8 - 10 however some have had up to 15 in one litter
Hounds, Hound Group, Scenthound Breeds
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR
black and tan, liver and tan, or red. The darker colors are sometimes interspersed with lighter or badger-colored hair and some times flecked or roaned with white. White may also be found on the chest, feet and tip of stern.
Short
Extra Large
Moderate Shed
25-27 inches (63-69cm)
90-110 pounds (41-50kg)
23-25 inches (58-63cm)
80-100 pounds (36-45kg)
While they can handle living in an apartment (they love being couch potatoes), it is best that they have a large yard to play in. They require a great deal of exercise, and play time. Leash walking is really your only option unless you are prepared to chase the dog once he has caught the scent of something that interests him. Don't over walk or run a young Hound or it will cause joint problems later. This dog will not do well being chained up all day.
Description
An interesting note about Blood hounds: the actual definition is one who follows up an enemy with tenacity. Bloodhounds were used for tracking wounded game by the blood spilt. Eventually they were deployed for tracking criminals and slaves who had made their escape, and were hunters of blood, not hunters by blood. The most noted breeds are the African, Cuban, and English.
The Bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court of law.
The Bloody's head is rather narrow in proportion to its length, and long in proportion to the body. It tapers slightly from the temples to muzzle end. If you look at this dog from the front and from above, it looks likes it's flattened at the sides. When looking at the profile, you will notice the upper outline of the skull is nearly on the same plane as the foreface.
From the end of the nose to the stop midway between the eyes, the distance is usually not less than that from the stop to the back of the peak. Entire length of the head should be 12 inches (or more) for dogs, 11 inches (or more) for bitches.
The Blood Hound's skull is long and narrow, with a pronounced occipital peak. Because they have such deep-set eyes, their brows are not prominent. However, it may look like they are. Their foreface is an even width, long and deep and when seen in profile is square.
Blood Hound eyes are deeply sunk in the orbits, and the lids are diamond shaped. Heavy flews drag the lower lids down and cause eversion. The eyes are the same general color as the animal, varying from deep hazel to yellow. The hazel color is preferred but it's not often seen in liver-and-tan hounds. The Hound ears are thin and soft to the touch, extremely long, low set, and fall in graceful folds, with the lower parts curling inward and backward. A scissors bite is preferred for show and breed standard, but a level bite is accepted.
The Bloodhounds close-lying hair is short, dense, quite harsh and weatherproof. On the head and ears, the hair is very short and soft to the touch. The underside of the tail has hair a little longer and coarser.
For black and black and tan dogs the amount of black varies, depending on whether it's a mantle or a saddle. If it's a mantle, the black is predominant and the fawn (tan) is only found on the muzzle, the cheeks, above the eyes, on the forechest, on the limbs and the anal region. A dog with a saddle has a greater expanse of tan because the black is more or less limited to the dorsal region.
For the bicolored liver and tan Bloodhound the same positioning of colored zones is found. The colors are not always clearly stated nor distinctly defined. In the darker areas, you will find them interspersed with lighter or badger hairs.
For the unicolored red, the red can vary from light red to dark red. A little white on the forechest, on the toes and at the tip of the tail is sometimes found as well.
History
The Bloodys are one of the oldest hound groups (first bred in AD 1000) whose history can be traced back to the 8th century in Belgium to the monastery of St Huberts. Evidence shows the Monks perfected the breed, not created it. Other scenthound breeds such as the Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, the Bavarian Mountain Hound and the Brazilian Fila Brasileiro can trace their origins to the Bloodhound.
In Belgium these dogs were called Segusius and were originally used to track wolves, big cats or deer, or to follow the trail of wounded game. When the Normans conquered England in 1066AD they introduced many of their dogs. The St Hubert Hound (black and tan) was one of those brought to England and was called the Bloodhound. The white dogs were called Talbot Hounds. The modern Bloodhound is not the identical dog first developed but is still called the Chien du St Hubert in Belgium. The first Bloodhound seen in the show-ring in England was in 1871.
Bloodhounds today are either black and tan or red, but in the Middle Ages they came in other solid colors. The white Talbot Hounds died out as a breed in the 1600s, but its genes live in on dogs like white Boxers and tri-colored Basset Hounds.
Temperament
The Bloodhound is a really loveable dog, mild mannered, and extremely patient. He's an absolute Prince with children, gentle and very affectionate. If you're looking for easy going, this is a good-natured companion - so good-natured they let kids climb all over them. They don't mind, they love all the attention. Despite them being outstanding pets for children, you will need to watch what the kids are up to with your Bloody. Don't let them pester or hurt him, as he will lie there and take it, and that is not good for the dog. You will also need to make sure the children don't take his food or his toys, as he does tend to be possessive about them.
This is a very energetic outdoorsy and boisterous youngster (and this often continues into adulthood), who is determined and independent. A Bloodhound needs firm, but gentle training, as they do tend to be willful and stubborn.
Some Bloodhounds can be timid. Sensitive and shy, a Bloodhound is devoted to its master and gets along well with people. It can be aggressive with dogs of the same sex. But in general, the Bloodhound loves everyone and some will greet wanted and unwanted visitors happily. Others are a tad more particular about unwanted guests. They are known to protect their turf if no one is home, but out on a trail, they greet anyone. The Bloody gets along with most other dogs and other household pets. They do however have a tendency to howl, snore, and drool a lot.
While out on a stroll (and by the way almost 90% of Bloodhounds can not be let off the leash because they trail scents to the end) your Hound may wander off on the trail of an interesting scent. They are able to follow any scent, even human, which is a rare ability in a dog. Apparently they can also follow trails over 100 hours old and will not give up until they get to the end of it, no matter how long that trail may be.
The Bloodhound is such a sure tracker that the breed is used worldwide for rescue and criminal searches. One Bloodhound brought about 600 criminal arrests and convictions.
Bloodhounds are slow to mature and their puppy brain adolescence lasts until they are 2 years old. They eat everything they can fit in their mouths. So keep a close eye on what they are chewing on. With proper training they become wonderful dogs when they mature. The Bloody needs a kind, patient and firm owner whose experienced with dogs.
Health Problems
Generally a quite hardy breed, the Bloodhound does have some special medical conditions to be aware of:
Gastric torsion ( Bloat ) - the stomach becomes distended with air, and then while dilated, twists on itself. This interferes with the blood supply to the stomach and other digestive organs, and blocks the passage of food, leading to worse Bloat.
Prolapsed gland of the third eyelid - " Cherry Eye " occurs when the base of the gland (embedded in the cartilage) flips up and is seen above and behind the border of the third eyelid. The prolapsed gland becomes swollen and inflamed.
ectropion - a defect of conformation in which there is a sagging or rolling-out (eversion) of the eyelids. This results in abnormal exposure of the eye, which often leads to irritation.
Entropion - the inward rolling of the eyelid, most commonly the lower lid. This irritates the surface of the eye (the cornea) and may ultimately cause visual impairment.
Exposure keratopathy syndrome - due to a combination of protrusion of the eyeball and an exceptionally large eyelid opening. The result is inadequate blinking, and reduced protection for the eye. Affected dogs experience chronic discomfort and are prone to ulceration of the cornea.
Fold dermatitis - Where there are excessive skin folds or wrinkles, Fold dermatitis occurs due to rubbing of skin and trapping of moisture in the folds. Bacterial skin infection commonly develops, almost always caused by Staphylococcus intermedius.
Grooming
The Bloodhound's smooth, shorthaired coat is easy to groom with a hound glove. There is no trimming required with this breed.
The "glove" is fairly new on the market, and you wear them just like any other glove. They have semi-soft rubber bristles (or rubber nubs) on the palm, with some having wire bristles (or short bristles) on the top of the hand. The nubs and bristles are on flexible cloth base. This glove works best on short coats. Dogs who hate being brushed usually like this glove since it makes them feel like they are being petted rather than groomed.
Bathe your Bloody only when necessary and rub him dry with a rough towel or chamois to leave his coat shiny. The brisk rub will also cut down on shedding, although this breed is only classified as an average shedder. Clean the ears on a regular basis (especially in warm weather) as those long floppy ears can harbor infections.
Bloodhounds are known for their distinctive doggy odor which some find offensive. So as a minimum, regular brushing will also help maintain the smooth, short-haired coat. Wipe eyes gently on a daily basis. These fellows do grow rather long nails, so be sure to keep them trimmed neatly.
Exercise
Bloodhounds love a good run and need a lot of exercise. But again, you will likely need to run, jog or walk with your dog on a leash or you won't be able to get its attention. They have an incredible level of stamina and can walk for hours on end, whether or not you can is another question. They would greatly enjoy hiking with you, but keep in mind their urge to investigate any interesting scent. Do not overtire them with walks until they are fully-grown. Your Bloody is a big dog that grows rapidly and needs its energy for developing strong bones, joints and muscles.
The best exercise regimen for your Blood Hound would be at least two 45- minute walks a day no matter what the weather may be. While you may not be too happy with the weather, your dog doesn't mind in the least. This may vary depending on your dog, as each one does have its own personality.
While on your walks or jogs, try to have about 20 minutes of fetch or even a tug of war. You need to also include at least 15 to 30 minutes of obedience training, trick training or other activities that keep your dog's mind sharp. If he's mentally stimulated he's happy. If he's happy, he's well behaved.
If you don't think what you are doing is enough for your dog, don't increase the physical part of your routine, increase the educational portion instead. That would mean more obedience training, tricks - things to keep his mind busy - to stretch his mental limits. Working his mind will make him more tired than working his body - remember, their stamina is phenomenal. And they ALWAYS have energy to spare, even if you don't think they look like they're raring to go.
Training
You will need to have lots of patience to train a Bloodhound. Above all else, you will need to be firm and fair, but yet consistent. These clever dogs know darn well how to get around you with their pathetic look. They are absolute masters at getting their own way.
The Bloodhound has a mind of its own and prefers to use it rather that listen to commands. So don't expect a great deal in the way of obedience from them without putting in a great deal of solid work. Males hit puberty between the age of 1 and 2 years and can be hell on wheels until that time. After the age of 2, with the proper training, stimulation and consistency, they are wonderful dogs.
Try and work on focus for your Bloodhound. Your dog's focus will only last about 20 or 30 seconds. So positive or negative reinforcement after the focus has passed results in the reinforcement getting associated with a different event than intended. Actions, good or bad, must be reinforced while the dog is focused. You can't train after the fact.
Speaking of positive reinforcement, when you praise, do it with enthusiasm to let the dog know you are happy with his performance. If you aren't happy with what you're use a short, sharp, command that allows you to raise or lower the level of displeasure to fit the occasion. "No!!!" works well in most cases.
Make sure there is contrast between the good and the bad so your dog can tell the difference. If he can't figure out if you're pleased with his work or not, learning becomes much more difficult for him. Don't over-do the praise or the reprimand, just be happy enough, or firm enough, to leave no doubt in his mind how you rate his performance.
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Ratings and Attributes
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