Foxhound

For other uses of the word Foxhound, see Foxhound (disambiguation).

An American Foxhound

A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, great energy, and, like all scent hounds, a keen sense of smell. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on horseback—by the hunters, sometimes for several miles at a stretch; moreover, foxhounds also sometimes guard sheep and houses.

There are different breeds of foxhound, each often called simply Foxhound in their native countries:

• American Foxhound
• English Foxhound
• Dumfriesshire Foxhound
• Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound
• Welsh Hound

The American Masters of Foxhounds Association recognizes these breeds of foxhounds: American, Penn-Marydel, English, and Crossbred foxhounds.

Registrations

In 2005, the American Kennel Club reported that the English and American Foxhounds were their least and fourth least registered breeds in North America with 22 and 44 registrations, respectively; the top registered breed, the Labrador Retriever, had 137,867 registrations during the same year.

Notable foxhounds

• Old Drum - said to have been the inspiration for the phrase "Man's Best Friend" which arose from an 1870 court case regarding him.
• Mountain and Muse - In 1814 the Duke of Leeds gave two Irish foxhounds, Mountain and Muse, to a visiting guest, Bolton Jackson. This famous pair of hounds changed hands several times before going to Charles Carroll at his Homewood estate. Descendants of Mountain and Muse still hunt territories in Maryland that were once hunted by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Carroll and the Marquis de Lafayette.

See also

• Anglo-Français and Français (hound)

External links

• Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, US
• Masters of Foxhounds Association, UK
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