American Foxhounds are friendly, low-maintenance hounds who get along well with children, dogs, and even cats, but they require particular care from potential owners. They have a strong connection to Virginia’s sprawling estates and Revolutionary War heroes. Smooth, rangy American foxhounds are renowned for their speed, stamina, and work ethic. The American Foxhound can be distinguished from its British cousin, the English Foxhound, by the length of its legs, which are longer and more finely boned, as well as by the American’s slightly arched loin (rear end). American Foxhounds are regarded as having wide, sensitive eyes with a sweet, imploring expression. All is well thus far. Foxhounds, however, require particular care. They must exercise frequently to avoid becoming despondent and destructive. Foxhounds must control their intense prey drive. Training and housebreaking these independent spirits can be a difficult task for inexperienced owners. Their loud crying is musical to hound lovers but can be an annoyance to neighbors.
American Foxhound
Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.
Height
22-25 inches (male)
21-24 inches (female)
Weight
65-70 pounds (male)
60-65 pounds (female)
Life Expectancy
11-13 years
Breed Traits & Characteristics
Shedding Level
Coat Grooming Frequency
Drooling Level
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
Affectionate With Family
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
Shedding Level
Coat Grooming Frequency
Drooling Level
Coat Type
Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Coat Length
Long
Medium
Short
Openness To Strangers
Playfulness Level
Watchdog/Protective Nature
Adaptability Level
Trainability Level
Energy Level
Barking Level
Mental Stimulation Needs
About the Breed
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Health
Grooming
Exercise
Training
Nutrition
History
George Washington is widely regarded as the quintessential American. However, he and other affluent Virginia plantation owners who grew up before the Revolutionary War felt themselves to be entirely British in most ways. The life of George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon was fashioned after the habits of British elites who lived on England’s enormous rural estates. The Washingtons entertained their guests with English chinaware and crystal while playing English music on their English-made pianoforte and dancing English dances. A London tailor even manufactured the general’s pre-Revolutionary War clothes.
The traditional English foxhunt, with dozens of equestrians and hounds rushing across the countryside in search of the crafty fox, was another beloved British custom perpetuated at Mount Vernon. Washington loved to hunt foxes. He had a pack of hounds that he had bred from imported British dogs and meticulously documented his breeding efforts. His buddy, the Marquis de Lafayette, gave him French breeding stock, which he used to improve his pack. Washington was a significant contributor to the creation of the American Foxhound, albeit he did not create the breed on his own. Other well-known families from America’s founding period that lived with horses and hounds included the Jeffersons, Lees, and Custises.
After the American Revolution, the American Foxhound underwent further development throughout the South, eventually becoming completely different from its relative, the English Foxhound. Foxhunting with hounds was the main field sport of the American nobility before to the start of the Civil War. Virginia’s state dog now is the American Foxhound.