A foxhound is a
type
Type may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc.
* Data type, collection of values used for computations.
* File type
* TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file.
* ...
of large hunting
hound
A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.
Description
Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...
bred for strong
hunting
Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their barking, energy, drive, and speed. In
fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds" ...
, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on horseback—by the hunters, sometimes for several miles at a stretch; moreover, foxhounds also sometimes guard sheep and houses.
There are different breeds of foxhound, each having slightly different characteristics and appearances, and each often called simply ''Foxhound'' in their native countries:
*
American Foxhound
*
Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound (extinct)
*
English Foxhound
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.
Description
Appearance
The breed standards' guidelines for showing English Fo ...
*
Welsh Foxhound
The American Masters of Foxhounds Association recognizes these breeds of foxhounds:
American, Penn-Marydel, English, and crossbred foxhounds.
The
International Foxhound Association was created in 2012 for the international promotion of the Foxhound as a breed.
Characteristics
Foxhounds are medium-large dogs and males typically weigh 29-32 kg (65-70 lb) and females 27-29 kg (60-65 lb). Height for males measures 55-63 cm (22-25 in) and females 53-60 cm (21-24 in).
Foxhounds have a short coat, and long, strong legs, as well as deep chests for lots of lung space. Physically, a foxhound resembles a large
beagle
The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...
.
Disposition
Foxhounds generally display a gentle and affectionate temperament. Foxhounds are highly active and energetic, and therefore require activity and exercise. Foxhounds are sociable and these dogs have great stamina, sense of smell, and enjoy being in a pack, as they are bred for hunting in packs.
Fox hunting
In
fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds" ...
, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track and chase fox while hunters follow along on horseback. Fox hunting has shifted over the years and may differ depending on the country. Some changes over time include focusing on chasing rather than killing, and chasing other creatures, such as the coyote, instead of only the fox.
Most common causes of death
Most common causes of death among Foxhound puppies are respiratory disease, anorexia and dehydration, skin disorders, and gastrointestinal disease.
Respiratory disease in foxhounds
A kennel of working, hunting English Foxhounds in the south of England, had an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) that impacted 180 dogs in late 2016 and early 2017. The kennel housed Foxhound puppies to adults, up to 8 years old. The Foxhounds work among six counties and some of the six counties are in the "Edge Area" that is impacted by bovine tuberculosis.
An investigation occurred which consisted of testing the dogs and looking deeper into the regional area, diet of the dogs, and even more factors while conducting tests and gathering information. The dogs eat raw meat and there was speculation about the diet containing the M. bovis that causes TB as the meat comes from areas impacted by M. bovis.
Registrations
In 2005, the
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...
reported that the English and American Foxhounds were their least and fourth least registered breeds in North America with 22 and 44 registrations, respectively; the top registered breed, the
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador or Lab is a British list of dog breeds, breed of water dog retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the Newfoundland Colony, colony of Newfoun ...
, had 137,867 registrations during the same year.
Notable foxhounds
* Sweet Lips and the Virginia Hounds -
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
bred foxhounds and enjoyed fox hunting. He called his pack of dogs the Virginia Hounds. Sweet Lips was a female foxhound, a product of his vision to breed his pack to produce a "superior dog" who is fast and intelligent.
*The state of Virginia's "state dog" is the American Foxhound.
*
Old Drum - said to have been the inspiration for the phrase "Man's Best Friend", which arose from an 1870 court case regarding him.
* Mountain and Muse - In 1814 the
Duke of Leeds gave two Irish foxhounds, Mountain and Muse, to a visiting guest, Bolton Jackson. This famous pair of hounds changed hands several times before going to
Charles Carroll at his Homewood estate. Descendants of Mountain and Muse still hunt territories in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
that were once hunted by George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, Charles Carroll, and the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...
.
* Colonel - In 2011, Baron von Pfetten's Colonel was Champion of the World Dog Show in Paris and was the first ever English Foxhound invited to compete in the final Champion of Champions competition in Bruxelles that same year.
See also
*
American Foxhound
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Anglo-Français and Français (hound)
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English Foxhound
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.
Description
Appearance
The breed standards' guidelines for showing English Fo ...
References
External links
Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, USMasters of Foxhounds Association, UK
*
International Foxhound Association
*
*
{{Hounds
Scent hounds
Hunting dogs
Hunting with hounds
Fox hunting