Bloodhound breed guide

As pack dogs, Bloodhounds enjoy company, including other dogs and kids. They are easygoing. Large and substantial, they have a long wrinkled face, huge drooping ears and warm deep-set eyes that give an expression of solemn dignity.

They become set in their ways, so obedience classes should start early so the behaviors they keep for life are the ones the owner wants.

Bloodhounds live 10 to 12 years. Like other large, deep-chested dogs they may get bloat, so owners should learn to recognize its symptoms. They are notorious for eating anything and everything, which often leads to vet visits.

The low-hanging ears should be checked daily for infection and the skin wrinkles daily for odor or irritation.

The short dense coat is shed once or twice a year and weekly brushing with a medium-bristle brush, rubber mitt or hound glove removes the dead hair.

It is a misconception that Bloodhounds laze on the front porch: bred to follow a scent for hours, the dog is active and needs long daily walks, always on a leash, since it may not respond to commands once it finds a scent.

Little is known of Bloodhound origins, though some authorities say the breed was known around the ancient Mediterranean. The third-century scholar Aelian mentions a hound of unrivaled scenting powers that could not be pulled off a trail until the prey was found.

It is the oldest extant hound that hunts by scent and a contributor to later hounds such as the Black and Tan Coonhound and the other coonhounds.