History of occurrence
Some evidence indicates hounds were first brought to America in 1650, when the Englishman Robert Brooke sailed to the Crown Colony of America with his pack of hunting dogs. These hounds would later become the basis of several strains of American Hounds. In the mid-to-late 1700s, hounds from France and England were brought in to further develop the breed. By then, the breed had gained much recognition, especially amongst the upper class and politicians; even President George Washington was known to have an American Foxhound.
The American Foxhound's popularity was mainly due to its ability to hunt and chase down foxes and deer. Hunters in the southern United States -- especially in parts of Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, and the mountainous regions of Kentucky -- sought to develop specific strains of the breed according to their needs; these included the Walker, Trigg, Hudspeth, Goodman, July, and Calhoun hounds. The new varieties were used not only as show or running hounds, but also as pack or competitive field trial hounds.
The American Foxhound is said to be among the earliest breeds that were registered under the American Kennel Club (AKC). Interestingly enough, many Foxhounds used by hunters today are not registered under the AKC, but rather with specialty Foxhound studbooks, the most important one being the International Foxhunter's Studbook.
General form
The English foxhound is of powerful build, with large bone. The size of bone at the ankle is considered especially important. This build, along with comparatively straight angulation of the stifles, favors stamina over speed. The rich, deep voice is prized for the hunt. Many English foxhounds have "rounded" ears.
Отличительная особенность породы American Foxhound
Head: should be fairly long, slightly domed at occiput.
Skull: broad and full.
Stop: moderately defined.
Muzzle: of fair length, straight and square-cut.
Eyes: large, set well apart, soft and houndlike; expression gentle and pleading. Colour brown or hazel.
Ears: set on moderately low, long, reaching when drawn out nearly, if not quite, to the tip of the nose; fine in texture; fairly broad, with almost entire absence of erectile power; setting close to the head with the forward edge slightly inturning to the cheek; round at tip.
Neck: rising free and light from the shoulders, strong in substance, yet not loaded, of medium length. The throat clean and free from folds of skin, a slight wrinkle below the angle of the jaw, however, is allowable.
Back: moderately long, muscular and strong.
Loins: broad and slightly arched.
Chest: should be deep for lung space, narrower in proportion to depth than the English Hound.
Forelegs straight, with fair amount of bone.
Shoulders: sloping, clean, muscular, not heavy or loaded, conveying the idea of freedom of action with activity and strength.
Pasterns: short and straight.
Forefeet: foxlike. Well arched toes, strong nails, pads full and hard.
Hips and thighs: strong and muscled, giving abundance of propelling power.
Stifles: strong and well let down.
Hocks: firm, symmetrical and moderately bent.
Hindfeet: close and firm.
Set moderately high; carried gaily, but not turned forward over the back; with slight curve; with very slight brush.
Hard coat, which can be found in any color, including black, brown, white, tan, red and cream, is medium in length.
Easy and graceful movement.
Weight — 24-39 kg.
Height — 53-64 cm.
Character
The tolerant, gentle, and friendly American Foxhound can be reserved, especially around strangers. And though not considered a traditional house pet, the American Foxhound is well behaved indoors, getting along with other household dogs or pets. A natural born hunter, it will also dash on the trail of a scent, sometimes even without receiving a command.
Maintenance care
The American Foxhound’s coat is very easy to maintain, just the occasional brushing to clear the dead hair. It loves the outdoors and may prefer to live outside, provided there is warm bedding and shelter. Its daily exercise requirements can be met with a jog or long leash-led walk.
The American Foxhound is a highly sociable dog and should, therefore, have regular human interaction. The breed is not well suited for the city life.
Lifespan — 11-13 years.
Dignity
The tolerant, gentle, and friendly.
Difficulty keeping
English Foxhounds are not recommended for apartment life. They are very active indoors and do best with acreage.
Diseases
The American Foxhound is not especially prone to major or minor health problems. This particularly breed, however, may suffer from thrombopathy occasionally; to identify this condition early, a veterinarian may run blood tests on the dog.
