The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dogs. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.
Description
Appearance
The breed standards’ guidelines for showing English Foxhounds requires them to be 20–27 inches (51–69 cm) tall at the withers. The skull is thick and the muzzle is long. The legs are muscular, straight-boned, and the paws are rounded, almost cat-like. The English Foxhound comes in any hound color, most often tricolor, tan, red, or black with a white base.
Temperament
The English Foxhound is a pack hound, therefore, it gets along well with other dogs and enjoys human companionship. It gets along with horses, children, and other pets, as it is a gentle, social, and tolerant breed. It is an active breed that enjoys tracking foxes and has the stamina to run all day with few breaks.
History
The English Foxhound was created in the late 16th century, as a result of the perception of the depletion of deer in England. Nobles and Royalty had hunted deer for both food and sport, using the Deerhound or Staghound for this purpose. During the reign of Henry VIII, it was perceived that a new prey was needed, and the fox was selected. The English Foxhound was then created by a careful mixing of the Greyhound, for speed, the Fox Terrier, for hunting instinct, and the Bulldog, for tenacity in the hunt.
During the British Raj, English Foxhounds were exported to India for the purpose of jackal coursing, though due to the comparatively hotter weather, they were rarely long-lived. Foxhounds were preferred for this purpose over greyhounds, as the former was not as fast, and could thus provide a longer, more sporting chase.
Studbooks for the English foxhound have been kept since the 18th century. Breeding lines and the work of people involved in breeding hounds are extremely important in the continual development of this working breed. Puppy shows are important events in the hunting calendar and allow the local hunt followers and visiting hound breeders to examine the latest generation from the hound pack. The International Foxhound Association was created in 2012 for the promotion of the English Foxhound as a breed.