Common features of the American Foxhound, how the breed was bred, its progenitors, world personalities involved in breeding, acquisition, use and fame.
Common features of the American Foxhound
The American Foxhound, or American foxhound, is very similar to the more widely known English Foxhound, but is easy to distinguish. The breed is softer than its English version and is usually slightly taller at the withers. Many experts believe that these dogs tend to have a significantly stronger sense of smell and much faster. This breed shows more variation than most purebred dogs, and some of the lines are different enough to be almost separate species.
Almost everything associated with the emergence of the American Foxhound is the result of its hunting heritage. The limbs of the animal are very long and straight. The ribcage is rather narrow. It has a long snout and a large, domed skull. The ears are wide and set low. The eyes are hazel or brown, large and wide apart. Thick, medium-length coat, can be of any color, although combinations of black, white and brown are common.
The American Foxhound is more level-headed than its English Foxhound cousin. In addition, this breed is known to have a loud voice that can be heard from many kilometers away on the hunt, probably inherited from the French cops. The breed representatives have very obedient and pleasant behavior. This is a typical gentle dog that is calm and gets along well with children and other animals. However, they can behave modestly and with restraint, surrounded by strangers.
The American Foxhound is a very active breed with high energy levels. Dogs require a lot of exercise, especially an area for active movement. If they live in a suburban area or on a farm, then the animals should have a fenced yard for free walking and a couple of times daily, taken out for walks in the vicinity.
Obedience training is essential to this breed because of their independent disposition and natural instinct to follow scent. Foxhound, who picks up the trail, will follow it, ignoring the commands. Training requires patience and skill due to the variety's independence and stubbornness. Due to their strong hunting instinct, American Foxhounds should be driven on a leash. Most dogs with good scent and voice, excellent guards, but these dogs are not good watchdogs.
What is the origin of the American Foxhound breed?
For most of history, the preferred hunting game of the English nobility was the deer. Foxes, on the other hand, were considered pests and were hunted by a less noble class in the same way that such a hunt was reserved for commoners. By the 1500s, most of England's forests had been cleared, leading not only to a decrease in the number of deer living in the forest, but also to an increase in the number of foxes, which are mainly field dwellers.
Foxes became a major agricultural pest and were very numerous. "Red cheats" not only regularly killed chickens, geese, rabbits and other small animals, but also young or sick sheep, pigs and goats. What upset the farmers especially was their numerous burrows, which were often caught by the feet of cattle or horses. Therefore, artiodactyls in pastures often injured their limbs. In the end, the farmers decided to take matters into their own hands.
The first written mentions of hunting foxes with dogs in England, indicate the year 1534, the city of Norfolk. At the time, a local farmer with his dogs intended to kill a marauding fox. However, it is likely that this practice existed long before this time. Farmers quickly discovered that fox hunting was much more successful the more canines were attracted to it. Instead of one farmer chasing a fox with two or three dogs, groups of people came together to create flocks of 10 to 50 hounds. Then, they took turns, on each other's lands, to get rid of the "red cheats".
People of agricultural labor, used many dogs in pursuit of foxes. The most common were probably sporadic marriages from purebred hounds. However, the now extinct northern and southern hounds, beagle with harrier, various breeds of terriers, greyhounds and whippets were most likely used in pursuit of foxes. Possibly some traditional herding species, such as collies, and many of them are crossbreeds. Farmers were not particularly concerned with breeding or standardizing their hunting fox dogs, provided they were successful in hunting.
Eventually, these hunts became a form of social gathering and recreation, as well as the eradication of pests. Towards the end of the 16th century, the English nobility took notice of these fox hunts and decided to organize their own. They quickly became very popular and ritualized. For a century, they have been more in demand than hunting deer, although the continued decline in reindeer numbers has likely prompted a switch to fox hunting.
Qualities and breeds involved in the initial selection of the American Foxhound
The noble hunters aimed to create the perfect hunting fox dog, an animal with the ability to hunt down an animal, the speed and stamina to chase it for hours, and the tenacity to kill it when caught. Since the history of breeding has not been preserved, it is not known exactly which canine species were used. A 19th century writer like John Henry Walsh, better known by his pseudonym Stonehenge, reports that this species was based on the southern dog, which was previously used in deer hunting.
It is known that these representatives of the canids were rather slow hunters. The southern dog was blended with some other British hounds, most likely the northern dog, the Talbot and the harrier, as well as the fox hound marriages of the English farmers. The resulting animals could perfectly track the beast, but they lacked speed and tenacity.
These dogs were mixed with greyhounds from the north of England, more commonly known as Gazehounds. It is now difficult to say which breeds were bled exactly, although the general opinion is that greyhounds were used, and possibly the Whippet, Lecher and the Scottish Deerhound. Finally, fox terriers and probably bulldogs were added to give the dogs tenacity in fighting the beast.
The history of the development of the American Foxhound in America
By the time England colonized America, Foxhounds were successfully bred and the sport of fox hunting prevailed among the British upper classes. Many wealthy settlers wanted to continue this sport in the New World. The first record of Foxhounds in what is now the United States dates back to 1650. That year, Robert Brooke imported the canine flock to Maryland. Brook later became the first beagle breeder in America. Settlers in the American South tended to come from aristocratic families, and fox hunting has always been the most popular in the southern colonies. The plantation society that developed in Virginia and Maryland became the center for hunting American foxes.
Unfortunately, dogs bred for hunting in England often performed poorly in Virginia and Maryland due to the different climate. Temperatures were much higher here, especially in summer, and British dogs were easily overheated. In addition, a much greater burden on the body turned out to be fatal for many English dogs. The local landscape was significantly rougher and less developed than environments that were not found in England, such as swamps, mountains and virgin forests. Further settlement extended from the coast, where the relief was even more difficult. Finally, there were many dangerous animals in the colonies that were not in England, such as bears, wild pigs, cougars and lynxes. American dogs needed to adapt to survive these conditions.
Foxes have never been more common along the East Coast of America as they are in England. In fact, many believe that English settlers actually imported red foxes from Europe to increase their numbers in America. As a result, in America, the main purpose of hunting foxes was not to kill them, although this happened sometimes, as a rule, unintentionally. Instead, the dog had to chase the fox for excitement and thrill. American fox hunters did not need a breed with the tenacity of an English Foxhound, which must kill the beast by catching it.
Over time, the English Foxhounds have become more adapted to such diverse conditions, both through deliberate breeding and natural selection. As a result, American Foxhounds began to differ from their breed counterparts in England. American dogs differed due to the rush of blood from other breeds. In America, Foxhounds have been mixed with bloodhounds, other English hounds, Irish and Scottish hunting dogs, and possibly Native American dogs. By the middle of the 18th century, American Foxhounds became so different from English Foxhounds that they began to be considered a completely different breed and were known as the Virginia Hound. After American independence, these differences continued to grow.
Famous world personalities who participated in the selection of the American Foxhound
One of the most famous fox hunters in the colonies was originally Virginia plantation owner George Washington. He greatly influenced the development of the unique American Foxhound and was an avid breeder of these dogs as well as a fox hunter. After the War of Independence, his friend the Marquis de Lafayette sent him several French hunting dogs as a gift.
Nothing is known exactly about these breeds, but it is widely believed that these dogs were Grand Bleu de Gascognes, as well as at least one Basset. Washington used these French hounds in its breeding program. As you might expect, the dogs bred by such an influential person were extremely popular and strongly influenced all subsequent breeding of Foxhounds in America.
Acquisition of the American Foxhound breed name
Those Virginia hounds that remained in developed areas of Virginia and Maryland were still used primarily for hunting foxes and are still known as Foxhounds. Virginia hounds, which moved further south or west into undeveloped areas, came to be used mainly for hunting raccoons. These raccoon hunting dogs have been further refined through selective breeding to adapt to more challenging conditions, and to pursue prey in trees rather than in their burrows. By the mid-1800s, these hunting dogs were known as the Coonhound and Foxhound.
In America, there have always been different varieties of Foxhound, although most of them bred freely. Eventually, a certain variety of Foxhounds, black and brown Virginia Foxhounds became known as a separate breed. By the end of the 19th century, these varieties were no longer used to describe other Foxhound species in America, and the breed became known as the American Foxhound.
Application of American Foxhounds in the USA
The fox hunting has always been the most popular in Virginia and Maryland, and the breed has traditionally been most associated with these states. In fact, the American Foxhound is Virginia's national dog. However, these canines were used throughout the country to hunt foxes, both for sporting purposes and for pest control.
Since the main task in American fox hunting has always been excitement, not killing, in the American West Foxhounds have also been used to hunt coyotes, which are significantly more harmful to livestock than foxes. Conversely, in coyote hunting, the main goal is usually to kill the animal rather than chase it. For this reason, some hunters prefer more durable breeds such as Coonhounds.
While fox hunting has never been as popular in America as it is in England, it still enjoys significant popularity in this country. However, this may change. Fox hunting was recently outlawed in England, Scotland and Wales. As a result, fox hunting is now likely to be practiced more in the United States than in other countries, although many illegal hunting continues in the UK.
The fame of the American Foxhound in the world's specialized organizations
Unsurprisingly, as one of the oldest American breeds, the American Foxhound has long been registered with the American Kenel Club (AKC), which first recognized the variety in 1886. The United Kennel Club (UKC) followed suit, recognizing the breed in 1905.
Primarily a hunting species, the American Foxhound is rarely kept as a companion or show dog. As a result, most American Foxhound breeders prefer the UKC. Because the organization is the largest ubiquitous registry of dogs in the world, it pays more attention to working animals like the American Foxhound than the AKC.
According to AKC statistics for 2010, the American Foxhound was the second most registered breed in the organization. However, there are many other purebred American Foxhounds around the country that are registered in other communities. There is considerable interest in the breed and the American Foxhound Club (AFC) was reestablished in 1995 and maintains a good relationship with the AKC.
The current state of the American Foxhound breed
Unlike many species that were rarely used for their original purposes at the present time, and are now mainly companion animals, the vast majority of American Foxhounds are still considered active or hunters even to old age.
These dogs have very high demands on physical activity, as well as bright enough "vocal data". As a result, they do not adapt well to urban environments. However, a growing number of hobbyists claim that the American Foxhound can be a great companion for active urban families or villagers.
Although not numerous, the American Foxhound is still popular with fox hunters in the United States, much more so than the English Foxhound. Despite this, in the rest of the world, the latter remains the more popular dog. Like most American dog breeds, the American Foxhound is still little known outside of North America.
