Bloodhound

Other names: St. Hubert Hound, Saint Hubert Hound, Chien de Saint-Hubert, Flemish Hound, Bloodhound dog
 

Origin

Chien de Saint Hubert is a very old breed, coming from the Moloss of Tibet, brought to Gaul and England by the Roman legions, this dog being over 1000 years old. Later, it developed into a monastery in the Ardennes thanks to the monk Saint Hubert, from whom it received its name, becoming highly appreciated at the Royal Courts for hunting in packs.
It then spread to England, where it was brought by William, Duke of Normandy, upon its invasion in 1066. Today all Chien de Saint Hubert dogs are black with copper or red, but in the Middle Ages they had other simple colors.
White specimens that existed in Medieval Europe were called Talbot Hounds. By the 1600s, this strain had died out, although its genes continue to exist in the white boxer or tricolor Basset breeds (which have among their ancestry the Chien de Saint Hubert).
In fact, all over the world are breeds such as American Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, Fila Brasiliero, Bavarian mountain Hound and many others who have their ancestors in these ancient trail hounds.

Bloodhound Food

Bloodhound dogs very quickly become bloated and should be fed three times a day with a reasonable amount of food.
Exercise after feeding should be avoided because some individuals may have stomach cramps.
Like any other dog, you should always have fresh water to drink when you are thirsty.
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Bloodhound Appearance

Chien de Saint Hubert is a massive, heavy dog with slow and imposing gait, Hound par excellence, patient, Noble, moderate in manners and very loving. The body, strongly built is muscular, the back wide and deep.
The head is one of the characteristic and important points of the breed: it is well formed, with a high and sharp skull, with the skin of the forehead and cheeks very wrinkled, with the eyes bulging under the slightly protruding arches; the expression of the face denotes calm and majesty, but also a little sadness.
The ears, long, proportional to the size of the head, attached low, hang in heavy folds along the jaws; they must exceed in length the edge of the jaw. The tail is carried in an elegant curve, sickle type, above the line of the back, but not on the back. The hair, short, thick and rather rough throughout the body, is soft and silky on the head and ears.
They're big dogs. The appearance and overall impression that these dogs give off is of dignity, nobility, solemnity, wisdom and strength. The head is wide, proportional to its length, although, in comparison with the body, it is long, slightly sharpening from the temples to the extremity of the snout, although, seen from the front it seems flattened on the sides.
Viewed from the profile, the upper line of the skull is almost in the same plane as the forehead line. The skull is long and wide, with the occipital protuberance very prominent . The forehead is long and deep. The eyes are deeply clogged in the orbits, with the eyelids delimiting a diamond-shaped contour, so that the lower eyelid is let down and turn, allowing to see the conjunctival mucosa and giving the typical expression of "hangover" of this breed.
As a color, the eyes generally match the robe, ranging from Golden to yellow or the color of hazelnuts. The color of hazelnut is the preferred one, especially in the case of specimens with liver-colored robes, with brass.
The ears are very thin and velvety to the touch, very long, down caught, fallen into graceful folds, with the lower part curved forward or backward. Mouth shows scissor bite. The head is "garnished" with a large amount of loose, wide skin, which in almost any position appears abundant, but especially when the head is held down. The skin then falls into wide, pendulous folds, especially on the forehead and sides of the face.
The nostrils are wide and open. The lips, in the anterior part fall squared, forming a right angle with the upper line of the forehead. The neck is long, with muscular shoulders and well tilted back. The ribs are well arched, the chest well descended between the forelimbs forming a deep thorax.
The forelimbs have a straight, broad skeleton, with the elbows set in an equal position. The paws are strong and well angulated. The thighs and calves are very muscular and the hock is descended, well sloping and angulated at right angles.
The back and sides are strong, muscular, with the last part slightly arched. The gait of this dog is elastic, floating, free. The tail is carried high, but is not curved very much over the back. The color of the robe can be black with copper, the color of the liver with copper (burgundy), dark colors are often interspersed with lighter colors and sometimes impestred with white . A small white spot can be allowed on the chest, tip of the tail and on the paws.

Bloodhound Behavior

Chien de Saint Hubert is an intelligent, friendly, serious and active dog. He has a special olfactory sense, which helps him to keep track of the blood traces of wounded game, hence his second name – "Bloodhound" (blood = blood).
Although he has an affable temperament, it is not very easy to make him obey, being stubborn by nature. Chien de Saint Hubert is very energetic outside the home, stormy when young, stubborn and independent. They need a firm but gentle education.
An uninitiated owner will have to have a lot of patience and a lot of tact to be successful in educating a Chien de Saint Hubert dog. Some specimens may be shy or aggressive. Sensitive, gentle and shameful, a Bloodhound becomes devoted to his master and gets along very well with everyone. Very rarely have behavioral vices. Males can sometimes be aggressive with dogs of the same sex.
They are protective of their domain, although they can be educated to be friendly even to strangers. Bark to warn when someone is approaching. These dogs are said to be able to track an old scent for over 100 hours. They are so stubborn that they follow the trail over distances of more than 100 kilometers.

Bloodhound Training

The most important aspect of training a Chien de Saint Hubert dog is insistence and perseverance, but also firmness. Chiens de Saint Hubert are aware of what they can achieve with their appearance and expression of pathetism, and they will make the most of this, to get what they want.
Don't expect too much submission from Chien de Saint Hubert. They are usually very gentle dogs, but they are also stubborn, have their own ideas and will often act according to their own decisions and not according to the master's orders.
Males go through puberty between 1 and 2 years, being quite unpleasant as wires during this time, but then, with proper training, stimulating and persevering they become excellent dogs.
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Features Bloodhound

They are dogs so good at detecting traces that they are used around the world to find criminals or rescue operations. The trace detections of Chien de Saint Hubert are recognized even in the courts, as evidence in trials. Thus, a Chien de Saint Hubert found guilt and determined the conviction of more than 600 arrested criminals, who were also convicted.
These dogs can never be kept in an unspoiled yard, because the moment they detect a trail, they will follow it relentlessly. Also, 90% of them can not be taken for a walk without a leash. They will run and pursue any trail that awakens hunting instincts.
An interesting aspect about this breed is that the rich folds of the skin capture and retain for a long time the smell that the animal must follow, these folds helping the Hound to retain and find the trace easily.
Excellent hunting dog, it is also used in the police, works with great zeal, without fatigue. The Bloodhound discovers the trail very well, therefore it has been used both for hunting and for finding criminals, runaway slaves or lost children. Today this heavy, baritone-voiced breed is both a companion dog and a tracker and a trace detector.

Bloodhound Diseases

This breed is very prone to dilation and even gastric torsion, so it is recommended to be fed with 2-3 small meals a day, instead of a bulky meal, and avoid physical exertion after eating. Some specimens may suffer from stomach cramps.
They are also prone to hip dysplasia and ear infections and otitis due to long, drooping ears that are unaerited and moist, favoring the development of fungal, bacterial or even yeast otitis.
Due to the massive skeleton and protruding bone rays, it is recommended to arrange a well-padded bed to avoid the appearance of corns or hygromes. Some specimens can make entropion, due to the twisting of the eyelids inward. The average lifespan is 10-12 years. The number of chicks per nest is 8-10 specimens.