Posted by Jeanne on December 22, 2008
Elvis Presley may have made hound dogs popular with his 1956 remake of the song, “Hound Dog,” but ancient literature is replete with reference to Hounds. Zenophon the Greek discoursed at length on the care of hounds. This blog post highlights the breeds included officially in the Hound Show Group. There are many more hound breeds throughout the world but space does not permit mention of them.
A general grouping falls in three classifications — trailing hounds, coursing hounds, and miscellaneous.
Dachshund has Hunting Desire
Trail Hounds, as the name indicates, are keen to follow a trail or ground scent in the field. I can group the short-legged, long-backed breeds here: basset hound (a French breed), the dachshund, (really French in origin just as the poodle is German in origin). Do not be misled by the clowning dachs — he has a keen nose and usually delights to follow a game trail in the woods.
Beagle has Baritone Bark
The foxhound group is a familiar one. There are both American and English foxhounds. President Washington was a devout fancier of the foxhound and the chase. The harrier is a medium-sized foxhound. The beagle, belonging to the same general family, is the smallest, and perhaps with his baritone bay, the most melodious of all breeds.
Bloodhound: A Gentle Breed
The black-and-tan coonhound is the only one of a half dozen distinct coonhound varieties recognized for show and stud book (although there are minor stud books that embrace all coonhounds). The bloodhound is among the oldest of purebreeds, not at all bloody or vicious as his name implies; and his bloodlines have been used to modify or create other breeds. There is bloodhound blood somewhere along the line in coonhounds and bassets.
Use Sight in Preference to Nose
Coursing Hounds, having swiftness of action, pursue or course their game by sight rather than by the slower method of following the aura of scent. This does not mean they do not have scenting ability. The general greyhound family, perhaps the oldest of distinct canine families, includes the greyhound proper, the medium sized greyhound or whippet, and the toy size, the Italian greyhound.
Many Members of Greyhound Family
But the family is large and includes long-coated breeds. Among these are the afghan, the saluki or gazelle hound, perhaps the most graceful-moving of all breeds. The borzoi or Russian wolfhound. Scottish deerhound: and its large cousin the Irish Wolfhound, tallest and longest of all breeds.
The Miscellaneous Group brings together an interesting assembly of breeds. The basenji or barkless (but not noiseless) dog from the African Congo. Norwegian elkhound, an all-purpose dog in its native Norway and really not too much at home in the hound group. The otterhound, a rough and-ready water dog, ancestor of the airedale.
Ridgeback is from Africa
And the latest addition to the so-called royal canine family—the Rhodesian ridgeback, a medium to large-sized, short-coated, tan-colored hunting dog from Rhodesia, getting its name from this African area and from a ribbon of hair about one and a half inches wide, which runs along and on the backbone from base of shoulders to the rump but in the opposite direction to the ‘lay’ of hair, that is, it points toward the head.
Posted by Jeanne on November 26, 2008
Bloodhounds are gifted with more acute olfactory organs than any other breed. They hunt entirely by scent. Formerly put to deer and fox, the modern use of bloodhounds is almost entirely in connection with crime detection. Their intelligence is of high order and in spite of their name they are usually gentle and affectionate in disposition.
- General Character – The Bloodhound possesses, in a most marked degree, every point and characteristic of those dogs which hunt together by scent (Sagaces). He is very powerful, and stands over more ground than is usual with hounds of other breeds. The skin is thin to the touch and extremely loose, this being more especially noticeable about the head and neck, where it hangs in deep folds.
- Height – The mean average height of adult dogs is 26 inches, and of adult bitches 24 inches. Dogs usually vary from 25 inches to 27 inches and bitches from 23 inches to 25 inches; but, in either case, the greater height is to be preferred, provided that character and quality are also combined.
- Weight – The mean average weight of adult dogs, in fair condition, is 90 pounds, and of adult bitches 80 pounds. Dogs attain the weight of no pounds, bitches 100 pounds. The greater weights are to be preferred, provided (as in the case of height) that quality and proportion are also combined.
- Expression – The expression is noble and dignified, and characterized by solemnity, wisdom, and power.
- Temperament – In temperament he is extremely affectionate, neither quarrelsome with companions nor with other dogs. His nature is somewhat shy, and equally sensitive to kindness or correction by his master.
- Head – The head is narrow in proportion to its length, and long in proportion to the body, tapering but slightly from the temples to the end of the muzzle, thus (when viewed from above and in front) having the appearance of being flattened at the sides and of being nearly equal in width throughout its entire length. In profile the upper outline of the skull is nearly in the same plane as that of the foreface. The length from end of nose to stop (midway between the eyes) should be not less than that from stop to back of occipital protuberance (peak). The entire length of head from the posterior part of the occipital protuberance to the end of the muzzle should be 12 inches, or more, in dogs, and 11 inches, or more, in bitches.
- Skull – The skull is long and narrow, with the occipital peak very pronounced. The brows are not prominent, although, owing to the deep-set eyes, they may have that appearance.
- Foreface – The foreface is long, deep, and of even width throughout, with square outline when seen in profile.
- Eyes – The eyes are deeply sunk in the orbits, the lids assuming a lozenge or diamond shape, in consequence of the lower lids being dragged down and everted by the heavy flews. The eyes correspond with the general tone of color of the animal, varying from deep hazel to yellow. The hazel color is, however, to be preferred, although very seldom seen in red-and-tan hounds.
- Ears – The ears are thin and soft to the touch, extremely long, set very low, and fall in graceful folds, the lower parts curling inwards and backwards.
- Wrinkle – The head is furnished with an amount of loose skin, which in nearly every position appears superabundant, but more particularly so when the head is carried low; the skin then falls into loose, pendulous ridges and folds, especially over the forehead and sides of the face.
- Nostrils – The nostrils are large and open.
- Lips, Flews, and Dewlap – In front the lips fall squarely, making a right angle with the upper line of the foreface; whilst behind they form deep, hanging flews, and, being continued into the pendent folds of loose skin about the neck, constitute the dewlap, •which is very pronounced. These characters are found, though in a less degree, in the bitch.
- Neck, Shoulders and Chest – The neck is long, the shoulders muscular and well sloped backwards; the ribs are well sprung; and the chest well let down between the forelegs, forming a deep keel.
- Legs and Feet – The forelegs are straight and large in bone, with elbows squarely set; the feet strong and well knuckled up; the thighs and second thighs (gaskins) are very muscular; the hocks well bent and let down and squarely set.
- Back and Loin – The back and loins are strong, the latter deep and slightly arched.
- Stern – The stern is long and tapering, and set on rather high, with a moderate amount of hair underneath.
- Gait – The gait is elastic, swinging and free, the stern being carried high, but not too much curled over the back.
- Color – The colors are black-and-tan, red-and-tan, and tawny; the darker colors being sometimes interspersed with lighter or badger-colored hair, and sometimes flecked with white. A small amount of white is permissible on chest, feet, and tip of stern.