The modern bloodhound is originated from the Ardenne region of central Europe (located on the border of Belgium and France). It was there that the large game hounds of St. Hubert and Talbot and the white southern hound were crossed to produce the dog known as the Chien de St. Hubert ( St. Hubert was the patron saint of hunting).

The first recorded use of bloodhounds by organised law enforcement was in England in 1805, they were acquired to search for felons, poachers, and thieves. Testimony of a bloodhounds mantrailing results is acceptable in almost any court.

If you thiunk you want to own a bloodhound, take your time and consider it wisely. Because of their heritage, they should NEVER be allowed to roam freely without supervision. That super sensitive nose can sure get them into a lot of trouble, and they do not pay attention to surroundings while that nose is working! In tempermant, they are generally affectionate, sometimes it depends on their degree of socialization. They are also very stubborn dogs, with who normal obedience training doesn't usually apply. Obedience training these dogs has to be constant and consistent, because if they get away with it even once they remember it. They can be very destructive, even after "the puppy stage". Bloodhounds in many ways are like a small child, they love to please their owners, they have a high play drive, and they drool ALOT! With one shake of the head they can sling drool up to 20 feet (Yes, we have to mop our ceiling).

An average bloodhound puppy weighs one pound, and grows to ten to fifteen by the time it is weaned. They vary in height from 23"-30", and weigh from 80-150 pounds (depending on bloodline). Due to their large stature, they can go through clumsy stages.

One downfall to their largeness though is common health problems such as bloat and hip displaysia. Bloat, can generally not be prevented, there are some ideas that are believed to decrease the chances of it though.. If caught in time, the dogs life can be spared. But the procedure is very costly, and recurrence is very common. Studies have shown that this condition can be inheritted, and is more common in the larger chested dogs. For more information on this condition please visit http://www.dailydrool.com/bloat.html . If you have a large breed dog, it is well worth the time to look it up. Hip displaysia is a very painful and debilitating disease which can be treated with surgery, also very costly.

If you are purchasing a new puppy from a breeder, one of the main things to ask about would be OFA certifications on parents.(This means that reputable veterinarians have examined your puppies parents and their joints looked good enough to say they do not have any form of joint disorder). And a reputable breeder will also be able to give you referrences of people who have puppies of theirs, and most will be willing to take the puppy back if for any reason you cannot keep the dog. Actually most breeders require a contract stating just that.

I have only touched on some of the reasons why you should get to know a breeder before purchasing a dog from them. But before you ever decide for sure on this breed, I reccomend either babysitting one, or if possible, have one spend the day, or longer in your home. Also try visiting your local rescue, and see what they have available. Spend as much time as possible with a bloodhound before you get one, and if you don't have atleast four or five hours a day to spare in your life for him/her, then this is not the dog for you. They do not deal well with being left in the yard/house alone for long periods of time, this is where destruction/escape usually comes in. Oh yeah I forgot to mention these babies are Houdini in the form of a dog.Often even a five foot chainlink fence is not adequate.

You probably think I am trying to talk anyone out of ever getting a bloodhound, which I'm not. They are marvelous babies, but only to the right family. You will never own a bloodhound, but you can be owned by one. All too often they are purchased as puppies, because "They are so cute!", and end up in rescue before they are a year old, because "I didn't think he/she was actually going to get that big", "I didn't realize they were so destructive" and various other reasons. This is why a puppy should be bought from a reputable breeder, because the parents will be on site, and will be a good indicator of the puppies mature size. Another reason why to avoid pet stores. You should look for breed standards in both puppy and parents. And inspect the area in which the dogs are kept, often an indicator of how highly they value their babies. Breeders that value their dogs will be glad to answer your questions when they arise in a few weeks or months, even if you didn't get your baby from them!

Bloodhounds average life expectancy is eight to eleven years.

Now for the fun part, the reason for their features. What was the fiirst thing you noticed (when you saw the bloodhound)? Probably all of the wrinkles, all of these folds are to trap scent (you probably noticed with their nose to the ground, they actually have more wrinkles). Also those long ears, cute huh?, those long ears sweep back and forth to waft the scent up off of the ground. However, if you noticed all those wrinkles with head lowered, those wrinkles cover those beautiful sunken eyes. Which means while their nose is working they see little or nothing of their surroundings, even racing traffic.

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