Considering A Bloodhound, What You Should Know
​​​​​​​​​The Kennel Club has recently recommended that Bloodhounds are screened under the KC/BVA Hip and Elbow scheme before breeding from them so you should ask the Breeder for the test results of both parents for the following recommended screening processes.
Click the following links to open the KC information pages on the relevant tests:
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Other tests that responsible breeders like to undertake include
Heart testing and DM testing (Degenerative myelopathy):​
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You can look up the health tests for any KC registered Bloodhound here:
"Why A Bloodhound?"
is The first question most breeders will ask you, as this is not a breed to be taken on lightly.
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Bloodhounds are not the most obedient of dogs, mainly because they are ruled by their noses. This doesn’t mean they are totally un-trainable (and therefore there is no point trying), it merely means they require considerably more patience from their handler. They live in a world we cannot begin to understand-the world of scent. Their first instinct is to identify and follow scents though this may sometimes take them in quite the opposite direction to that of your choice. If you respect and admire this ability you are more than halfway to joining the Bloodhound fraternity.
Their coat care is minimal, a regular polish with a soft brush and occasional bath will keep them gleaming, they do however, have the habit in common with most breeds of dog, of shedding hair from time to time.
If you are excessively appearance, garden or house proud, they are not the breed for you.
The ‘slobber’ is even more of a problem than the hair. . A good shake of a Bloodhounds magnificent head can send a slobber missile fifteen feet or more. What goes up must come down- unless it sticks to your furniture, clothing or the ceiling -and forms a stalactite.
If by now you are not searching for the address of your nearest Chihuahua breeder, read on – our breed has much to commend
In temperament Bloodhounds are considered to be natures
Gentlemen, courteous to humans and other dogs and extremely
sensitive to their owners’ feelings.
They require a couple of hours minimum of daily exercise and are not
a breed that should be left home alone to its own devices.
They tend to be lifelong chewers of furniture and
When they bay it is melodious and doesn’t last for
long……but your neighbours may not agree!
Bloodhounds are a large breed - much larger than most people
imagine.
The males are approximately 27”at the shoulder (withers),
sometimes taller, which means they can (and will) steal from a table
(29”) without needing to lift one foot off the floor. They are heavy,
males weigh at least 8 stones, often much more.
Being so large theynaturally need a large amount of food, which is not cheap: keeping
just one hound you would probably need to budget about£30 per
week for food and insurance etc.
They carry their tails (called sterns) high and
wag them often hard and strong enough to clear your lowest
shelves of all those priceless ornaments!
Their ears (called leathers)
are long and heavy, almost always wet or sticky or both, from being
dipped in their food and water bowls, and covered in dirt from
sweeping the ground. An old towel (we call them slobber cloths )
becomes your constant appendage to wipe their mouths and ears,
and the clothing etc. of your guests.
Bloodhounds can fall ill from most of the canine ailments that
affect any breed, but they do, because of their physical
construction, appear particularly susceptible to gastric torsion.
This is a twisting of the gut that causes the hound great distress,
and unless veterinary help is immediately called, is usually fatal
This is commonly known in the breed as “bloat”, and all breeders
And owners are constantly on guard to watch for signs. Many of the larger breeds suffer from this.
Their ears need to be kept clean internally. Because of the length and weight of the ears, sometimes air cannot get to the inside and they need to be regularly cleaned
Bloodhound eyes are, despite their appearance, remarkably free of most of the diseases that can affect canine eyes, but they do occasionally suffer from entropion (an in-turning of the lids causing rubbing on the eye). This is an inherited condition which, due to the efforts of breeders, has been largely bred out.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A BREEDER ?
Firstly, to be interrogated about yourself, your home and your lifestyle before you even meet the breeder. To see the puppies with their dam and to be expected to visit and meet the breeder at least once.
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Request information on health testing of the parents, which should include BVA hip and elbow scoring, and ideally BVA heart testing, DM testing and eye testing.
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At the time of buying the puppy, to be given the pedigree, a diet sheet, a receipt, and the KC registration (not always possible) along with a compre-hensive puppy pack and a full and legally binding contract.
Finally, a good responsible breeder will support you with lifelong on-going help with advice on feeding, showing, trialling and general health.
Another thing to consider is the amount of potential “Inbreeding"
We are fortunate that the KC have a marvellous tool online where you can check the COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding).
This tool calculates the probability that two copies of a gene variant have been inherited from an ancestor common to both the mother and the father. The lower the degree of inbreeding, the lower the inbreeding coefficient. Here you can not only check the COI of individual dogs but also hypothetically the COI of a potential mating, and all breeders should be using this tool. It also allows potential puppy buyers to check out the COI of puppies online by inputting the parents names.
Responsible breeders should be pleased to help you with this.
The current COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding) in bloodhounds, according to the Kennel Club data is 10.00%. and they recommend that any mating produces litters with a COI that is at or LOWER than the breed average. You can find out more here:
Understanding "Inbreeding"
Bloodhound Health is our priority
For full information on bloodhound health please visit the Joint health Scheme websitehttps://www.bloodhoundhealth.com/