The English Foxhounds are sturdy hounds, adapted for long-term pursuit of prey and suitable for furious work. They are rarely seen in city parks, so it’s not surprising that many of you have never heard of them. In today's publication, we will talk about the main features of these animals.
Origin
These animals have a very long and rather complicated story. According to one version, they came from the bloodhounds and were brought to England during the Norman invasion in 1066. According to another theory, they were bred by British breeders in the XVI century specifically for the destruction of foxes. According to this version, old southern hounds specializing in deer hunting were used to obtain the English Foxhound breed. They were crossed with different species of northern greyhound. It is possible that high-speed greyhounds were also used to breed new dogs.
In the XVII century, the fruits of British selection were imported into the United States and aroused genuine interest among local breeders. In 1909, the breed was officially recognized by the American Dog Club and quickly spread throughout the world.
Specialization
The English Foxhound, whose photo is posted in today's publication, is a very hardy and active working dog. It is ideal for a long chase after a rabbit, hare or fox. The Americans and the British use it for horseback riding and hunting. If it is not possible to use these dogs for their intended purpose, they will become excellent partners in long cycling and hiking trips. You can also take them hunting on an artificial trail.
Breed description
The English Foxhound is a fairly large dog, whose height is 53-63 cm, and the mass reaches 29-34 kg. On the elongated cheekbone head with a flat forehead, a well-defined occipital tubercle and strong jaws, oval dark eyes and long hanging ears are located.
The graceful elongated neck of the animal flows smoothly into the protruding withers, a straight strong back and a moderately sloping croup, ending with the base of a lowered saber tail. A lean, stretched body with well-developed muscle tissue is covered with a fairly short smooth awn with a rare undercoat. As for the color, it can be tricolor, pinto and black.
Character Features
English Foxhound - a pack of dogs that can’t tolerate loneliness. Prolonged separation from the owners and limited ability to communicate with other dogs can cause destructive behavior. This friendly and temperamental animal enjoys playing with children and does not show caution to strangers. The dog greets the guests with a loud welcome bark, so you need to immediately wean him from this habit.
As the Fox instincts have highly developed hunting instincts, they can conflict with their kinsmen and chase street cats. Therefore, in crowded places they need to be kept on a strong short leash.
Maintenance and care
The temperamental and moving English Foxhound is absolutely not adapted to life in a city apartment. It is desirable to keep such a dog in a private house with a spacious fenced area and a large insulated aviary. The dog should have the opportunity to run around freely in order to throw out the accumulated energy. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly export it to fields or parks. Any representative of this breed will be happy to accompany the hosts on morning runs or bike rides.
In general, Foxhound is a fairly unpretentious dog that does not require special care. You need to bathe it as it gets dirty using special shampoos. In addition, you need to regularly clean his coat with a brush-glove or rubber scraper. The hanging ears of an animal require no less attention. If they are not timely released from accumulated dirt and dust, then an infection may begin to develop in them. In addition, you need to trim the dog's claws as necessary.
Parenting and training
Representatives of this breed are very stubborn and masterful creatures. Therefore, education should begin from the first days of the appearance of an English Foxhound puppy in your home. After a little doggie adapts to a new place, it can be accustomed to a nickname. As soon as he remembers his name and begins to joyfully run to the owner’s call, it is necessary to complicate the task and gradually introduce the main commands. The first lessons are held in a playful way, and their duration does not exceed fifteen minutes. Otherwise, a tired puppy will quickly lose interest in the process and begin to be distracted.
It is important that training is consistent and systematic. And it should be based on the principle of positive reinforcement. In the process of upbringing, it is strictly forbidden to resort to physical punishment of the dog, since cruelty does not contribute to the establishment of close contact between the owner and his ward.
Health
English foxhounds are strong animals. They have excellent health and are not prone to any specific diseases. But their body can sometimes fail. Occasionally, they are diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, thyroid dysfunction, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and vision and kidney problems.
To maintain the health of your pet, you need to regularly receive routine vaccinations and not neglect preventive visits to the veterinarian. It is also worthwhile to timely conduct deworming and treatment from external parasites. Since fleas, ticks and worms are carriers of many dangerous diseases.
Feeding recommendations
The health of a dog is affected not only by genetics, but also by what it eats. Therefore, any responsible owner of the English Foxhound should take care of a balanced diet of his pet. You can feed such an animal with both industrial and natural food. In the first case, you should purchase products manufactured by trusted manufacturers that have proven themselves in the global market. Dry food should be super-premium or holistic-class. Since only in this case you can be completely sure that your pet eats full-fledged food, which contains all the vital vitamins and minerals.
Those who prefer natural products should remember that the basis of the dog's diet should be meat (beef, turkey, chicken or lamb). Also, the menu of the animal can be varied with a small amount of vegetables, cereals, fish, offal and sour milk. From the list of allowed components, tubular bones, chocolate, sweets, smoked meats, pickles, legumes and bakery products should be excluded.
Owner reviews
People who were lucky enough to become owners of the English Foxhounds assure that they are beautiful animals with a good-natured character and an active temperament. They are very cheerful, sociable, affectionate with children and absolutely non-aggressive to outsiders.
At the same time, experienced owners draw the attention of newcomers to the fact that the Foxhounds are prone to immoderate barking, are hostile to other animals and are not suitable for keeping in city apartments. These dogs do not need special care and do not require special nutrition. They have good health and a well-developed hunting instinct.