American Foxhound

Quick facts

	AKC Group:	Hound
	Height:	22-25 inches
	Weight:	65-75 pounds
	Colors:	white, black, and brown
AKC recognized in:		1886

American Foxhounds evolved from the cross-breeding of French Hounds and the first English Hounds brought over to America in 1650. Lean and fast, this new breed of dogs had an agile body and an excellent nose, traits ideal for hunting and tracking.

The American Foxhound is closely-related to the English Foxhound, you could call them cousins. Despite their shared ancestry, the American breed is taller and lighter-boned while the English breed is heavier and stouter.

As a short-coated breed, American Foxhounds are average shedders. They have a long muzzle, hazel brown eyes, and wide, low-set ears. Their chest is narrow, while their legs are quite long and straight-boned.

Historically speaking, the American Foxhound is a pack breed. The foxhound and their other relatives have always been kept in packs which number to around 10 dogs.

As scent hounds, they were originally used for hunting. These hunting dogs are known for their great stamina. Typical to their lively nature, they do a lot of barking while hunting. In the present-day setting, they still make great hunting dogs and watch dogs.

One thing quite remarkable about American Foxhounds is they love to bark and bay, all in a very melodious way. This is all part of their natural behavior and way of communication. The particular noise they make – if you may call it that – is not a nuisance at all. It is more of a loud yet deep sound which carries through great distances. You could say this trait is innately bred in them as foxhounds.

Temperament

American Foxhound Summary
Affection
Cold Tolerance
Ease of Training
Energy level
Exercise Requirements
Friendliness : Children
Friendliness: Other Animals
Friendliness: Other Pets
Grooming Requirements
Heat Tolerance
Playfulness
Protection Ability
Watchdog Ability

Free-spirited as these creatures are, they are born to run. They can bark and bay to their heart’s content if you live in country or suburban areas. But if you’re into urban and apartment living, you’d better know how to handle their melodious howling and loud barking.

Naturally, the barking persists as long as your dog sees a visual stimulus from the outside. You could remedy this by blocking his vision of the stimulating outdoors with some curtains or blinds.

Because American Foxhounds are easygoing and good-natured, they thrive when raised within homes and families. Sweet and affectionate, they get along fairly well with children and other pets.

Do anticipate that they won’t always be calm and mild-tempered all the time. Once the chase becomes intense, this breed of brave hunters will naturally show a streak of being quite stubborn and fiercely independent.

For you to succeed in its training and discipline, you’ve got to be patient and persistent. To avoid issues with behavior, act calm and confident. Be consistent with your rules. Once a foxhound is taught to lead, he will become very protective over the pack.

Health and Exercise

If your pet American Foxhound is a single dog in the family, you’ll have to meet the need for a pack. Keep your dog active and happy by entertaining him with some socialization and exercise.

Unless your foxhound gets enough activity and playtime, he could develop weight and behavioral problems. Aside from becoming overweight, he could also resort to excessive and uncontrollable barking. As he ages and nears the 10- to 12-year life expectancy, your dog could also develop deafness, bleeding disorders, and spine or hip problems.

To keep your pet from being bored and restless, a daily dose of 2-3 long walks at a brisk pace would do the trick! A daily run would also benefit this high-energy dog. You could spend time together playing catch with a ball or hunting for hidden objects.

However, an American Foxhound needs to be closely supervised while he is outdoors. Take the lead and keep him on a leash. As a scent hound with strong hunting instincts, your dog could forget your command and take off after an interesting smell.

Visitor Comments

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