American Foxhound in Breed portrait

Racial characteristics and appearance

What does an American Foxhound look like?

The American Foxhound is a beautiful hunting dog with a medium sized head and a long tail that is carried high. This gorgeous dog lives in the southern U.S. states. It’s a well-known bloodhound.

At first glance, an American Foxhound looks like a Beagle with long legs and a thin body. You’re right, because, like the beagle, the foxhound is a pack and running dog used for forced hunting, especially for foxes, as the name suggests.

His Foxhound friends call this a “peal,” which is a loud bark. But if you look closely, you can see that they are not the same.

The Foxhound is much taller and slimmer than the Beagle. It also has a longer nose than the Beagle. It doesn’t say what the weight is.

He wears thick, rough hunting dog hair that is about the length of his arm. Any colour can be used.

The long ears are set low and hang down. The American Foxhound has big, soft eyes and a gentle, friendly personality. They are always brown or a brownish-hazel colour.

How tall is an American Foxhound?

Male dogs should be at least 56 cm tall and no more than 63.5 cm tall, and female dogs should be between 53 cm and 61 cm tall.

How old does an American Foxhound get?

The American Kennel Club says that an American Foxhound can live between 11 and 13 years.

American Foxhound Character traits and characteristics

The American Foxhound is definitely a well-bred hunting dog. People say that he is very stubborn. That shouldn’t be a surprise. This has been one of his best traits for a very long time.

A good foxhound should be stubborn and persistent as it follows the fox’s trail. But you shouldn’t mistake stubbornness for an inability to learn. The American Foxhound is very flexible and eager to please.

For this, he needs a clear message from his master and mistress and a gentle but steady hand. Keep in mind that he is a hunting and pack dog from home who wants to hunt.

Raising is not a problem as long as the use is appropriate for the species. But an American Foxhound that is bored and lonely can become a problem. In the worst cases, he can tear an apartment apart out of anger or boredom.

American Foxhound Daily Activities

American Foxhound dog breed – Hunting Dog

If it isn’t kept to hunt, it needs something to do every day, like going for long walks in the woods with its owners.

But this promises great experiences that are good for both the body and the soul. With this dog, you get closer to nature in a new way.

Together, his friendliness, ability to handle stress well, and lack of aggression make him a reliable way to slow down in our fast-paced world.

But keep in mind that the American Foxhound is a hunting dog when you take it for a walk. If his good nose smells the scent of a hare or fox, he gets antsy all of a sudden.

The dog will say goodbye for a few hours if you don’t get the ball back quickly.

American Foxhound Origin & history

Where did the American Foxhound originally come from?

The sweathound, which is one of the oldest dog breeds, is the direct ancestor of the American Foxhound. In the language of hunters, sweat means blood or the trail of the prey.

The American Foxhound is one of the best dogs for hunting. About 250 years ago in the southern United States, it was made from French and British bloodhounds.

George Washington was not only the first person to breed him, but also the first president of the United States. He helped breed and set up this new breed.

He has become the state dog of Virginia. The English version is a bit heavier and slower than the American version. He is a bracken, which is another name for a bloodhound.

In turn, these are some of the most common types of dogs. They were already shown in cave paintings from the Stone Age. The oldest books about dogs, like the Kynegetikos of Xenophon, which is about 2,400 years old, talk about hunting with dogs like the foxhound.

In 1576, John Caius, who was the doctor for the Queen of England, wrote about these dogs in a separate chapter of his book “Of English Dogges.” The Cambridge Professor calls all of these dogs “harriers” to describe them all.

American Foxhound Specialties

The foxhound and its close relatives are a good match for how they work and how they look. In the end, the harrier was hunted. The foxhound is trained to hunt foxes.

For hundreds of years, these noble hunting dogs of the nobility have been carefully bred in princely dog breeding establishments.

But, just like with modern breed breeding, the focus was not on keeping the genes separate but on making the animals work as well as possible. In English, “hound” refers to fast hunting dogs like greyhounds.

The foxhound can hunt quickly. His specialty is hunting in groups, which is an old way of hunting. Even in the late Middle Ages, people talked about the foxhound by name. Thomas Bewick, a British naturalist, wrote in 1790 about how this type of dog works:

Even though he is usually slower than the rabbit, he follows it with his great sense of smell and follows its tracks very accurately and with a lot of persistence, even when it turns.

This way of describing the foxhound is still a good way to understand it today.

The parachute hunt with these kinds of pack dogs has been done for 200 years, mostly as a horse sport for the nobility and, later, for rich industrialists.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which is the world organisation for cynology, officially recognises the American Foxhound, but it is rarely bred in Europe.

Popular mixes

Mixes with American Foxhounds are extremely rare in Germany.

Care, Health and Diseases

How Much Care Does an American Foxhound Need?

The American Foxhound is very easy to care for. His health is considered robust.

What food is best for an American Foxhound?

Another health challenge lies in the gluttony of foxhounds. Possibly, this is also a legacy as a pack dog. Otherwise, he does not make any special demands on his diet.

The American Foxhound is suitable for barfing . Of course, you have to pay attention to your figure and, if necessary, prefer to use diet food.

Activities

The American Foxhound is a type of dog used for hunting. So, he needs many challenges in nature that are right for his species.

Considerations before you buy

Where can you buy an American Foxhound?

Are you thinking of buying an American Foxhound? For his attitude, you should have the right conditions to bring him with you. You also need to start looking early for breeders, which are hard to find in Europe.

Upbringing and attitude

Is an American Foxhound right for me?

The American Foxhound is a pack dog like any other. That makes him a good friend. But he feels most at home with his own kind in a pack.

And if you watch him hunt, you’ll see how much he loves what he does. The American Foxhound is independent, gets along well with other dogs, and works hard to achieve its goals.

It doesn’t work well as a family dog, and it’s not a good dog for people who are just starting out. Experts say that he doesn’t really like the idea of being a pet or a family dog. It should be a rare case. Other than that, he is easy to teach and lead, as I said, as long as he is used well.

Interesting, worth knowing & extras

The American Foxhound comes from the south of the United States. It is a pack and snooze dog that wants to be kept to hunt. It is almost never seen in Europe.

Racial characteristics and appearance