The Grace and Agility of American Foxhound Breed
The American foxhound dog breed is most probably the oldest breed of American hounds. This breed was developed in the United States and selected for fox hunting. Its ancestors are English, French and Irish hounds.
Its origin dates back as far as 1650 when specimens of hounds were brought to Maryland by an English lord, Robert Brooke. It is thought that these were Irish kerry beagles. Red foxes were also imported to the new world and fox hunting became a popular sport among the aristocracy, hence the need for a dog with excellent performance for this type of hunting.
A key contributor to the birth of the American foxhound was even George Washington, the first US president, who was a real dog breeder as well as a lover of foxhunting.
The story goes that in 1785 he received as a gift from General La Fayette some French hunting dogs that he crossed with Brooke's English foxhounds and later with other hunting dogs imported from Europe. Around 1830, Irish hunting dogs famous for their speed and German tracking dogs were also crossed. From these crosses, the American foxhound as we know it today was born.
Unfortunately, it is a little-known dog and despite its history and prestige is not very widespread in Europe, somewhat more so in its country of origin.
Character of the American Foxhound dog breed
The American Foxhound is a very intelligent dog, but also very self-centred; he likes everyone to cuddle him and always tries to be the centre of attention.
It becomes very attached to both its owner and its family, but like all hounds it has an independent and autonomous character, so it is good to educate it in the first months of life. He is not difficult to educate as he always tends to try to please his master in every way. He is not an aggressive dog and likes to play a lot, so he gets along well with children as long as they respect him.
He is also a very lively and tireless dog, very passionate about his work, hunting. You have to be very careful with him as he is very intelligent and soon learns to open gates or fences to roam around. If he then smells prey, he can get very far away.
It is not an indoor dog, it needs a lot of fresh air and exercise. If left alone frequently, it can become destructive in the house or garden, as it suffers a lot from loneliness. It gets along well with other dogs, being a moulting dog, but not with cats unless it has grown up with them; it tends to see them as prey.
It is a hyperactive dog, so not suitable for the elderly or sedentary; it needs constant exercise and to keep busy and be stimulated both physically and mentally. Although he enjoys living outdoors, he also loves being indoors with his family. It is not a good watchdog, as it does not recognise humans, even strangers, as a threat to be pointed out and dealt with.
Appearance of the American Foxhound dog breed
The American Foxhound is a medium-sized dog, categorised as a Braccoid. It is very similar to the English foxhound, but is taller and longer and more slender than its cousin. Its build is powerful, well-proportioned and strong, its body lean and muscular, its gait is loose. He can cover many kilometres in a day and in the evening not be tired.
The height at withers for a male ranges from 56 to 64 centimetres for a weight of 30 to 34 kilograms; the female usually a little less. The legs are in proportion to the rest of the body, very muscular but agile and skittish. The tail is attached quite high and usually carried curved, at its base there is a very light tuft of hair.
The head is broad and massive with a straight and elongated muzzle, the truffle proportionate with the size of the head is dark in colour as are the eyes which are large, rounded brown or hazel, with the typical sweet and gentle expression of the hunting dog. The ears, as in all hounds, are pendulous, have a low hanging and are long, fine-textured and fairly wide.
The coat is thick, rough to the touch, typical of hunting dogs and of medium length. It can be of any colour: tricolour, orange-white, grey, black-white. The most common are white, light brown and black.
Health and care of the American Foxhound dog breed
The American Foxhound is a dog with no particular health problems, but some specimens are genetically susceptible to platelet deficiency, a platelet deficiency that leads to major bleeding even with small lesions, and to hip dysplasia.
It is sensitive to low temperatures, and while it prefers to be outdoors during the day, it is best to keep it indoors at night. He tends towards obesity and overweight, so it is essential to keep his diet under control and, above all, to get him plenty of exercise.
He has a life expectancy of 11 to 13 years.
As for caring for its coat, it is enough to brush it once in a while, a little more often during the moulting period and a bath when necessary. The ears must be checked often to avoid infections.
