Dog Breeds 101: English Foxhound

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The sweet and active English Foxhound is a dog that has been carefully bred in Britain for hundreds of years. When raised and socialized properly, the dogs make loving house pets even if they were originally bred to be hunters of large game. The average height of the breed is 22 to 26 inches tall and weighs between 60 to 75 pounds. [1]

During the late 16th century, hunting was a popular sport among nobles and royalty and they used the Deerhounds and the Staghounds as hunting companions. However, the deer population significantly went down in England during the reign of Henry VIII so the hunters decided to select the fox as their new prey and thus, they needed a new hound to accompany them also. The English Foxhound was created by mixing together the Greyhound for speed, the Fox Terrier for sharp hunting instincts and the Bulldog for tenacity. This breed has been around for a long time as studbooks for the English Foxhound has been kept since the 18th century. Lord Fairfax is the one who imported the first pack of English Foxhounds to the United States in 1738 and those dogs contributed to the development of the American Foxhound breed. [2]

This breed is friendly and considered to be generally good with children. This athletic and energetic dog is happiest when there is plenty of room to run so it does not do well living in an apartment. The English Foxhound is known for its tremendous endurance; it can walk and patrol the countryside for many hours without stopping. The English Foxhound has a passion for hunting and if it catches a scent, it will do everything to find the source prompting it to wander. This dog can be quite vocal and it just loves to bark and bay all day. However, this behavior can be corrected through early and consistent training. [3]