St. Hubert Hound; Chien de Saint-Hubert

Classification:

Origin: Belgium

Utilization: Scent hound for large game venery, service dog,  tracking dog and family dog. It was and it must always remain a hound which due to its remarkable sense of smell is foremost a leash hound, often used not only to follow the trail of wounded game as in the blood scenting trials but also to seek out missing people in police operations. Due to its functional construction, the Bloodhound is endowed with great endurance and also an exceptional nose which allows it to follow a trail over a long distance and difficult terrain without problems.

Description:Large scent hound and excellent leash hound, with very ancient antecedents. For centuries it has been known and appreciated for its exceptional nose and its great talent for the hunt. It was bred in the Ardennes by the monks of the Abbaye de Saint-Hubert. It is presumed to descend from black or black and tan hounds hunting in packs which were used in the 7th century by the monk Hubert, who was later made a bishop and who when canonised became the patron saint of hunters. These big scent hounds spread throughout the Ardennes, due to the presence of large game, sheltering in the widespread forests of the region. These Saint- Hubert hounds were famed for their robustness and their endurance, especially when hunting wild boar.The first Saint-Hubert hounds were black but later black and tan was also to be found. In the 11^th century these dogs were imported into England by William the Conqueror. At the same time, dogs of the same type but with an all-white coat, called Talbots, were also introduced there.
In England the imported dogs provided the basic root stock. The progeny of these Bloodhounds received their name as a derivation of " blooded hound " which means a dog of pure blood, therefore a pure-bred.
Subsequently the breed was also developed in the United States of America. In the Southern States especially, these dogs were used for hunting runaway slaves.
Large-sized hound and massive leash hound, the most powerful of all the scent hounds. It is harmonious in its lines, endowed with strong bone, good muscle and a lot of substance, but without ever appearing heavy. It is long in structure, fitting into a rectangle. The overall appearance is imposing and full of nobility. Its attitude is solemn. The head and neck attract attention because of their abundant, supple and thin skin, hanging in deep folds. Its movement is impressive, rather slow and with a certain rolling gait but lithe, elastic and free. No characteristic should be so exaggerated as to destroy the harmony of the whole, to give an over-done appearance or even less to harm the health or well-being of the dog.
Among possible exaggerations should be mentioned eyes which are too deep set or too small; distended eyelids; too much and too loose skin with too many and too deep folds; too much dewlap; too narrow a head. Dogs which are too big, with bodies too heavy or too massive, are equally undesirable because this impedes their function.
This breed is more than one thousand years old. It was perfected, not created, by monks of St. Hubert in Belgium. Later the dogs were brought by the Normans into England and then to the United States. It is also known as the Flemish Hound. Throughout the world, breeds such as the American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, Brazilian Fila Brasileiro, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many others trace their lineage back to this ancient scent tracker. Today, all Bloodhounds are black & tan, or red, but in the Middle Ages they occurred in other solid colors. The white variety, which existed in medieval Europe, was called the Talbot Hound. By the 1600's, this strain had died out as a breed, although its genes continue in dogs as diverse as white Boxers and tri-colored Basset Hounds. The Bloodhound thrives on the hunt rather than the kill. It revels in tracking and has been used to hunt animals, criminals, runaway slaves, and lost children. Today this plodding, sonorously voiced breed is both tracker and companion. Although affable in temperament, it is not easy to obedience train.
The Bloodhound is a very powerful, massive hound with a long muzzle, drooping ears, and loose, wrinkled skin. His jowls and handing skin give the Bloodhound a rather mournful, dignified expression. The neck is very well muscled and has pendulous dewlap. Its back is extraordinarily strong for the dog's size. Powerful shoulders allow the dog to work for long hours without a break. The forelegs are straight, solid and muscular and the skull is very high and prominent. The tail is carried in an elegant curve above the topline of the back. The eyes are set deeply in their sockets. The lower lids of the eyes fall away to reveal part of the inner surface. It has a black nose that sits on the tip of the long muzzle. The folds of the skin are said to aid in holding scent particles. A short, fairly hard coat of hair covers the body. The hair is softer on the skull and ears. The coat is easy to care for with a hound's glove and comes in black & tan, liver & tan, and red & tawny.

History:

Behavior/Temperament:
The Bloodhound is a kind, patient, noble, mild-mannered and lovable dog. Gentle, affectionate and excellent with children. This is truly a good natured companion. These dogs are so good-natured that they will lie there and meekly let children clamber all over them. This breed loves all the attention they receive from children. To be fare to your Bloodhound, make sure your children do not pester or hurt the dog, because Bloodhounds will sit there and take it, which would not be fare to the dog. Very energetic outdoors and boisterous when young, determined and independent. It needs firm, but gentle training. This breed tends towards willfulness. The new owner of a Bloodhound will need to have plenty of patience and to possess great tact for training to succeed. The most important consideration is to be consistent - these dogs know full well how successfully they can get around with a pathetic look and make use of it to get their own way. Do not expect too much by way of obedience from this dog - they are naturally gentle animals but they do have minds of their own and will often make their own decisions rather than following your orders. Males go through puberty in-between the age of 1 and 2 years. They can be quite a handful at that time, but after age 2, with the proper training, stimulation and consistency, they are wonderful dogs. Some Bloodhounds can be timid. Sensitive, gentle and shy, a Bloodhound becomes devoted to its master and gets along well with people. It is rarely vicious, although they can be aggressive with dogs of the same sex. This dog loves everyone and some will greet wanted and unwanted visitors happily. Others do not welcome unwanted guests. They can be protective of their domain, if no one is home, but out on a trail, they will welcome anyone. Some will bark and let you know when strangers are around. They can live in harmony with other dogs and household pets. Bloodhounds have a tendency to howl, snore, and drool a lot. He may sniff inappropriately or wander off on the trail of an interesting scent. Bloodhounds are able to follow any scent, even human - a rare ability in a dog. This breed has been said to successfully follow trails over 100 hours old. He is so determined that he has been known to stay with the trail for over 100 miles. The Bloodhound is such a sure tracker that the breed is used worldwide for rescue and criminal searches. The Bloodhound's evidence is admissible in the court of law. One Bloodhound brought about 600 criminal arrests and convictions. Bloodhounds can never be kept in an unfenced yard. Instinct will always get them wandering off on some trail. 90% of Bloodhounds cannot even be walked off leash. They flee, and when they get on a scent, instinct drives them to find the end of the trail.
Gentle, placid, kind and sociable with people. Particularly attached to its owner. Tolerant of kennel companions and other domestic animals. Somewhat reserved and stubborn. Just as sensitive to compliments as to corrections. Never aggressive. Its voice is deep but it rarely barks.

Coat: On the body , the close-lying hair is short, dense, quite harsh and weatherproof. On the head and ears the hair is very short and soft to the touch. The underside of the tail is furnished with hair a little longer and coarser.

Colour: There are three distinct coat colours : the bicolours black and tan and liver and tan and the unicolour red.
Among black and tan dogs the amount of black varies, according to whether it is a mantle or a saddle. In a dog with a mantle, black is predominant : the tan ( fawn ) is only found on the muzzle, the cheeks, above the eyes , on the forechest, on the limbs and the anal region. A dog with a saddle has a greater expanse of tan because the black is more or less limited to the dorsal region. The same positioning of coloured zones is to be found in the bicoloured liver and tan. The colours are not always clearly stated nor distinctly defined. In the darker areas, it is possible to find them interspersed with lighter or badger hairs. Such a mixture of different coloured hairs is allowed. For the unicoloured red, the red can vary from light red to dark red. A washed-out tan for bicolours or red for unicolours is not sought after .

A little white on the forechest, on the toes and at the tip of the tail is tolerated without being sought after. 

Height: Dogs 25-27 inches (63-69cm) Bitches 23-25 inches (58-63cm)
Weight: Dogs 90-110 pounds (41-50kg) Bitches 80-100 pounds (36-45kg)

Activity:

Living Conditions:

Health: This breed is prone to bloat. You should feed two or three small meals a day instead of one large one. Avoid exercise after meals. Some suffer from stomach cramps. Prone to hip dysplasia and ear infections. A padded bed is recommended to avoid calluses on the joints. Some tend to get entropion, where the eyelids turn inward.

Life Expectancy: About 10-12 years

Grooming: The smooth, shorthaired coat is easy to groom. Groom with a hound glove, and bathe only when necessary. A rub with a rough towel or chamois will leave the coat gleaming. Clean the long, floppy ears regularly. Bloodhounds have a distinctive doggy odor, which is offensive to some people. This breed is an average shedder.

Good with children: yes
Good with dogs: yes
Good with other pets: yes