American Foxhound

 

History

American Foxhound circa 1915.

In 1650, Robert Brooke sailed from England to Crown Colony in North America with his pack of hunting dogs, which were the root of several strains of American Hounds. These dogs remained in the Brooke family for nearly 300 years. George Washington received French Foxhounds, Grand Bleu de Gascogne, (which look much like an American Bluetick Coonhound) as a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette. Many of the dogs Washington kept were descended from Brooke's, and when crossed with the French hounds, helped to create the present day American Foxhound. The American Foxhound is known to originate from the states of Maryland and Virginia, and is the state dog of Virginia.Though there has long been a rumor that the new breed was originally used for hunting Indigenous peoples of the Americas, this is not true. The breed was developed by landed gentry purely for the sport of hunting foxes. With the importation (or migration) of the red fox, Irish Foxhounds were added to the lines, to increase speed and stamina in the dog, qualities still prevalent in today's dogs. One quality that the American Foxhound is famous for is its musical howl that can be heard for miles. This is actually one reason that this breed does not do well in city settings. The breed was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1886. Today, there are many different strains of American Foxhound, including Walker, Calhoun, Goodman, Trigg, July and Penn-Marydel. Though each strain looks quite different, they are all recognized as members of the same breed. Most show hounds are Walkers, many of the pack hounds (used with hunting foxes on horseback) are Penn-Marydel and hunters use a variety of strains to suit their hunting style and quarry.

Description

Appearance

While standards call for the American Foxhound to be about 21–25 in (53–64 cm) tall to the withers, and weigh anywhere between 65–75 lb (29–34 kg), many of them are larger in structure (especially the show strains), with males standing 26–29 in (66–74 cm) and females 25–28 in (64–71 cm) and smaller in weight, typically between 45–65 lb (20–29 kg). For years it was traditional to feed Foxhounds on a diet of "dog bread", a variation on cornbread. The legs of a Foxhound are very long and straight-boned. The foxhound's chest is rather narrow. It has a long muzzle, and a large, domed skull. The ears are wide and low-set. The eyes are hazel or brown, and are large and wide-set.

Coat

A close, hard hound coat of medium length, and any color, though the combination of black, white and tan is prevalent. American Foxhounds do tend to shed a good amount of hair, but a weekly brushing will decrease shedding.

American Foxhounds at the Atlanta Steeplechase

Defining physical characteristics

The American Foxhound is taller and rangier than its cousin, the English Foxhound. Also, this breed is known to have a musical bark when it is hunting that can be heard for miles. If competing in a dog show, some physical characteristics that judges would look for would be a slightly domed skull, long, large ears, large eyes, straight muzzle, well laid-back shoulders, a moderately long back, fox-like feet, and a slightly curved tail. Though they are traditionally tri-colored (black, white and tan) they can be any color. They are one of the rarest breeds in the American Kennel Club.

Behavior

Temperament

The American Foxhound has a very docile and sweet demeanor. A typical dog is gentle, easygoing, and gets along with children and other animals. However, they may act shy and reserved when around strangers.

Activity level

The American Foxhound is a very active breed and very high energy. They require a lot of exercise and do best in habitats where they have room to run. If they live in a suburban area such as a neighborhood, they should have a fenced in yard and be taken on multiple walks daily.

Trainability

Obedience training is essential for this breed due to their independence and natural instinct to follow a scent. A Foxhound who picks up a scent will follow it while ignoring commands; training requires patience and skill because of the breed's independence and occasional stubbornness. Because of its strong hunting instinct, American Foxhounds should not be trusted off-lead. Most scent hounds are bred to give "voice", but the Foxhound does not make a good watchdog.

A white American foxhound with black spots.

Health

This breed is not generally a breed that carries genetic disorders. However they can easily become overweight if being overfed. A minor health risk in American Foxhounds is thrombocytopathy, or platelet disease. This comes from poorly functioning blood platelets and can result in excessive bleeding from minor bumps or cuts. The treatment is usually based on the severity of the disease. Owners will often have their American Foxhounds undergo blood tests so that the condition can be caught early on. While dysplasia was largely unknown in Foxhounds, it is beginning to crop up occasionally, along with some eye issues. It is not typical or customary for Foxhound breeders to screen for any hereditary disorders at this time. The breed's lifespan is generally 10–12 years. The American Foxhound is an energetic breed. According to some veterinarians and trainers, it needs plenty of exercise, for example, a fairly long walk followed by a game of fetch.

 

Alano Español

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance

The Alano Español is a very large dog of the Molosser type, with a large, strong head. Males should be no smaller than 58 centimetres (23 in) at the withers, and should weigh 34–40 kilograms (75–88 lb) with females somewhat smaller.
The coat is short and thick but never velvety, and is most often a brindle of any color; leonardo (fawn);black and brindle; sable wolf. White chest flashes are acceptable but prevalence of white is not. The face may or may not have a black mask.^[1]
The muzzle is short with the lower jaw slightly concave, and has a very large, broad, black nose. The ears are set high and may be drop or cut short. The skin is very thick, with neck folds and some wrinkles on the face.

History

The name of the breed comes from the Alani, nomadic pastoralists who arrived in Spain as part of the Migration Period in the 5th Century. These peoples were known to keep large livestock guardian dogs and pursuit dogs which became the basis for the many regional Alaunt types. The first formal, written reference to the breed in Spain is in a chapter of the 14th century "Book of the Hunt of Alfonso XI" (Libro de la Montería de Alfonso XI) in which hunting dogs called Alani are described as having beautiful colours. Dogs of this type traveled with Spanish explorers and were used as war dogs (as was their role in Eurasia before migration) in the subjugation of Indian (Native American) peoples, as well as in the capturing of slaves.

Etching by Francisco de Goya portraying the dogs in the bullfighting ring as they were used in 1816. Note that the dog's ears are uncropped, indicating they were only used for bull baiting and not dog fighting.

Bull baiting done in the bullfighting ring with dogs of this type was recorded by Francisco de Goya in his series on La Tauromaquia in 1816. Besides their use in the bullring Alanos were also used for hunting big game such as wild boar.
The large dogs began to disappear as the work they did began to change. Big game became rare, stockyards were modernized and no longer used dogs to hold the cattle, use in bullfights was outlawed, and by 1963 Alanos were thought to be extinct. In the 1970s a group of fanciers and veterinary students made house-to house surveys in western and northern Spain, and found a few examples of the dogs in the Basque areas of Enkarterri and Cantabria, being used to herd semi-wild cattle and hunt wild boar. A standard was written and the dogs were documented and bred, and the Alano Español was recognised as independent breed by the Spanish Kennel Club in 2004, though earlier studies at the University of Cordoba clarified the Alano as distinct from any other breed at genetic level. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación) recognises the Alano Español as an indigenous Spanish breed.
Although the breed in Spain is still small in number and the breed has not yet been recognised internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, examples of the Alano Español have been exported to North America, where a few breeders are promoting for temperament and hunting ability.

Similar breeds

Large dogs that are similar in appearance and may share the history of the Alano Español include the molossers of the Canary Islands such as the Dogo Canario (Perro de Presa Canario) as well as the Mastín Español (Spanish Mastiff) The Cimarron Uruguayo is a South American breed that also looks somewhat similar, and is descended from the dogs of the Spanish explorers and conquistadores. The breed is also sometimes called the Spanish Bulldog in English. English dog dealer Bill George imported a dog he called "Big Headed Billy" in 1840. He was used to increase size in English Bulldogs.

Health

No record or history of health issues in the breed.

Temperament

Since the breed was used for hunting in packs, it is very sociable with other dogs^. All large dogs must be well socialized with humans and other animals when young, if they are to be safely kept as pets. Large working dogs, such as the Alano Español, need regular training and activity all of their lives.