- Dogs suitable for experienced owners
- Extra training required
- Potential health risks
- Enjoys vigorous walks
- Enjoys more than two hours of walking a day
- Large dog
- Some drool
- Requires grooming once a week
- Chatty and vocal dog
- Barks and alerts to visitors/anything unusual
- Generally friendly with other dogs
- May need additional training to live with other pets
- May need additional supervision to live with children
- Needs a large garden
- Can live in semi-rural areas
- Cannot be left alone
Bloodhounds are prone to:
- Skin infections, as they have a large amount of skin compared to their body size. This results in skin folds where infection can develop.
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Gastric dilatation volvulus
- Ear infections
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Hips dysplasia screening scheme
- Elbow dysplasia screening scheme
- Eye screening scheme
Key Facts
| Lifespan: | 10–12 years |
| Weight: | 41–50kg |
| Height: | 58–69cm |
| Colours: | Their short, smooth coat comes in black and tan, liver and tan, and red |
| Size: | Large |
| Kennel Club group: | Hound |
Ratings
| Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
| Exercise needs: | 5/5 |
| Easy to train: | 3/5 |
| Tolerates being alone: | 2/5 |
| Likes other pets: | 5/5 |
| Energy level: | 5/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
| Shedding: | 4/5 |
Personality
These are gentle-natured, affectionate dogs who usually get on well with children and can live in harmony with other dogs and household pets. They are friendly dogs who will welcome both wanted and unwanted visitors. Although quiet in the house, they can be very vocal outdoors. They are family dogs and do not like to be left alone.
History and Origins
Country of Origin: Belgium
The ancestry of modern Bloodhound dog breeds can be traced back to the monastery of St. Huberts where dogs called St. Hubert’s Hounds were originally used to track wolves, big cats or deer, or to follow the trail of wounded game. The pale white versions of the breeds went on to be known as the Talbot Hound whereas the black and tans were called Bloodhounds.
The Bloodhound was brought to Britain by William the Conqueror and it was used for stag-hunting - following a wounded animal sometimes for amazingly long distances.
The scenting ability of the Bloodhound is extraordinary and they can easily track a human over long distances even after several days – and so while their original role was to help with hunting, they have found also work in law enforcement and in search and rescue.
Did You Know?
- When James Earl Ray, the murderer of Martin Luther King, escaped from prison in 1977, he was only recaptured thanks to a pack of Bloodhounds who tracked him down several days later in the mountains of Tennessee.
- One of the most successful Bloodhounds who was responsible for tracking escaped criminals in Kentucky recaptured over 600 fugitives. In one notable case, the trail ran for 138 miles and was 104 hours old.
- Such is the regard for their scenting abilities, in many states of the US, a Bloodhound’s evidence in court cannot be challenged.
