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Dog connoisseurs immediately see the American Foxhound’s resemblance to its English counterpart, the English Foxhound. However, the American dog is characterized by its longer legs and its overall smaller size and weight.
The American Foxhound is a very hardworking, independent and active dog that prefers to hunt in a group with other dogs. Therefore, he is less suitable as a companion and family dog.
The nevertheless large dog is thus generally more petite and lighter built.
Even from a distance, the American Foxhound can be seen to be in good condition and fast, as indicated by his muscular, sinewy build, with which he reaches between 30 and 34 kg. His back is very strong, but his chest is rather narrow and deep. The head of the dogs is elongated and covered with forward folded, long floppy ears. Its large, friendly eyes are mostly brown and the dog carries its long tail high up.
The coat of the American Foxhound is close lying, dense, harsh and rather short. They are also found and allowed in all colors.
A distinctive feature of the breed is its loud, deep barking, which sounds almost like singing and is clearly recognizable from a distance.
The dogs live between 11 and 13 years.
American Foxhounds are brave and hardworking hunting dogs that are not strongly influenced by humans, because they were bred to run independently and far away from the hunter. They are quite independent from humans and prefer to hunt in a group with other dogs. Although the dogs are headstrong and rather stubborn and stubborn, they are very adaptive and usually comply with the instructions of their masters and mistresses. They are also very stress tolerant and not aggressive. If the American Foxhound is exercised, then he is also a very friendly and balanced dog.
The most important thing to remember when keeping an American Foxhound is that he is a hunting dog through and through. He needs a lot of exercise in nature and an experienced, consistent hand, as well as attention and a lot of time in training.
With a lot of patience and perseverance, the dogs can be accustomed to life as a family dog, but they do not give up their hunting instinct. You should keep this in mind especially when walking, when your dog picks up the scent of rabbits or something similar. Therefore, he can rather not be led without a leash.
The hunting instinct can also cause problems with other pets because he could easily see smaller animals in particular as prey if he is not habituated to them as a puppy.
The American Foxhound should not be kept alone, but always with at least one other dog.
With strange dogs it can happen that he defends his territory, if he is not used to contact. However, he is usually friendly towards strangers.
Although the dogs are rather stubborn in themselves, they are also very willing to learn, provided they are sufficiently exercised. If the Foxhound is given several hours of exercise a day, he can be trained to be obedient with some experience. However, a bored and underchallenged Foxhound can quickly become very exhausting and can sometimes tear up an apartment.
The optimal home for an American Foxhound would be with a professional hunter or huntress and together with other dogs. The dog does not feel comfortable in an apartment. He needs an escape-proof yard where he can romp with his pack.
So keep in mind that American Foxhounds are not the first choice for companion dogs.
Due to the very active lifestyle of the American Foxhound, it is important to feed the dog sufficient and high quality food. Feed with high meat and low grain content is best. Note, however, that should your dog rather little exercise for a while, he should also eat less, because the breed has an above-average tendency to overweight.
The coat care of the American Foxhound is quite trouble-free. Brushing him every now and then should be quite enough. In addition, if you are taking your dog hunting, make sure to check for any injuries. Also check and care for your dog’s ears regularly, as Foxhounds are prone to ear infections .
American Foxhounds are known to have 2 diseases typical of the breed. On the one hand, they are prone to hip dysplasia, which is why you should have your puppy examined by a veterinarian at about 8 months of age. On the other hand, they are prone to thrombocytopenia, a clotting disorder. In both cases, it is advisable to ask the breeder about the dogs’ disease history.
That being said, American Foxhounds are a very hardy breed.
Ancestors of the American Foxhound arrived in the USA in the 17th century, where they were mainly used for hunting and crossed with a wide variety of other hunting dogs. The breed, which was one of the very first in the U.S., finally gained great fame through the first U.S. President George Washington, who was a great fan of the dogs. In the USA, the Foxhounds have a special position until today and are even the State Dog of the State of Virginia. Outside the USA, however, the dogs are rather unknown and also quite rare.
The American Foxhound is a very hardworking, independent and active dog that prefers to hunt in a group with other dogs. Therefore, he is less suitable as a companion and family dog. However, if you appreciate his independence and can keep up with his urge to move and hunt, then the American Foxhound is for you.
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