The American Foxhound is the state dog of Virginia, originating from Maryland and Virginia. These are scent hounds coming from England, a variety used to hunt foxes. They were brought to America around 1650 and, even though there were rumors that the breed was used to hunt indigenes, this was not the reality. Later, they were cross-bred with Irish Foxhounds, and that increased the resistance and the speed of today's exemplars.
While their English and Irish cousins are smaller, the American Foxhound males reach 53-64 cm in height and 29-34 kg in weight, and the females a little less. There are some of them that are 10-15cm larger in structure than the average, but also about 5-10 kg smaller in weight, this deviations being considered to appear because of the dog's diet and life style.
The dog's ears are wide and the eyes are large. The head is medium sized and the legs are long and thin. The overall appearance of the dog is one of a hunting hound, being slim and muscular. Its body is covered with a short and rough fur, very similar with the English breed called Beagle. The colors of the coat can be either red, grey, black or tan, and sometimes blue. They do shed a lot, but a regular comb and brush will decrease the shedding, and ease the maintenance of the breed.
The American Foxhound is well-known for its musical and loud howl, which can be heard miles away, and this is the reason why this breed is unsuitable to be held in urban areas. The foxhound's howl is very important during hunting matches, when the hunters need to know the location of the dog in order to find the game.
The breed carries a lot of genetic disorders. They can easily grow obese if they lack physical exercise or if their owners are tempted to overfeed them. There are also other important health risks, among which we can count thrombocytopathy or the platelet disease, a blood disease, which manifests in severe bleeding even from minor injuries, such as scratches or cuts. They also can suffer from hip dysplasia in some cases, or from a few minor eye disorders, but these are not problems characteristic for this breed.
Being a hunter, the American Foxhound is very active and energetic; these dogs need a lot of exercise, and a lot of room to run and play, because they really need to consume their excess energy. Because they are so dynamic, their suitable environment is a suburban zone, or a home with a large yard and tall fence.
Even though they are so energetic, they are also very shy and reserved in the presence of strangers. It is desirable for them to be trained to strictly obey their owner's orders, in order to defeat their tracking instinct and to became and obedient, less independent scent hound.
If you are an energetic person, who likes to go hiking, jogging or hunting, and most of all, if you need a happy and joyful companion for your excursions, the American Foxhound is the answer.
