English Foxhound

A riding master and a pack of foxhounds create a lively hunting scene. The American foxhound, a relative of the English foxhound, is also an excellent field dog.

A cross between the hunting breed of the Normans and the English foxhunting breed, the foxhound has been a much treasured house pet in England since the late Middle Ages. Once called the Talbot dog, it has been modified to suit the needs of hunters and the English climate, resulting in today's beautiful, skillful foxhound.

As its name implies, the English Foxhound originated in England where it was bred to follow fox as well as stag. It is heavy with round, rather than bladed bone, handsome in head, with hard feet, moderate angles at either end and a wonderful tail with evident brush (longer hair at the end). The breed gallops, stays and easily jumps fences and streams as necessary. The dogs have a magnificent voice when in pursuit of quarry. Designed and reared by horsemen to be followed on horseback, English Foxhounds were and remain beautiful animals.

Breed initially as workers, the tendency was to breed English Foxhounds without worrying about color, size, coat pattern or texture. As time passed, the aim was focused on a pack of hounds that were tremendous workers and that had a level of quality and resemblance in color, type and size. The coat made the pack uniform in all respects so that members of the pack could be readily identified by their appearance.

As a rule, the English Foxhound should not be relegated to being just a household pet because it is bred for a purpose. It is a good sized hound, accustomed to exercise, work and to live with other hounds. The occasional dog that is chosen as a companion must be well socialized, made to feel that its human family is its pack, and must have a great deal of exercise and attention.

The breed taken as a whole is remarkably healthy. This is mainly because breeders cull out any weak, undersized or shy specimens at an early age.

Its coat is a shiny, hard hound coat, needing normal care and brushing as it tends to shed as the seasons change. The nails of the breed need attention as do its teeth and ears. Hard biscuits usually take care of the tooth tartar problem, and exercise on a hard surface suffices to keep the nails short. Without this the nails of the English Foxhound will need monthly attention.

The breed is handsome, houndy, with great bone and substance. It should have beautiful hard cat feet and a glorious, proudly carried tail (or stern), well furnished on the back with coarse hair. The breed has an appealing head and eye.

There are many hound colors, the most popular being tan marked with black saddle and white trim, though lemon or red with white trim is found equally often. The breed always has a rich, deep mellow voice. Its ears should be left natural or “rounded” shortly after birth.