American Foxhound
Bred especially to hunt down foxes by scent, the American Foxhound, with its sleek, light features, long head and legs, large brownish eyes, wide ears, straight muzzle and a little curvy tail, is a cousin of its English counterpart – the English Foxhound, and primarily are parts of the large packs in the South and East regions of the USA where fox hunting is a popular sport among the horsey sets. They are also comfortable as pets of apartment dwellers provided they get enough space to run and exercise openly every day.
American Foxhound Pictures
Quick Information
Nickname | Foxhound |
Coat | Short, hard |
Color | Red, black, tan, blue, white, tricolor |
Group (of Breed) | Hound, scent hound, hunting dog |
Lifespan | 10 to 12 years |
Weight/Size | 65 to 75 pounds |
Height | 21 to 25 inches |
Shedding | Moderate |
Temperament | Independent, intelligent, loyal, social |
Country of Origin | USA |
Hypoallergenic | No |
Litter Size | 1 to 12 puppies |
Good with Children | Yes |
Competitive Registration | FCI, AKC, CKC, NKC, NZKC, CKC, APRI, ACR, DRA, NAPR, ACA |
American Foxhound Video
History
The history of these American dogs is highly glorious with their names being attached to George Washington, who would run a breeding program, after they directly descended from the English foxhounds in America after 1650, and then after, directly bred with a French hound gifted to the first president by Lafayette. The American foxhound, thus, is a combination of their English and the French counterparts. Known for their excellent sense of scent and as a smarter and slimmer breed than the English foxhound, they were (and still are) used for hunting (see introduction), as also for their skills in tracking and agility.
Mixes
American Foxhound X Beagle mix and American Foxhound X Lab mix are the popular, sought-after mixes by pet lovers. Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds.
Temperament and Behavior
The American foxhounds are extremely polite, tolerant, gentle and sweet by nature, having a very lucid disposition, although stubborn at times, but go well with kids and other pets and dogs too, except being shy and introvert when strangers are around. These high-energy, active dogs tend to follow scents that they might feel interesting, motivated by their hunting instincts, and once found, they would follow with all glee heedless of its master’s command.
Care
Exercise
Religiously follow the rule to take it out for long walks and brisk jogs/running with your cycle, and thus allowing it exercise vigorously, or else they would easily get restless, leading to destructive tendencies, and hence, it is advisable not to adopt a puppy of this breed, if you think you would not have that time. A fenced in yard is preferable for it to exercise, especially recommended during the game of fetch.
Grooming
The average shedder needs no special grooming because of their short body hair, except brushing them from time to time with a firm-bristle brush to keep the coat free of dead hair and distribute skin oils. Also, trim the nails and brush their teeth accordingly from time to time. Shampooing frequently is not advisable, unless really needed.
Health Problems
Being otherwise a healthy breed, the American foxhound is not a carrier of genetic diseases and disorders, except minor issues like weight-gain when regularly overfed [5], recent growing cases of dysplasia, some eye disorders, and thrombocytopathy, which can however be diagnosed during blood test before adopting from the breeders.
Training
Train the dog to socialize first since they are a stubborn breed, for which, a few (or at least one) professional obedience class is recommended, as also to deliver the training with patience, which should help the independent-minded dog to be the ‘teacher’s pet’ and respect you as its master. Teach them to follow its human owner (master) while opening and closing a gate or during walks/jogs, which should in turn teach them that its owner is the real ‘leader’ of its ‘pack.
Feeding
Like we mentioned, these dogs tend to get overweight, and hence, do not overfeed. A mixture of lipids, vitamins, protein and minerals is recommended for your foxhound. Before buying dry dog food from the store, be sure to check that the content does not contain fats and sugar, because, primarily, your dog needs such foods that contain protein level between 32% and 40 %. The food quality should be high and the quantity recommended is 2 to 3 cups daily [2]. These dogs drink frequently and hence a constant supply of water all day for them is recommended.
Interesting Facts
- The front legs of the American foxhound are longer than the hind ones.
- The American foxhound is known to have a musical bark, and hence, while out for a hunt, one can hear them from miles.
- This breed does not make a good watchdog.
- The sonorous voice of the dog has been so popular that, its tones had even been used in many popular songs.
I have a 10 month American Foxhound and am in search of a behavior and obedience training book. I have looked on the internet, amazon, barnes and noble, books a million, and eBay with no luck at all any suggestions?
Kent Earl Russell