English Foxhound

The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.

English Foxhound
Other namesFoxhound
OriginGreat Britain - England
Traits
Height 23–25 inches (58–64 cm)
Kennel club standards
The Kennel Club standard
FCI standard
Dog (domestic dog)

Description

Appearance
English Foxhounds at rest.

The breed standards' guidelines for showing English Foxhounds requires them to be 20–27 inches (51–69 cm) tall at the withers.[1] The skull is thick and the muzzle is long. The legs are muscular, straight-boned, and the paws are rounded, almost cat-like. The English Foxhound comes in any hound color, most often tricolor, tan, red, or black with a white base.

Temperament
A pack of English Foxhounds.

The English Foxhound is a pack hound, therefore, it gets along well with other dogs and enjoys human companionship. It gets along with horses, children, and other pets, as it is a gentle, social, and tolerant breed. It is an active breed that enjoys tracking foxes and has the stamina to run all day with few breaks.

Health and lifespan

There are very few health problems in this breed. Occasionally seen are chronic hip dysplasia, renal disease, and epilepsy. The breed's lifespan is typically 10–13 years.

History
English Foxhound circa 1915.

The English Foxhound has been bred for over two hundred years, with the stud books dating back before 1800.[2]

During the British Raj, English Foxhounds were exported to India for the purpose of jackal coursing,[3] though due to the comparatively hotter weather, they were rarely long lived.[4] Foxhounds were preferred for this purpose over greyhounds, as the former was not as fast, and could thus provide a longer, more sporting chase.[5]

Studbooks for the English foxhound have been kept since the 18th century.[6] Breeding lines and the work of people involved in breeding hounds is extremely important in the continual development of this working breed. Puppy shows are important events in the hunting calendar and allow the local hunt followers and visiting hound breeders to examine the latest generation from the hound pack. The International Foxhound Association was created in 2012 for the promotion of the English Foxhound as a breed.

References
  1. "English Foxhound" (PDF). FCI. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  2. FCI breed standard
  3. Thirteen years among the wild beasts of India: their haunts and habits from personal observation with an account of the modes of capturing and taming elephants by George P. Sanderson, published by Asian Educational Services, 2000, ISBN 81-206-1464-X
  4. The living animals of the world; a popular natural history with one thousand illustrations Volume 1: Mammals, by Cornish, C. J., 1858-1906; Selous, Frederick Courteney, 1851-1917; Johnston, Harry Hamilton, Sir, 1858-1927; Maxwell, Herbert, Sir, published by New York, Dodd, Mead and Company
  5. A monograph of the canidae by St. George Mivart, F.R.S, published by Alere Flammam. 1890
  6. von Pfetten, Jean Christophe. "Baron". ecovertside. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
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