English Foxhound Dog Breed

AKC Dog Breeds: English Foxhound

As dog owners and people who care deeply for animals and wildlife, we wanted our Dog Encyclopedia to be a website that could empower pet owners to create the most positive, loving environment for their dogs. Dog Encyclopedia realizes that owning a dog is like adding a new member to your family.

Hound Group
Height:21-25 inches Weight: 65-75 pounds Color: black, tan, white, or a combination of all three

The English Foxhound is a large, sturdy, and athletic dog, with a wise expression. The English Foxhound is a dog breed with earnest eyes that just seem to connect with yours as soon as you come upon it. His coat is short and hard, and the coloring of the coat can vary, with the most popular being tri-colored with black, tan, and white. The English Foxhound actually originated from the breeding of various hounds and then continued with the intermixing of the Bulldog, the Greyhound, and the Fox Terrier to finally produce today's breed. With a history that dates back to the sixteenth century, the English Foxhound originates from Great Britain. These hounds were bred to hunt in packs, and were a favorite with former President George Washington, who is said to have imported them. The breed was registered with the AKC in 1909.

General Appearance
The English Foxhound is a dog that's easily identifiable. The English Foxhound is an elegant, clean-cut, athletic hound, with a long muzzle and wide skull. The neck is long and the hindquarters very strong. Its large eyes have a sweet expression. The ears lay flat to the head. Proven hunting hounds often have the bottom edge of their ears rounded (shortened) to avoid nicks and tears during the hunt. The legs are absolutely straight, with round, cat-like feet. The short, hard, easy care coat is usually tri-color (black, white & tan), or bi-color with a white background, however, color is not an important feature. The brown eyes are large with a gentle expression, and the ears are pendant. The tail is held up gaily.

Temperament
Lively, friendly, and energetic, the English Foxhound is a breed that has a friendly nature and is eager and sociable. These dogs are agile and lively, and make for good companion pets, although they can take time to mature, which means that they may retain the stamina, playfulness, and energy of a puppy for longer periods than many other breeds. The English Foxhound can be a very independent and headstrong creature, and is therefore best suited to those with some experience of dog ownership. Training may not be an easy task, and patience combined with confidence and assertiveness will be required. The English Foxhound loves other dogs and will get along well with them; however, the high prey drive of this breed means that you will need to be careful around smaller animals, as he may give chase - ensure that he is socialized early with other pets in the household. These dogs also get along well with children, although some may be a little too large and energetic for very young children. The English Foxhound may be friendly or reserved around strangers. These dogs will bark to indicate danger, and this can make them effective watchdogs. You need to ensure that your English Foxhound is not neglected, as boredom and lack of exercise can result in destructive behavior and chewing.

Grooming
The English Foxhound has a short hard coat of fur that is easy to maintain. Perfect for those who don't want to spend a lot of time grooming, this dog breed only requires regular care with a firm bristle brush on a weekly basis. Not only will this give their coats a nice glossy shine, but it will also allow you to prevent major problems with this average shedding breed. The more loose fur you remove during the brushing action, the less fur you will have around your home and on your furniture and clothing.

Health Problems and Life Expectancy
The English Foxhound is generally a hardy and healthy breed, with a life expectancy of around 10-12 years. There are a few health problems linked to the breed, and this includes pancreas problems, renal disease, and HD.

Activity Level
With all of their energy, the English Foxhound needs to have plenty of time for exercise and running around. To maintain its healthy and its body structure, this dog breed will want to have plenty of time to exercise - as often as possible, in fact. If you are unable to provide them with this time, this may not be a good fit for you as a dog owner. This is a dog breed that wants to run around as much as possible, so you will want to take this dog out for long runs whenever possible.

Search:

Dog Breeds:

Dog Encyclopedia has added beautiful dog photographs on each of our Dog Breed pages to enhance your experience. Each section in Dog Encyclopedia helps to educate pet owners, enabling both the dog, and the owner to have a safe, high quality experience