English Foxhound

The English Foxhound is the original of the foxhound breeds of dog. Bred to hunt quarry such as foxes by scent, whilst Royalty rode after the dog pack on horses.

Appearance
The English Foxhound is 21-25 inches tall, and weighs between 65-75 pounds. Skull is wide, muzzle is long, eyes carry a sweet expression. Legs are muscular, straight-boned, and paws are rounded, almost cat-like.

Temperament
The English Foxhound was originally a pack hound so it gets along well with other dogs and enjoys human company. It gets along with horses, children, and other pets, seeing as it is a gentle, social, and tolerant breed. Like all hounds, they are somewhat difficult to train, and the require company so if considering one, consider two.

It is a very active breed that enjoys the hunt. Though it is slower than the American Foxhound it enjoys running and will run all day with very few breaks in between.

Health
As with most breeds that were bred for a working purpose, as opposed to a breed standard, there are very few health factors in this breed. Occasionally seen are chronic hip dysplasia and renal disease so do check our your chosen breeders breed stock history. Lifespan is typically 10-13 years.

History
The longest surviving breed, the English Foxhound was first bred in the late 1700s. It was created by a mix between a Greyhound, Bulldog, and Fox Terrier. The Greyhound allowed the foxhound to be quick on its feet, the Fox Terrier brought out the hunter in the breed, and the Bulldog gave it a wider chest and more muscle. Studbooks for this breed were kept as early as the 1800s. The dogs were meant to trail foxes and live around horses and are still used for those purposes today.

Exercise
They need a lot of it.  A large yard is required for them to exercise themselves, but they also require long walks and play sessions or they will become destructive.  Got an apartment?  Consider a fish instead of a foxhound.