The American Foxhound is a very large breed,
also very similar to the Beagle, only standing higher and being
larger. It's tamely energetic and requires lots of exercise to
stay healthy. It's loyal and loving and fits nicely as a
companion, and would also be useful as a guard/watch dog due its
large size if it wasn't for it's tame response to strangers. This
is due to many many years of breeding. Any hound that would dare
to growl or bare its teeth to its owner or master would be put
down or refusal of breeding would be ordered. It is however not an
easy breed to train and therefore not a good choice for newcomers
to dog owning. They don't either fit very well in apartments, or
in larger cities.In 1650 Robert
Brooke sailed to Crown Colony in America with his pack of hunting
dogs, this breed being one of many that he had with him. Robert
Brooke was one of the most important military commanders of the
Commonwealth of England, and one of the most famous English
admirals of the 17th century. It is rumoured that this breed was
originally used for hunting people in America, but this fact has
so far not been proven to be true. They were however used for
hunting foxes and other smaller animals. Today there are several
different strains of American Foxhound, including Goodman, Walker,
July, Penn-Marydel and Trigg. These strains do have many
differences in looks but are still the same breed. Most show
hounds are Walkers, many of the pack hounds are Penn-Marydel, and
hunters use many different strains to suit their hunting style and
quarry.
The breed's lifespan is generally 11-14
years. It's fur is thick and short, varying between the colours
black, tan, and white, red and white, tan and white, and lemon and
white. The height of the American Foxhound is around 21-25 inches,
and the weight around 60-90 pounds. They're built very
athletically and thus need regular exercise. There are a few
health problems associated with this breed, some of them being
bleeding disorders, deafness, spinal problems, and hip problems.
Usually they remain healthy until old age however. In general this
breed is easy to live with and quickly becomes a part of the
family. It can however be hard to train due to it's playfulness
even at older age and sometimes be disobedient as well. If these
characteristics aren't ones you have anything against this breed
might be one to look into.
