had a median longevity of 6.75 years,^[1] which makes them one of the shortest-lived of dog breeds.^[2] The oldest of the 82 deceased dogs in the survey died at the age of 12.1 years. Bloat took 34% of the animals, making it the most common cause of death and the bloodhound the breed to lose the most to the condition. The second leading cause of death in the study was cancer, at 27%; this percentage is similar to other breeds, but the median age of death was unusually young (median of about 8 years).^[1]

History

Bloodhounds circa 1915

The bloodhound was, according to legend, first bred ca. 1000 AD by monks at the St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium; its origins are likely in France, home of many of modern hounds. Its excellent tracking skills were drawn on in breeding other scenthounds, such as the English Foxhound, American Foxhound, Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound and many others.

During the late 19th century, bloodhounds were frequent subjects for artists such as Edwin Landseer and Briton Riviere; the dogs depicted are close in appearance to modern bloodhounds, indicating that the essential character of the bloodhound predates modern dog breeding. However, the dogs depicted by Landseer show less wrinkle and haw than modern dogs.^[3]

Scenting ability

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)

The bloodhound's physical characteristics account for its ability to follow a scent trail left several days in the past. Under optimal conditions, a bloodhound can detect as few as one or two cells. The bloodhound's nasal chambers(where scents are identified) are larger than those of most other breeds. The large, long pendent ears serve to prevent wind from scattering nearby skin cells while the dog's nose is on the ground; the folds of wrinkled flesh under the lips and neck—called the shawl—serve to catch stray scent particles in the air or on a nearby branch as the bloodhound is scenting, reinforcing the scent in the dog's memory and nose.

A common misconception is that bloodhounds are employed in packs; while this is sometimes the case in England, in North America bloodhounds are used as solitary trackers. When they are on a trail, bloodhounds are usually silent and do not give voice as other scenthounds.

Miscellaneous

Noteworthy Bloodhounds

A bloodhound named Nick Carter is frequently cited as the archetype of the trailing bloodhound and the extensive publicity this dog received may be the source of much bloodhound-related folklore. Born in 1900, Nick Carter was owned and handled by Captain G.V. Mullikin of Lexington, Kentucky; he is credited with more than 650 finds, including one that required him to follow a trail 105 hours old.^[4]

Ch. Heathers Knock on Wood, known as "Knotty", is one of the most awarded bloodhounds of all time; he has received more Best-in-Shows than any other bloodhound and is the first liver-and-tan bloodhound ever to win a Best-in-Show. Knotty was awarded the Best-in-Show at the Eukanuba Tournament in 2005 and won the Hound Group in the Westminster Kennel Club Show in that same year. Knotty's offspring have also proven to be able showdogs and as a result of a very high amount of his puppies being awarded the title of "Champion" by the AKC, Knotty was inducted into the AKC's Stud Dog Hall of Fame shortly before his death in Spring of 2008.

On the popular 1960's sitcom, Beverly Hillbillies, veteran canine actor Stretch portrayed Jed's bloodhound Duke.

Fictional Bloodhounds

• Pluto, pet of Mickey Mouse, from The Chain Gang
• Ol' Red, from the Blake Shelton song of the same name.
• Ladybird from King of the Hill
• Huckleberry Hound
• Copper from the film and novel The Fox and the Hound
• Beauguard in Pogo
• Snuffles in Quick Draw McGraw
• Trusty in Lady and the Tramp
• Napoleon from The Aristocats
• Duke, Jed's bloodhound from the Beverly Hillbillies
• Hubert from Best in Show
• Bobby Lee and others from Virginia Lanier's bloodhound series
• Buddy, in Cats and Dogs
• Bruno in Cinderella (1950 film)
• The Bumpuses' hounds in A Christmas Story
• McGruff the Crime Dog
• Jasper T. Jowls at Chuck E. Cheese's
• 2nd book in the Provost's Dog trilogy or Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce
• General Pepper from Star Fox (series)
• Bear & Bryant in Sweet Home Alabama
• Pommes Frites, faithful and remarkable companion of Michael Bond's culinary detective, Monsieur Pamplemousse
• Old Towser in "One Hundred and One Dalmatians"
• Copper in "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Fox and the Hound 2"

References

Additional Reading

• Fogle, Bruce (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Dorling Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7. 
• Reed, Lena and Brey, Catherine F. (1991). The New Complete Bloodhound. Howell Book House. ISBN 0-87605-077-1. 

• Tweedie, Jan (1998). On the Trail!: A Practical Guide to the Working Bloodhound and Other Search and Rescue Dogs. Alpine Publications. ISBN 1577790057. 

Boitard, Jean-Pierre, Le Chien de Saint-Hubert, éditions Artémis 2002. ISBN 2-84416-155-3

External links

Look up bloodhound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chien de Saint-Hubert

• Canadian Bloodhound Club
• American Bloodhound Club
• The Bloodhound Club (UK)
• Search Dog Association
• French bloodhound
• Lithuanian bloodhound
• American Kennel Club
• Vladivostok Bloodhound Club