Those wrinkled faces, those adorable big feet….who can resist a bloodhound puppy? The problem is, that cute puppy will grow, in no time, to be in excess of 100 pounds, and will stand anywhere from 26-30 inches at the shoulder, depending on gender. The cute puppy will turn into the very athletic, very busy teenager, and take a lot of love, patience and training to make a good companion out of him/her. They love to chew, dig and follow those big noses wherever they lead, which can make for some frustrating days as a new bloodhound owner. The old stereotype of the bloodhound snoozing all day on the porch is complete bunk, these dogs are always looking for something to do, and if appropriate activity is not provided, they will gladly improvise! Those wonderful wrinkles of loose skin on those noble faces, can and will fling slimy, sticky slobber up to 10 feet in any direction. They share the traditional hound stubbornness, and will test even experienced owners during any training process. This is no Labrador! Where other more popular breeds are eager to please, the bloodhound is eager to test limits. Not in a malicious way, more like an ornery toddler that never completely grows up. These dogs require a tremendous amount of daily exercise, so a large, fenced in yard is a must. No apartments for these guys. (and no invisible fence either!) Remember, bloodhounds have the most sensitive noses of any dog breed. Humans have about 10 million sensory cells in their noses, the average dog 100 million, the bloodhound 300 million. I have long said, “the nose drags the rest of the dog around.” A simple electric fence, or low fence will not keep that wonderful nose from its born-in mission, and many a dog owner has found out the hard way how fast those long legs can carry that big nose around!

Now having said all that, The bloodhound is a loving, loyal companion. They are good watch dogs, but lousy guard dogs. They will bark and bay at the arrival of their next new friend, but would far more likely drown the intruder with big slimy kisses and cover him with muddy pawprints, than bite. They will consider themselves lapdogs, they love challenges, and lots of family activity. But as a potential owner, you must have a great deal of patience, and a great sense of humor.

I adopted my first bloodhound because she made me laugh. She was intelligent to the point of being scary, and busier than any two-year old. Unfortunately for her, her first family, who purchased her at a mall pet store, had not done their homework and had no idea what she was capable of, and dumped her at the local pound to be euthanized after only having her for one week. She was 4 months old. They weren’t laughing. I adopted her for $50 bucks and had her until her passing recently at the age of 13. She completed obedience school with flying colors, served as my “spokesmodel” for many community and school programs, and completed her Mantrailer title at an American Bloodhound Club field trial at 11.5 years old! The oldest bloodhound on record ever to do so.

If you still think the bloodhound is for you, you have come to the right place.