American Foxhound Dogs

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.

For more info on American Foxhound or a full list of Dog Breeds visit this Dog Training resource website.