Bassets are a sub- type of scenthound deliberately bred with short legs, that are used for hunting where the hunters accompany the hunting hounds on foot.
97-571: Bassets were originally developed in France from where they spread throughout Europe and the world. The name basset is derived from the French word bas which means low, a reference to their stature. It is believed bassets were bred from Saint Hubert-type hounds, with breeders taking advantage of a genetic mutation resulting in short legs to develop smaller statured, deep scenting hounds. These short-legged hounds were deliberately bred to allow hunters to accompany
194-402: A produces the blanket or full-coated hound. Of these A is dominant, and a is recessive to the others. The interaction of these variants of the two genes produces the six basic types shown below. Another source does not recognise a as a separate variant. Instead, it says "a includes tan point and saddle tan, both of which look tan point at birth. Modifier genes in saddle tan puppies cause
291-408: A "full coat" or a "cheerful attitude", descriptions found in breed standards, can be learned different. Judges are generally certified to judge one or several breeds, usually in the same group , but a few "all-breed" judges can judge a large number of breeds. Dogs compete at dog shows to earn points or certification towards championship titles. The Kennel Club (UK) system, which is also used by
388-447: A 'blanket' black and tan (see the section on colour types above). To De Fouilloux, the 'pure black' was the best of this mixed breed. Both writers thought them only useful as leash hounds. They both refer to a white hound, also a St. Hubert, which by their time had disappeared, having been interbred with another white hound, the greffier, to produce the king's preferred pack hound, sometimes called le chien blanc du roi , "the white dog of
485-691: A Grand Championship, 20 points are needed with two "majors". Next is the Grand Excellent Championship which may be awarded to dogs who accumulate 100 points and have won at least one Best in the show. Region is not a factor in determining points for a win in Canada—the point schedule is the same across the country. In Colombia , dog shows are maintained and organised by the Association Colombian Kennel Club (Asociacion Club Canino Colombiano) . Their conformation shows follow
582-450: A breed's individual breed standard . Dog shows can be in the means of evaluating dogs for breeding purposes. A conformation championship from a recognised national kennel club is generally considered as an indication of merit. Many breeders consider championships a prerequisite for breeding. Some critics argue that the shows can encourage selective breeding of traits and lower genetic diversity . The first modern conformation dog show
679-520: A cross to a Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound into his Peak Bloodhounds. Generally, masters of Bloodhounds since then maintain a level of out-cross breeding in their packs to improve speed and agility, while retaining Bloodhound type. These packs hunt the clean boot and are followed by a field on horseback. Grafton was the Bloodhound in Landseer's famous painting Dignity and Impudence . Both dogs in
776-402: A family member whom the puppy sees walk away, at first remaining visible, and later going out of sight. Even though familiar with the scent of the 'runner', the dog can be given a scent article to sniff, and given the command to follow. The dog can also be introduced to the tracking harness, which is put on just before the trail starts, and removed as soon as it is finished. On reaching the runner,
873-508: A few deer parks and by a few enthusiasts, with some variation in type, until its popularity began to increase again with the rise of dog shows in the 19th century. Numbers, however, have remained low in Britain. Very few survived the Second World War , but the gene pool has gradually been replenished with imports from America. Nevertheless, because of UK quarantine restrictions, importing
970-457: A good distance away from the actual footsteps of the quarry, which can enable them to cut corners and reach the end of the trail more quickly. In America, sticking close to the footsteps is called 'tracking', while the freer method is known as 'trailing' (in the UK, 'hunting'), and is held to reflect the Bloodhound's concentration on the individual human scent, rather than that of, say, vegetation crushed by
1067-487: A gradual reduction of the black area until the saddle tan pattern is achieved." 'Tan point' refers to the blanket type from the typical tan eyebrows, muzzle, and socks. It is likely that a third gene determines whether or not there is a melanistic mask . E , the allele for a mask, is dominant over E, the allele for no mask. Compared to other purebred dogs, Bloodhounds suffer an unusually high rate of gastrointestinal ailments, with gastric dilatation volvulus (bloat) being
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#17328584864911164-722: A hound inherits the black allele (variant) from either parent, it has a black nose, eye rims, and paw pads, and if it has a saddle, it is black. The other allele suppresses black pigment and is recessive, so it must be inherited from both parents. It produces liver noses, eye rims, paw pads, and saddles. The second gene determines the coat pattern. It can produce animals with no saddle (essentially all-tan, but called 'red' in Bloodhounds), ones with saddle-marking, or ones largely covered with darker (black or liver) pigment, except for tan lips, eyebrows, forechest, and lower legs. These last are sometimes referred to as 'blanket' or 'full-coat' types. In
1261-472: A hunting hound go back to medieval books on hunting. All dogs used in the hunting field were 'gentle', that is of good breeding (not necessarily pure breeding), and parents were carefully chosen to maintain and improve conformation . In 1896, making some use of wording found in earlier descriptions, Edwin Brough and Dr. J. Sidney Turner published Points and Characteristics of the Bloodhound or Sleuth-Hound . This
1358-595: A life expectancy of 9.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . In a 2004 Kennel Club survey the most common cause of death was gastric dilatation volvulusat 34%, the second leading cause of death in the study was cancer, at 27%. The St. Hubert Hound was, according to legend, first bred ca. AD 1000 by monks at the Saint-Hubert Monastery in Belgium; its likely origins are in France, home of many of modern hounds . It
1455-497: A pack, because each liked to follow the scent on his own. Eventually, many were sold to Le Couteulx de Canteleu and taken to France. Around the start of the 20th century, several packs existed briefly, following either deer, or the 'clean boot' – individual human scent without any enhancement such as animal blood or aniseed. Since the Second World War there have been several packs, including that of Eric Furness, who introduced
1552-420: A pioneering study in 1969, Dennis Piper suggested five alleles in the pattern-marking gene, producing variants from the red or saddleless hound through three different types of progressively greater saddle marking to the 'blanket' type. However, more modern study attributes the variation to three different alleles of the agouti gene . A produces the non saddle-marked "red" hound, A produces saddle-marking, and
1649-468: A quite different layout and wording. The AKC standard has hardly been altered from the original of 1896, the principal change being that the colours, 'black and tan', 'red and tan', and 'tawny', have been renamed as 'black and tan', 'liver and tan', and 'red', but the British KC has made considerable changes. Some of these were simply matters of presentation and did not affect content. However, responding to
1746-433: A scent article which has not been handled by anyone in the area, so that the hound will learn to indicate to a handler that the required scent is not there. If the hound is becoming discouraged they can revert to simpler tasks to recover enthusiasm. Canine identification of a suspect can help police with their inquiries, and evidence of identification is accepted in some courts. The most approved method of identification
1843-429: A scent hound, is hard and composed of fur alone, with no admixture of hair. This breed is reported to be gentle and is tireless when following a scent. Because of its strong tracking instinct, it can be willful and somewhat difficult to obedience train and handle on a leash. Bloodhounds are known to have an affectionate and even-tempered nature to humans, with them considered to be excellent family pets. Up to at least
1940-452: A special reward from the carcass. It also seems that from the earliest times the Bloodhound was used to track people. There are stories written in medieval Scotland of Robert the Bruce (in 1307), and William Wallace (1270–1305) being followed by 'sleuth hounds'. Whether true or not, these stories show that the sleuth hound was already known as a man-trailer, and it later becomes clear that
2037-425: A test showing they will not bother livestock, especially sheep. Special prizes are on offer for identification and voice ('speaking to the line'). The best hounds may be invited to take part in special stakes, the most difficult being 3 miles long, 24 hours cold. The medieval Bloodhound was not primarily a pack hound, but a leash hound, though there may have been packs in different places or at different times. Up to
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#17328584864912134-520: Is a large scent hound , originally bred for hunting deer , wild boar , rabbits , and since the Middle Ages , for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium , in French it is called, le chien de Saint-Hubert . This breed is famed for its ability to discern human scent over great distances, even days later. Its extraordinarily keen sense of smell
2231-405: Is a show which requires dogs to be on display in an assigned location ( show bench ) during the entirety of the show, except when being shown in the ring, groomed for showing, or taken outside to eliminate. The purpose is for spectators and breeders to have an opportunity to see all the entered dogs. In the more common unbenched shows, dogs are required to be present only at assigned ring times. In
2328-401: Is among the most impressive of hound voices. When hunting in a pack, they are expected to be in full cry. They are more likely to 'give tongue,' 'throw their tongue,' or 'speak' when hunting in a pack than when hunting singly, and more when hunting free than when on the leash. The quality of 'speaking to the line', that is giving tongue when on the correct scent while remaining silent when off it,
2425-730: Is combined with a strong and tenacious tracking instinct, producing the ideal scent hound, and it is used by police and law enforcement all over the world to track escaped prisoners, missing people, and lost pets. Bloodhounds weigh from 36 to 72 kg (80 to 160 lbs). They are 58 to 70 cm (23 to 27 inches) tall at the withers . According to the AKC standard for the breed, larger dogs are preferred by conformation judges. Acceptable colors for bloodhounds are black, liver, and red. Bloodhounds possess an unusually large skeletal structure with most of their weight concentrated in their bones, which are very thick for their length. The coat, typical for
2522-406: Is for the hound to jump up, and place its paws on the subject's chest. In the case of a lost person or a known fugitive identification will not be significant, and in the case of a potentially violent, possibly armed, fugitive, a Bloodhound handler will not want their dog to approach the quarry for fear of injury to the Bloodhound. Many Bloodhounds reaching the end of a trail will show no interest in
2619-415: Is held to be the ancestor of several other breeds, like the extinct Norman Hound , and Saintongeois , and the modern Grand Bleu de Gascogne , Gascon Saintongeois , Ariegeois and Artois Normande , as well as the Bloodhound. It has been suggested that it was a dog of mixed breeding , not at all uniform in type. Whether they originated there, or what their ancestry was, is uncertain, but from ca. 1200,
2716-426: Is led along the 'trail', and if they show an inclination to go to the wrong person, they are chastised, but they get the liver if they go to the right one. When the hound goes to the right person almost infallibly, the number of people is increased, making the choice more difficult, and eventually the brief walks are extended into full trails. A common misconception is that Bloodhounds are employed in packs; while this
2813-402: Is not found before the late 18th century. Before then, 'bloodhound' had been taken to mean, 'hound for blood', or 'blood-seeking hound'. This was the explanation put forward by John Caius, who was one of the most learned men of his time, and had an interest in etymology, in the 16th century. It is supported by considerable historical linguistic evidence, which can be gleaned from such sources as
2910-571: Is not known. Bloodhounds were used to track runaway slaves before the American Civil War , but it has been questioned whether the dogs used were genuine Bloodhounds. However, in the later part of the 19th century, and in the next, more pure Bloodhounds were introduced from Britain and bred in America, especially after 1888, when the English breeder, Edwin Brough, brought three of his hounds to exhibit at
3007-460: Is sometimes the case in Britain, where foxhound blood is mixed into them to increase speed, in North America, Bloodhounds are used as solitary trackers. When they are on a trail, they are usually silent and do not give voice as do other scent hounds. The original use of the Bloodhound as a leash-hound, to find but not disturb animals, would require silent trailing. Nevertheless, the Bloodhound bay
Basset - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-490: Is valued in British Bloodhound circles, on aesthetic grounds and because it makes it very easy to 'read' the hound's tracking behaviour. As a result, special trophies for speaking to the correct line are on offer at British working trials (where hounds hunt singly), although rarely awarded. Bloodhound Working Trials, first held in 1898, take place in Britain four times a year, under Kennel Club rules, organised by either
3201-539: Is very big, from 69 cm to 80 cm (27½–31½in) high. This does not accord with the 16th century descriptions of the St. Hubert given above, nor with the FCI standard, but the idea that the St. Hubert is much bigger (up to 91.5 cm, 36 in) than the Bloodhound persisted well into the 20th century, even among some St. Hubert enthusiasts. When the first Bloodhounds were exported to the US
3298-565: The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED ): the fact that first uses of the word 'blood' to refer to good breeding in an animal postdate the first use of 'bloodhound'; that other comparable uses, as in 'blood horse' and 'blood stock' appear many centuries later; and that derogatory uses of the word 'bloodhound', which any suggestion of noble breeding would sadly weaken, appear from as early as c. 1400. Other early sources tell us that hounds were supposed to have an interest in blood, and that
3395-540: The AKC and some other kennel clubs , as they thought that the introduction of their breeds to the show ring would lead to decreasing numbers of working dogs with adequate qualities. In August 2008, BBC1 televised a documentary film titled Pedigree Dogs Exposed , which investigated the subject of health issues affecting pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom, with a particular emphasis on dogs bred for showing. The programme provoked criticisms of kennel clubs. Following
3492-478: The Australian National Kennel Council and in other countries, is considered the most difficult to earn a title under. Fédération Cynologique Internationale sponsors international shows that differ from other shows in that dogs first receive individual written descriptions of positive and negative qualities from the judge, and only dogs with high ratings go on to compete against other dogs in
3589-691: The Basset Hound from Great Britain. Other non-French origin breeds often considered basset-adjacent include the Alpine Dachsbracke from Austria , the Berner Niederlaufhund , Jura Niederlaufhund , Luzerner Niederlaufhund and Schwyzer Niederlaufhund from Switzerland, the Drever from Sweden, and the Westphalian Dachsbracke from Germany. St. Hubert Hound The bloodhound
3686-511: The Bloodhound , despite their much smaller stature. Bassets’ forelegs tend to be either crooked or straight, depending upon the breed; the coat types and colours seen within different basset breeds reflect those seen within the broader scenthound type, with short, long and wiry coats all found. Bassets hunt in packs and traditionally are used to hunt in two ways; in the first the hounds trail their quarry noisily to waiting hunters with guns who shoot
3783-571: The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. He went into partnership with Mr. J. L. Winchell who, with other Americans, imported more stock from Britain. Bloodhounds in America have been more widely used in tracking lost people and criminals – often with brilliant success – than in Britain, and the history of the Bloodhound in America is full of the man-trailing exploits of outstanding Bloodhounds and their expert handlers,
3880-484: The dun hound and the Southern Hound , as well as pack hounds, have also been supposed to have contributed to its make-up. Some writers doubt whether anything certain can be said about specific breed ancestry beyond the last few centuries. The picture given by Le Couteulx and D'Yauville of the St. Hubert was that it changed considerably through mixed breeding, and perhaps degenerated, before its disappearance, while
3977-416: The 17th century, Bloodhounds were of all colors, but in modern times the colours range has become more restricted. The colors are usually listed as black and tan, liver and tan, and red. White is not uncommon on the chest and sometimes appears on the feet. Genetically, the main types are determined by the action of two genes, found in many species. One produces an alternation between black and brown (liver). If
Basset - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-531: The 19th century, a single hound or a brace was used on deer parks, to find deer for the gun. However, mid-century two packs appeared, that of Thomas Neville, who hunted in the New Forest area, and who preferred very black hounds, and that of Lord Wolverton . Both of these hunted semi-domesticated deer ('carted deer'), which were recaptured on being brought to bay and returned home. It was said of Lord Wolverton's hounds that he found it difficult to get them to hunt as
4171-464: The 19th century, which has been enthusiastically and uncritically espoused by later writers, perhaps because it absolved this undoubtedly good-natured dog from suggestions of bloodthirstiness. Neither Le Couteulx nor anyone since has offered any historical evidence to support this view . The suggestion sometimes seen that the word derives from 'blooded hound' is without basis, as the expression does not appear in early English, and 'blooded' in this meaning
4268-548: The Ardennes were so crossbred that they had lost the characteristics of the breed. Writers on the Bloodhound in the last two centuries generally agreed that the original St. Hubert strain died out in the 19th century, and that the European St. Hubert owes its present existence to the development of the Bloodhound. References to Bloodhounds first appear in English writing in the early to mid-14th century, in contexts that suggest
4365-527: The Association of Bloodhound Breeders Archived 2014-07-23 at the Wayback Machine , or The Bloodhound Club . They are run over farm land by permission of the landowners. A line walker (runner) is given a map, and sets off to follow a course marked on it, leaving a scent article ('smeller') attached to a flag marking the beginning of the trail. A hound and its handler start a set time later, and try to follow
4462-519: The Bloodhound appears as the Chien de St. Hubert, although the pictures illustrating the standard are all of British Bloodhounds, many of them those of Edwin Brough. The book was revised and reprinted in four languages in 1904, and in this edition the English text of the standard is that of the Association of Bloodhound Breeders, while the French text is closely based on it. However, the present FCI standard uses
4559-408: The Bloodhound was used to follow the trail of a wounded animal. In the absence of anything in early usage, or any historical evidence whatsoever, to support the modern explanation, the older must be regarded as correct. The Bloodhound's physical characteristics account for its ability to follow a scent trail left several days in the past. The olfactory bulb in dogs is roughly 40 times bigger than
4656-483: The Bloodhound which replaced it preserved its original character. However, it is apparent from 16th century pictures that the Bloodhound itself has changed considerably. The modern St. Hubert is the English Bloodhound, in descent and type. Generally, national and regional variants of hounds, terriers, spaniels, etc. have been recognised as separate breeds, France in particular having many regional breeds of hound;
4753-433: The Bloodhound's identification as the St. Hubert makes it an anomaly in this respect. Whether the Bloodhound is British or Belgian in origin is ultimately not something one can prove historically, depending as it does on whether one chooses to regard two related animals differing in tradition, and history, and somewhat in type, as separate breeds, or variants of the same one. Descriptions of the desirable physical qualities of
4850-435: The Bloodhound, which, despite its developments in Britain, they regarded as the St. Hubert preserved unchanged. Many of the finest specimens were bought and exhibited and bred in France as Chiens de Saint-Hubert, especially by Le Couteulx de Canteleu, who himself bred over 300. Whatever few original St. Huberts remained either died out or were absorbed into the new population. As a result, the Bloodhound became known on parts of
4947-647: The Continent as the Chien de Saint-Hubert. In the mid-20th century, the Brussels-based FCI accepted the claim of Belgium to be the country of origin. There are now annual celebrations in the town of Saint-Hubert, in which handlers in period dress parade their hounds. In Britain, the Bloodhound has continued to be seen as a native breed, with European St. Huberts being accepted by the UK KC as Bloodhounds. In Le Couteulx' book of 1890, we read that 'Le Chien de St Hubert actuel'
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#17328584864915044-586: The Scottish borders to track cross-border raiders, known as Border Reivers . This links it to the sleuth hound, and from Caius also comes the information that the English Bloodhound and the sleuth hound were essentially the same, though the Bloodhound was slightly bigger, with more variation in coat color. The adjacent picture was published in Zurich in 1563, in Conrad Gesner 's Thierbuch (a compendium of animals) with
5141-401: The basis of surviving evidence. In Medieval hunting , the typical use of the Bloodhound was as a ' limer ', or 'lyam hound', that is a dog handled on a leash or 'lyam', to find the hart or boar before it was hunted by the pack hounds ( raches ). It was prized for its ability to hunt the cold scent of an individual animal, and, though it did not usually take part in the kill, it was given
5238-406: The body, not well sprung in the ribs, and of no great strength. Writing in 1561, Jaques du Fouilloux describes them as strong of body, but with low, short legs. He says they have become mixed in breeding so that they are now of all colors and widely distributed. Charles described the 'true race' of St. Hubert as black, with red/tawny marks above the eyes and legs usually of the same color, suggesting
5335-528: The breed was well established by then. It is often claimed that its ancestors were brought over from Normandy by William the Conqueror , but there is no actual evidence for this. That the Normans brought hounds from Europe during the post-Conquest period is virtually certain, but whether they included the Bloodhound itself, rather than merely its ancestors, is a matter of dispute that probably cannot be resolved on
5432-753: The broadcast, the BBC withdrew its television coverage of the Crufts dog show from 2009, with other sponsors and partners also withdrawing support, including Pedigree Petfoods , the RSPCA , PDSA and the Dog's Trust . In response to the programme, the Kennel Club in the UK announced a review of all breed standards. They stated that they will impose a ban on breeding between dogs that are closely related and will impose greater monitoring to prevent unhealthy dogs from being entered. A bench show
5529-419: The captions: 'Englischen Blüthund' and 'Canis Sagax Sanguinarius apud Anglos' (English scent hound with associations of blood). It was drawn by, or under the supervision of, John Caius, and sent to Gesner with other drawings to illustrate his descriptions of British dogs for European readers. It is thus the earliest known picture published specifically to demonstrate the appearance of the Bloodhound. We are told it
5626-587: The class earns 10 points in non-variety breeds and 5 in variety breeds, even if there are no other dogs to beat in the class. Competition Wins are wins over at least one other dog, whether in their own breed (such as going Best Fe/male or Best of Winners) or higher level (placing above at least one other dog in the group or Best/Reserve Best in Multi-Breed show). A championship requires a total of 100 points and three competition wins. Canadian Kennel Club shows are nearly identical to American Kennel Club dog shows, with
5723-660: The class. A dog must receive four international Certificat d'Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (CACIB) to qualify for a championship; one must be won in the dog's own country, and at least two in other countries under at least three different judges. The Kennel Club also operates a separate show open only to mixed-breeds, Scruffts , which judges its contestants on character, health, and temperament with people and other dogs. There are seven classes per breed in American Kennel Club dog shows: The American-Bred and Open classes are mandatory for each show, while
5820-474: The dog's nose is on the ground; the folds of wrinkled flesh under the lips and neck—called the shawl—serve to catch stray scent particles in the air or on a nearby branch as the Bloodhound is scenting, reinforcing the scent in the dog's memory and nose. However, not all agree that the long ears and loose skin are functional, some regarding them as a handicap. There are many accounts of Bloodhounds successfully following trails many hours, and even several days old,
5917-447: The dogs depicted by Landseer show less wrinkles and haws than modern dogs. Throughout most of its history the Bloodhound was seen as a dog of English or Anglo-Scottish origin, either of unknown ancestry , or, more recently, as developed in part from the St. Hubert. It was only in the 19th century that it was claimed, primarily by Le Couteulx, to be the St. Hubert itself. Medieval hunting pictures show raches and limers, of
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#17328584864916014-608: The exception of a "Canadian-Bred" class replacing the AKC's "American-Bred". The main difference is the number of points required for a Championship, and the way those points are calculated. Under the Canadian Kennel Club rules, 10 points are needed for a Championship, with wins awarded by at least three different judges and at least one "major" win of two or more points. Once a Championship is completed, dogs may earn points toward their Grand Championship. As of January 1, 2013, to reach
6111-412: The feet of the quarry. If the scent is lost, a good Bloodhound persistently casts about to recover it. The Bloodhound is handled on a tracking harness, which has a metal ring above the shoulders, to which a leash is attached, so that the hound's neck is not jerked up when the leash becomes taut, as it would with a collar. The leash is at least long enough to allow the hound to cross freely in front of
6208-516: The game; in the second the hounds pursue the quarry until they catch it. Packs of bassets are still used to hunt various quarry, particularly hare and rabbit, but they are also used to flush gamebirds in a similar manner to spaniels . Recognised breeds of basset include the French Basset Artésien Normand , Basset Bleu de Gascogne , Basset Fauve de Bretagne , Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen and Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen and
6305-559: The general sagax type, with hanging ears and lips, but not having the specific characteristics of the Bloodhound. 16th century descriptions of the St. Hubert as short-legged, and only medium-sized have led to speculation that the main European antecedent of the Bloodhound was rather the Norman hound, which was very large, than the St. Hubert. Others, such as the sleuth hound, the Talbot Hound ,
6402-525: The handler, some handlers preferring quite a short leash, giving better communication with the hound, others liking something longer, maybe 6 to 9 metres (20 to 30 ft). It is generally agreed that the basis of initial training is to make the experience enjoyable for the puppy or young hound to keep their enthusiasm high. Whitney preferred waiting until the hound is 18 months old, to start training, but others start as young as possible; say, three months. Training can be started by running short trails on
6499-445: The hound time to realise their mistake and put themselves right, if possible. As training progresses the handler learns to 'read' the hound's behaviour. The hound must trust their own nose and the handler must trust the hound. From early hot trails on a familiar person, the young hound progresses to colder trails on the scents of strangers. Later training can be designed to teach particular lessons: crossing trails with false scents, having
6596-498: The hunting hounds on foot, as opposed to following hunt from horseback; their smaller stature making them slower and so easier to keep up with on foot. The first description of bassets was in the 16th century by Jacques du Fouilloux in his work La vénerie , stating they were found in the regions of Artois and Flanders . Du Fouilloux described two types of bassets; the first were short-coated with crooked forelegs and were used to hunt above ground as well as to pursue game below ground;
6693-456: The king". They appear to have been more highly thought of during the reign of Henry IV (1553–1610), who presented a pack to James I of England . By the end of the reign of Louis XIV (1715), they were already rare. In 1788, D'Yauville, who was master of the Royal hounds, says those sent by the St. Hubert monks, once much prized, had degenerated, and scarcely one of the annual gift of six or eight
6790-505: The monks of the Abbey of St. Hubert annually sent several pairs of black hounds as a gift to the King of France. They were not always highly thought of in the royal pack. Charles IX 1550–74, preferred his white hounds and the larger Chiens-gris , and wrote that the St. Huberts were suitable for people with gout to follow, but not for those who wished to shorten the life of the hunted animal. He described them as pack hounds of medium stature, long in
6887-447: The most common type of gastrointestinal problem. The breed also suffers an unusually high incidence of eye, skin, and ear ailments; thus these areas should be inspected frequently for signs of developing problems. Owners should be especially aware of the signs of bloat, which is both the most common illness and the leading cause of death of Bloodhounds. The thick coat gives the breed the tendency to overheat quickly. A 2024 UK study found
6984-501: The most famous hound being Nick Carter. Law enforcement agencies have been much involved in the use of Bloodhounds, and there is a National Police Bloodhound Association , originating in 1962. In Britain, there have been instances from time to time of the successful use of the Bloodhound to track criminals or missing people. However, man-trailing is enjoyed as a sport by British Bloodhound owners, through national working trials, and this enthusiasm has spread to Europe. In addition, while
7081-504: The number of dogs competing and the area where the show is held. At least two wins must be a set of three or more points ("majors") under two different judges; at least one additional win under a third judge is also required. The rules for the United Kennel Club (UKC) use a different points system. A championship requires a combination of points and competition wins. Points are awarded at breed level for each win; for example, winning
7178-416: The olfactory bulb in humans, relative to total brain size, with 125 to 220 million olfactory receptors . Consequently, dogs have an olfactory sense 40 times more sensitive than that of a human. Scent hounds like the Bloodhound have a more developed olfactory sense and can reach nearly 300 million receptors. The large, long pendent ears serve to prevent wind from scattering nearby skin cells while
7275-526: The others are optional. In some cases, one or more of these classes may be divided by color, height, weight, or coat type. A dog can earn extra points during these awards, depending on the number of dogs of its sex and the Champions that were competing against it. In the American Kennel Club, a dog needs 15 points to become a Champion, with each win gaining anywhere from zero to five points depending on
7372-413: The person they have been trailing, and are difficult to train to identify. Leon Whitney recommended a method of initial training in which identification was the first thing learned, based on giving the young hound a scent article from someone who walks a very short distance out of sight into a barn, where they stand with a piece of liver, while another person, also smelling of liver, stands nearby. The hound
7469-411: The picture belonged to Jacob Bell . Conformation show A dog show is an animal show , an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show , also referred to as a breed show , is a kind of dog show in which a judge , familiar with a specific dog breed , evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in
7566-424: The puppy is given lavish praise and perhaps a reward. Generally in training, the handler must know exactly where the runner went, so that the handler does not encourage the hound to go the wrong way, or 'correct' the hound when the hound is on the scent; however, the handler should not be too ready with corrections if the hound goes astray, or the hound may come to rely on the handler too much. The handler should give
7663-451: The pure Bloodhound is used to hunt singly, Bloodhound packs use Bloodhounds crossed with foxhounds to hunt the human scent. Meanwhile, the Bloodhound has become widely distributed internationally, though numbers are small in most countries, with more in the US than anywhere else. Following the spread of the Bloodhound from Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, imports and exports and, increasingly, artificial insemination, are maintaining
7760-464: The record being of a family found dead in Oregon, in 1954, over 330 hours after they had gone missing. The Bloodhound is generally used to follow the individual scent of a fugitive or lost person, taking the scent from a 'scent article' – something the quarry is known to have touched, which could be an item of clothing, a car seat, an identified footprint, etc. Many Bloodhounds will follow the drift of scent
7857-588: The rules of the International Federation of Kennel Clubs. ( Fédération Cynologique Internationale ) . According to the ACCC, only purebred dogs recognised by the FCI are allowed to participate. Purebreds of Colombian origin must be registered with the ACCC, and therefore they must hold an LOC number (Number in the Colombian Book of Origins). In the United Kingdom, the international championship show Crufts
7954-453: The runner start out with a companion, who leaves the runner somewhere along the trail, laying a trail on ground frequented by wild animals. This will teach the hound not to change on to other humans, or riot on animal scents (known as 'staying clean' [US], or 'freedom from change' [UK]). The hound also needs to work over a variety of ground and learn to cope with distractions of many kinds, as well as being introduced to 'negative trails': given
8051-465: The scientist Robert Boyle , who described how a Bloodhound tracked a man seven miles along a route frequented by people, and found him in an upstairs room of a house. With the rise of fox hunting, the decline of deer hunting, and the extinction of the wild boar in Great Britain, as well as a more settled state of society, the use of the Bloodhound diminished. It was kept by the aristocratic owners of
8148-517: The second were often rough-coated with straighter forelegs and only pursued game above ground. Hunting game on foot with bassets experienced a rapid increase in popularity in France after the French Revolution in the late 18th century, when hunting with large hounds from horseback was almost eliminated in France as it was traditionally the preserve of the nobility. Bassets have a strong resemblance to larger, longer-legged hound breeds, particularly
8245-462: The selection of breeding dogs based solely upon appearance, which is seen by some as detrimental to working qualities and, at worst, as a promotion of eugenics . The shows have been criticized for encouraging breeding of traits that are harmful to the dogs; for example, the Pekingese dog who won at Britain's most prestigious dog show in 2003 had to be photographed while lying on an icepack after winning
8342-629: The show because the dog could not breathe well enough to efficiently cool his own overheated body. Breeding selective traits reduces genetic diversity , which can create some health problems in dogs. In the United States, some working dog breed organisations, such as the American Border Collie Association and the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America , have tried to fight to keep their breeds from being recognised by
8439-421: The sleuth hound and the Bloodhound were the same animal. In the 16th century, John Caius , in the most important single source in the history of the Bloodhound, describes its hanging ears and lips, its use in game parks to follow the scent of blood, which gives it its name, its ability to track thieves and poachers by their foot scent, how it casts if it has lost the scent when thieves cross water, and its use on
8536-434: The trail, while the judge, equipped with a copy of the map, follows behind assessing their performance. When each of the entered hounds has completed a trail, the judge picks a winner. There are a series of 'stakes' of increasing difficulty, the simplest being 1 mile long, ½ an hour cold, and the hardest 3 miles long, 2 hours cold. On winning a stake, a hound moves up to the next one. Hounds may work unleashed if they have passed
8633-461: The view that the requirements of some breed standards were potentially detrimental to the health or well-being of the animal, changes have been made affecting the required eye shape and the loose skin, the most recent revision being 2008–9. The word 'bloodhound' is recorded from c. 1330. Most recent accounts say that its etymological meaning is 'hound of pure or noble blood'. This derives from an original suggestion of Le Couteulx de Canteleu in
8730-405: The world population as a common breeding stock, without a great deal of divergence in type in different countries. During the late 19th century, Bloodhounds were frequent subjects for artists such as Edwin Landseer and Briton Riviere ; the dogs depicted are close in appearance to modern Bloodhounds, indicating that the essential character of the Bloodhound predates modern dog breeding. However,
8827-497: Was adopted by the newly formed Association of Bloodhound Breeders, and ultimately became, with very little change, the 'official' breed standard of the KC and the AKC. Meanwhile, the Belgian or Dutch Comte Henri de Bylandt, or H A Graaf van Bylandt, published Races des Chiens in 1897, a huge and very important illustrated compilation of breed descriptions, or standards. In this French edition,
8924-400: Was done from life, and detail such as the soft hang of the ear indicates it was carefully observed. Fully accurate or not, it suggests changes between the Bloodhound of then and today. The collar and long coiled rope reflect the Bloodhound's typical functions as a limer or leashed man-trailer in that period. The earliest known report of a trial of the Bloodhound's trailing abilities comes from
9021-404: Was expensive and difficult throughout the 20th century, and in the post-war period exports to the US, and to Europe where the population had also been affected by the war, considerably exceeded imports. During the later 19th century, numbers of Bloodhounds were imported from Britain by French enthusiasts, who regretted the extinction of the ancient St. Hubert. They wished to re-establish it, using
9118-603: Was first held in 1891. Since its centenary year in 1991, the show has officially been recognised as the world's largest and most prestigious dog show by Guinness World Records , with a total of 22,991 dogs being exhibited that year. 22,964 dogs were exhibited in 2008, 27 short of the previous record. The World Dog Show is sponsored by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for international championships in conformation and other dog sports . The location rotates between member countries. The 2008 show
9215-617: Was held in Newcastle Town Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne , England , in June 1859. A conformation dog show is not a comparison of one dog to another but a comparison of each dog to a judge's mental image of the ideal breed type as outlined in the individual breed's breed standard . Dog show judges attempt to identify dogs who epitomise the published standards for each breed. Some judgments must be subjective. As an example, what exactly entails
9312-796: Was held in Stockholm, Sweden ; the 2009 show in Bratislava , Slovakia ; and the 2010 show in Herning , Denmark . The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show, historically held in the New York City area. It is one of a handful of benched shows in the United States. It is often compared to the World Dog Show ; the World Dog Show is considered a bit more valuable reputation-wise. Some critics state that conformation shows lead to
9409-475: Was kept. Upon the French Revolution of 1789, the gifts ceased, and hunting in France went into a decline until the end of the Napoleonic wars . When it recovered during the 19th century, huntsmen, with many breeds to choose from, seem to have had little interest in the St. Hubert. An exception was Baron Le Couteulx de Canteleu, who tried to find them. He reported that there were hardly any in France, and those in
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