The American Foxhound

 

 The American Foxhound dates back to the 1700s, when they were bred from English Foxhounds and French Foxhounds by George Washington. Their most notable ancestors though are the English Foxhounds that arrived in North America in 1650 with the English settlers. Back then, hunters required a domestic breed that had similar physical characteristics to the English Foxhound, but one that was both faster and had a keener sense of smell than the already existing breeds. In the 17th century, the American Foxhound was most commonly used for seeking out the native people, before it later became a highly effective hunter of wild animals. American Foxhounds are kept both on their own and as pack animals, in groups that tend to contain between 10 and 20 individuals, primarily by hunters and farmers.

American Foxhound Physical Characteristics

The American Foxhound is large breed of domestic Dog, growing to an average height of 63cm tall. They are long and lean animals, with straight, long legs and a narrow tail which curves slightly upwards. The American Foxhound has a short coat of coarse fur which is most commonly white, brown, tan, or black in colour, and is known to shed fairly regularly. The American Foxhound's long head is dome-shaped with large, wide-set eyes that are generally hazel or brown in colour. Their wide pendant-shaped ears lie flat on either side of their head, framing the American Foxhound's face. Despite being leaner than the English Foxhound, the American Foxhound's body is incredibly muscular, allowing it to pursue a chase with great stamina, speed and agility.

American Foxhound Behaviour and Temperament

The American Foxhound has a generally loyal, sweet, affectionate and gentle nature when at home, but like other Hounds, they are incredibly dedicated and brave when hunting. They are however known to be relatively stubborn when they come across a scent trail and can run incredibly fast when giving chase. As a household pet, the American Foxhound needs a great deal of exercise due to it's incredibly active nature and is known to get on well with other domestic Dog breeds, mainly due to it's history as a pack-animal. The American Foxhound does however need a constant pack-leader to avoid any behavioural issues that may occur. Even though the American Foxhound is an incredibly responsive animal, they are not known to be particularly wary of strangers and rarely show any aggressive tendencies.

 (source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)