SCRAPS Breed Profile BLOODHOUND Stats Country of Origin: Belgium Group: Hound Use today: Companion and tracker. Life Span: 10 to 12 years Color: Colors include black & tan, liver & tan, red & tawny and red. Sometimes there is a small amount of white on the chest, feet and tip of the stern. Coat: The coat is wrinkled, short and fairly hard in texture, with softer hair on the ears and skull. Grooming: The smooth, shorthaired coat is easy to groom. Groom with a hound glove, and bathe only when necessary. A rub with a rough towel or chamois will leave the coat gleaming. Clean the long, floppy ears regularly. Bloodhounds have a distinctive dog-type odor. This breed is an average shedder. Height: Males 25 – 27 inches; Females 23 - 25 inches Weight: Males 90 - 110 pounds; Females 80 - 100 pounds Profile In Brief: While Bloodhounds are extremely on the ears and skull. Colors include black & affectionate, they are take-charge dogs, so it is tan, liver & tan, red & tawny and red. Sometimes important to be kind, but be the undisputed boss there is a small amount of white on the chest, in your household. Bloodhounds should be feet and tip of the stern. groomed weekly to eliminate dead hair and facilitate a routine that will help them look, feel, Temperament: The Bloodhound is a kind, and smell better. Although affectionate, they can patient, noble, mild-mannered and lovable dog. possess shy natures, sensitive to kindness or Gentle, affectionate and excellent with children, correction by their master. this is truly a good natured companion. These dogs are so good-natured that they will lie there Description: The Bloodhound is a very and meekly let children clamber all over them. powerful, massive hound dog. The back is very This breed loves all the attention they receive strong for the dog's size. The head is long and from them. To be fair to your Bloodhound, make narrow in proportion to the dog's length, and sure your children do not pester or hurt the dog, long in proportion to the body. The muzzle is because Bloodhounds will sit there and take it. long and the nose is black. The deeply sunk Very energetic outdoors and boisterous when eyes are diamond in shape due to the lower lids young, determined and independent, being dragged down and turned outward by the Bloodhounds need firm, but not heavy handed heavy upper lids. Color varies from a deep hazel training. An owner who displays anything but a to yellow. The thin, soft, drooping ears are set natural, calm but stern authority will bring out a very low and extremely long. The Bloodhound streak of willfulness. The new owner of a has a lot of extra, wrinkled skin hanging Bloodhound will need to have plenty of patience excessively loose, even more so around the and possess great tact for consistent leadership head and neck where it hangs in deep folds. The for training to succeed. Clear rules need to be dewlap is very pronounced. The muscular, front set and followed. If you show signs of being a legs are straight. The tail is carried high with a meek owner, this dog will not listen to you. Do slight curve above the top line of the back. The not expect too much by way of obedience from folds of the skin aid the dog in holding in scent this dog. They are naturally gentle animals but particles while tracking. The coat is wrinkled, they are not easy to obedience train. If they short and fairly hard in texture, with softer hair catch a scent of something it can be hard to redirect their attention back to you if you are out Living Conditions: The Bloodhound will do of physical range of them. Males go through okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. puberty between the age of 1 and 2 years. They They are relatively inactive indoors and do best can be quite a handful at that time and one with at least an average-sized yard. really needs to make sure they are being a firm pack leader, but after age 2, with the proper Exercise: Bloodhounds love a good run and leadership, training, stimulation and consistency, need a lot of exercise. They should be taken for they will mellow out a bit. Socialize well to a long daily walk. However, if it picks up an prevent them from becoming timid. It is very interesting scent, you may find it difficult to get important that this dog is taken for a daily pack its attention. They have an incredible level of walk. Bloodhounds that are lacking in mental stamina and can walk for hours on end. They and/or physical exercise will be hard to handle. would greatly enjoy hiking with you, but keep in A Bloodhound becomes devoted to its master mind their urge to investigate any interesting and gets along well with people. This dog loves scent. Do not overtire them with walks until they everyone and some will greet wanted and are fully grown. The Bloodhound is a big dog unwanted visitors happily. Others do not that grows rapidly and needs all its energy for welcome unwanted guests. They can be developing strong bones, joints and muscles. protective of their domain if no one is home, but out on a trail, they will welcome anyone. Some Origins: This breed is more than one thousand will bark and let you know when strangers are years old. It was perfected, not created, by monks around. They can live in harmony with other of St. Hubert in Belgium. Later the dogs were dogs and household pets. Bloodhounds drool brought by the Normans into England and then to and have a tendency to snore and howl. Their the United States. It is also known as the Flemish noses are so superb that it is hard for them to Hound. Throughout the world, breeds such as the not wander off after an interesting scent. They American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, may also sniff humans in places that are Brazilian Fila Brasileiro, Bavarian Mountain considered inappropriate. While humans see Hound, and many others trace their lineage back this as rude, the dog is actually learning a lot to this ancient scent tracker. Today, all about them. Bloodhounds are able to follow any Bloodhounds are black & tan or red, but in the scent, even human—a rare ability in a dog. This Middle Ages they were solid in color. The white breed has been said to successfully follow trails variety, which existed in medieval Europe, was over 100 hours old. He is so determined that he called the Talbot Hound and became extinct in the has been known to stay with the trail for over 1600s, but contributed to the development of 100 miles. The Bloodhound is such a sure many other breeds including the white Boxers and tracker that the breed is used worldwide for tri-colored Basset Hounds. The Bloodhound rescue and criminal searches. The Bloodhound's thrives on the hunt rather than the kill. It takes evidence is admissible in the court of law. One great pleasure in tracking and has been used to Bloodhound brought about 600 criminal arrests hunt animals, criminals, and lost children. Today and convictions. Bloodhounds can never be kept this slow mannered, rich sounding breed is both in an unfenced yard. There is a good chance tracker and companion. Although it has a pleasant instinct will lead them to wander off if they are off temperament, it is not easy to obedience train, leash. They flee when they get on a scent; most likely largely due to the fact that it gets instinct drives them to find the end of the trail. distracted from human command, more interested in all of the exciting strong smells around him. Health: This breed is prone to bloat. You should feed two or three small meals a day instead of one large one. Avoid exercise after meals. Some suffer from stomach cramps. Prone to hip dysplasia, cherry eye, ear infections and entropion, where the eyelids turn inward. A padded bed is recommended to avoid calluses on the joints. Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service 6815 E. Trent • Spokane Valley • Washington • 99212 (509) 477-2532 voice (509) 477-4745 fax www.spokanecounty.org/animal .