Bloodhound

The Bloodhound is a large dog bred for the specific purpose of tracking human beings. They are often used by authorities to track escaped prisoners, missing children, or earthquake victims. It is a scenthound, famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. It possesses the keenest sense of smell of any breed of dog, as well as an extremely strong tracking instinct. Bloodhounds are one of the most affectionate and friendly breeds of dog, known as "Gentle Giants."

Appearance
Bloodhounds weigh from 80 to 110 lb (36 to 50 kg) and stand 23 to 27 in. (58 to 69 cm) high at the withers. The acceptable colours for Bloodhounds are black and tan, liver and tan, or red. In the Middle Ages, they also occurred in other solid colours, including white (known as the Talbot Hound), but these no longer occur. The colours appear in other breeds descended from the early Bloodhounds, however. Bloodhounds possess an unusually large skeletal structure; most of their weight is concentrated in their bones, which are very thick for their length. The coat is typical for a scenthound: hard, and composed of fur alone, with no admixture of hair. Bloodhounds tend to be fastidious, and never have to be bathed, although they should be brushed often.

Temperament
This breed is a mellow, cheerful, affectionate dog who is nonetheless tireless in slowly and steadily following a scent. Because of its strong tracking instinct, it can be willful, and somewhat difficult to obedience train. However, with the proper amount of time and effort, this can be achieved.

Bloodhounds are extremely loyal companions, and if separated from their masters for long periods of time are known to mourn and stop feeding as a sign of distress. Affectionate, gentle, and even-tempered, they make excellent family pets but, like any large breed, may require supervision when around small children because of the possibility of knocking them over with their bulk.

Health
Like most large breeds, their life expectancy is only 10 to 12 years.

The Bloodhound is prone to hip dysplasia, and is one of the breeds that is the most frequent victims of bloat. Consequently, Bloodhound groups are attempting to concentrate funds for research into bloat at a small number of veterinary schools, in order to increase the likelihood of obtaining valuable results.

History
The bloodhound was, according to legend, first bred ca. AD 1000 by monks at the St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium. Undoubtedly, its origins do reside in France, home of many of the modern Hound breeds. Its excellent tracking skills were drawn on in breeding other scenthounds, such as the Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many others.

In the American antebellum South, the Bloodhound was frequently used to track runaway slaves, which accounts for the large number of Bloodhounds and breeders still located in that region. Bloodhounds, which are almost always used in a pack, do not attack upon reaching their quarry, as many erroneously believe, but surround him and bay, alerting the searchers.

Miscellaneous
Scenting ability
The Bloodhound's physical characteristics account for its superlative ability to follow a scent trail left several days in the past. Humans constantly shed skin cells, as newer cells replace older ones. Under optimal conditions, a Bloodhound can detect as few as one or two skin cells. Odors are identified by scent receptors in a dog's nasal chambers; the larger the chambers, the greater the dog's ability to detect skin cells. The Bloodhound's nasal chambers are larger than those of most other breeds. The large and long pendent ears serve to prevent wind from scattering nearby skin cells while the dog's nose is on the ground, and the folds of wrinkled flesh under the lips and neck, called the shawl, serve to catch stray scent particles in the air or on a nearby branch as the bloodhound is scenting, reinforcing the scent in the dog's memory and nose.

Since the Bloodhound relies on shed skin cells for its tracking ability, it can only be used to track living people. If searchers are reasonably certain that the target has died (as, after the second day or so, in the World Trade Center attacks), they will use cadaver dogs, frequently German Shepherds.

Origin of name
The name "Bloodhound" comes from careful breeding in the middle ages, resulting in it being known by the 14th century as the "blooded hound" or Bloodhound, hound of noble ancestry.