Bloodhound
The Bloodhound is a large dog , KABARDIN AND KARABAKH Horse 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 , Uromastyx of dog, , Frogs as well as an extremely strong tracking instinct. Bloodhounds are one of the most affectionate and friendly breeds , Basset Hound of dog, , Irish Horse 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 , Ragdoll for Bloodhounds are black and tan, liver and tan, or red. In the Middle Ages, they also occurred in other solid colours, , Field Spaniel including white (known as the Talbot Hound), but these no longer occur. The colours , American Curl appear in other breeds , Narragansett Pacer 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 , Redbone Coonhound 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 , Norwegian Forest Cat is a mellow, cheerful, affectionate dog , German Shepherd 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, , Norwegian Forest Cat and even-tempered, they make excellent family , Norwegian Forest Cat pets but, like any large breed, , American Quarter Horse may require supervision when around small children because of the possibility of knocking them over with their bulk.
Health Like most large breeds, , Bashkir Horse their life expectancy is only 10 to 12 years.
The Bloodhound is prone to hip dysplasia, and is one of the breeds , Narragansett Pacer 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. , TRAKEHNER Horse 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 , Kiger Mustang 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. , Fox Terrier or Foxy The large and long pendent ears , Anglo-Arabian horse 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, , Bearded Collie 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. |