The Sense of Smelling: American Foxhound By Jeff Nenadic At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

When Robert Brooke came to America from Britain in the year 1650, he brought along with him some hunting dogs, of which the American foxhound was one. The birth of American Foxhounds actually came from this group of hunt dogs. The Scent hound which is the other name of English foxhound is said to be the cousin of this breed. This breed of American Foxhounds, were categorized into two, one as individuals, who were wonderful as show dogs. And the other as a group, and these groups came to use during fox hunts. These dogs can also be called as hunt dogs, as they have a very sharp smelling sense. As these dogs have wonderful coat, they are mostly used as show dogs in competitions. It is advised that you use hand gloves to brush their hair regularly. They can be colored with any kind of combination using the colors tan, black and white.

Generally, these dogs are fed with pudding, which is nothing but mashed oatmeal and horse meat. As they are known to become active one day before the actual hunt, they are literally starved that day. If you have an American foxhound as your pet, then the best meal you can provide him with is dry dog food of about 5 cups, or about one and half a can filled with any kind of meat product, these products are easily available at pet stores.

The height of this breed is somewhere between 21 to 25 inches and weighs around 65-75 pounds. But, the breeds which are participate as show dogs are large. This is simply because the diet given to these show dogs are different when compared to the others.

This breed of dogs is extremely smart, so you have to keep an eye on them, when they are close to gates and fences. They are very quick in learning techniques to open gates, so that they can go out and wander. As they are very shrewd in smelling things, if they get in contact with any kind of scent, that is all they will concentrate on. It is because of this reason that, training becomes very difficult for you. Once they get hold of the scent of the smell, they will keep following the smell, so it is better, that you have them on their leash. You will not be taken aback, even if you see him following the smell in a major intersection at a traffic signal, which is obviously dangerous.

If you own an American foxhound, you should be full of energy. And you should give lots of tolerance and time during training. As these dogs are born energetic, you should give them many exercises so that they get over this extra energy. In spite of being a very energetic and highly strung dog, they make a fabulous and affectionate pet, to be grown at home. This dog can become very destructive, if you do not spend enough time with him. They can very easily scratch your doors and throw your things apart.

If you have children at home, then you have to watch your American foxhound very carefully. Not that, they are not friendly with kids, but their energy level will not match the young children. There are chances, that these might hurt your kids. This is the only drawback with having this dog breed as pets. And make sure, they are not left indoors alone for a very long time.

Foxhounds hates commands, they are independent by nature, and just cannot comply any kind of training given to them. Despite of being independent, they love strangers, so if you are using this dog as a watch dog, then you are doing a big mistake. You will not be surprised to see the dog treat even a stranger as a part of your family.

The most energetic dog breed is the American foxhound. So it is a must that you give them enough exercises, like throwing the ball and asking him to fetch and taking him for a long walk. They are best suited as a house pet for the elderly and disabled as they are highly active.

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