Fun Fox Hound Facts For Kids

Dogs are very famous pets, especially an American foxhound.

A lot of people prefer keeping these smart beings as their companions over any other pet. Foxhounds are intelligent, compassionate, they look after their owners, have loads of energy, learn things very fast, and more.

Some keep dogs as guards to look after their houses and some keep them as companions for hunting.

Such a dog, namely an American foxhound, is very well known as a hunting dog and has really sharp senses, awesome energy, and a loud bar; all the instincts required in a companion taken for hunting.

The different breeds of this dog are all named based on the country these hounds are found in, for example an American foxhound is found in America and an English foxhound is native to Great Britain.

American, Penn-Marydel, and English crossbreeds are recognized by the American Masters of foxhounds Association as authentic American foxhound breeds and also by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

These dogs or foxhounds are medium-large sized species and have long legs and small coats besides these hounds are known for their affectionate and gentle temperament.

Here are some of the most important and interesting facts about the fox hound dog, a breed with high energy level. Afterwards, do have a look at our other articles on Blue Lacy dog facts and Pomapoo dog facts.

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Fox Hound Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a fox hound?

Officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), an American foxhound is a purebred,  large to medium-sized dog. American foxhound has a characteristic dome-shaped skull and a small fur coat.

The American foxhound is as known as a scent hound since it uses its olfactory senses more than its sight for hunting. Another cousin of the American foxhound is a British foxhound. But this breed has a slightly smaller stature than the American foxhound.

What class of animal does a fox hound belong to?

The American foxhound is a dog, belonging to the group of mammalia of kingdom animalia, officially categorized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Three breeds of foxhounds are characterized by the American Masters of foxhounds Association; the American breed,  Penn-Marydel breed, and the English breed.

An international organization was created to promote the American foxhound breed of dogs: the International Fox Hound Association in the year 2012.

How many fox hound are there in the world?

These dogs, or foxhounds, are bred on demand and these are the oldest breed in demand especially in America. Their population count across the globe is not really known by the American Kennel Club (AKC) but a large number of households own these pets as animal companions and who wouldn't want them?

Foxhounds are smart, friendly, and adorable pets who were initially bred to search for other animals through scent.

Where does a fox hound live?

The American foxhound is a purebred dog that means these hounds are expensive, high maintenance and are kept in the houses, and are taken care of just like a child. Foxhounds are very commonly found in the North American and the European continent.

Unlike most other dogs, this hound breed is not a couch potato and is quite popular in dog sports and National Obedience Championships.

What is a fox hound's habitat?

Your bed is the best place for your American foxhound. An American Foxhound dog can be seen relaxing on the sofas, near the pool in the backyard, and even in the passages of houses.

But unfortunately, sometimes foxhounds are abandoned by the people who cannot look after them anymore. In such cases, foxhounds are seen on the streets helpless. For such dogs, shelter homes are the best place.

Who do fox hound live with?

Originally, the breed of American foxhound dogs were supposed to live in small packs just like their relative’s wolves. But American foxhound dogs are domesticated in the modern world and hence these hounds have adapted to live with humans in the confinements and the comforts of their houses.

Apart from this, foxhounds are surprisingly also seen very comfortably forming packs with other small dogs and cats taken as pets. Nowadays, these dogs have started forming packs with their human family itself because of their family characteristics.

How long does a fox hound live?

The average lifespan of foxhounds is somewhere between 10-13 years, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). An American foxhound may even live longer if this dog breed is kept in ideal conditions and frequently taken to the vet for checkups for possible dog health issues.

How do they reproduce?

Reproduction in foxhounds is just like any other dog breed. Domestic foxhounds reach maturity around 6-12 months after their birth.

After the first estrus cycle, a dog is ready to breed. Mating takes place in the estrus phase after which the female conceives and goes through a gestation period of 63 days and holds around four to six puppies on average.

What is their conservation status?

These foxhounds are high in demand breeds and hence these hounds fall in the least conserved category of animals as per the American Kennel Club (AKC). These hounds are well kept by most of their owners and even trained for dog shows!

Fox Hound Fun Facts

What do fox hound look like?

The English foxhound is comparatively heavier in weight and has characteristic long legs that are straight boned. The English foxhound has a narrow chest, dome-shaped skull, and a long muzzle.

Apart from this, the English foxhound has long ears that are set low and wide hazel brown eyes. These hounds also have a medium-length close hound coat which has a combination of black, white, and tan.

The American foxhound is taller than an English foxhound. Interestingly, they also have a musical bark namely a bay and can be heard while hunting. This is said to have been inherited from Grand Bleu de Gascogne's signature howl.

The dense coat offers protection from thorns and brush. The tail of this dog has a very light brush, which means that it is heavy with hair.

How cute are they?

These dogs are really cute and they are loved by children and adults alike. They are affectionate and gentle and their slight sullen look adds to their charm.  They play around with children and when they are trained, they learn very well.

How do they communicate?

Since foxhound dogs are pure breeds they are either adopted or bought and hence most of them become a part of human households.

They learn activities like how to catch a ball that is being thrown at them or to pick things up; these are all the ways they learn from the humans to communicate with them.

Besides they bark a lot when they sense danger, especially for fox hounds as they have a bark that sounds more like a song; these are all hunting skills they have since birth.

Besides this, they have extraordinary olfactory and visual (senses) abilities that aid them in finding the trespassers in the vicinity.

How big is a fox hound?

A fox hound is thrice the size of a Pomeranian dog. An average adult male fox hound dog's size grows around 26-29 in (66-73.6 cm) in size.

While a female fox hound dog grows 25-28 in (63.5-71.1 cm) in size. This shows that male fox hound dogs are usually smaller in size than male dogs. Also, the American fox hound is slightly bigger in size than an English fox hound dog.

How fast can a fox hound run?

These adorable English foxhound dogs have some extraordinary athletic skills! They are extremely friendly with their human owners yet they will chase the small dogs down the lane.

On average, an adult English foxhound can run at a speed of 38 mph (61.1 kph)! Be careful not to pick fights with them, because they do not easily forget the beef!

How much does a fox hound weigh?

These large-medium-sized English foxhounds are quite heavy compared to the other dog breeds. But the male English foxhounds are bulkier than female dogs. An average adult male foxhound dog's weight range is between 55-71 lb (25-32.2 kg) and female English foxhounds weigh between 45-65 lb (20.4-29.4 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male American foxhounds are referred to as studs by the breeds while a female is referred to as a bitch or a dam. These names are common for male and female American foxhounds of any breed.

Generally, non-traders (breeders) registered with national breed clubs or local breed clubs do not refer to these American foxhounds by these names and just call them dogs. These dogs were originally bred to hunt.

What would you call a baby fox hound ?

Small cute little baby American foxhounds are referred to as puppies. These American foxhounds puppies are really adorable and smart.

They just melt their owner’s heart by giving them their cute puppy eyes when they want a treat and also when they want attention. Do get the right puppy as a pet, you need to start your search at least a few weeks in advance. These dogs get along well with kids and adults alike.

What do they eat?

As per AKC, American foxhounds will eat what you feed them from birth. May may eat cooked, partially cooked, or raw food provided by their owners.

Instinctively they are carnivores but with constant breeding over the past centuries, they have adapted well to an omnivorous diet. Many of them are also fed with industry-made dog food that is said to come with the right amount of nutrients for overall growth and development.

Are they slobbery?

As per AKC, the foxhound dogs are slobbery but not too much. They do not ruin your carpets, furniture, and even you with drool! They are very friendly and well-kept and clean dogs. If given proper dog sports, they will do well and remain healthy.

Would they make a good pet?

They make absolutely awesome pets. A foxhound's behavior is friendly, adorable, super energetic, and has great hunting instincts. Besides, they guard their owner’s house and protect them from trespassers.

They should be given proper dog sports as they are highly energetic who were bred to hunt and require good health. You need to take care of their grooming requirements which requires using a brush to comb through their coat and cleaning ears with a soft cloth. Otherwise, the grooming requirements are quite minimal.

Did you know...

Common health diseases in foxhound dogs are anorexia, skin diseases. GI tract diseases.

In early 2017 there was an epidemic or outbreak of respiratory diseases in the English foxhound dogs. The outbreak impacted around 180 dogs in total. The investigation suggested that the outbreak could have been a result of intake of meat having  M. bovis that lead to TB in the affected organism.

Marquis de Lafayette was a friend of George Washington, and was the person who gave the first breeding stock of foxhound to the American president. These rescue dogs were originally bred to hunt.

Is a foxhound a good family dog?

Due to foxhound's good behavior, they make really good family dogs. They look after their house and are super athletic.

This makes them good jogging, exercise, and outdoors partners. They are low maintenance outdoors dogs but the only minus point is that they bark a lot. This dog likes to involve in any dog sport related activity as it needs a decent amount of exercise as it is mainly bred to run a long distance.

You must adopt the puppy from a recognized AKC breeder. The price of the rescue dogs will vary as per breeder and health of the puppy can range between $500-$700 USD.

What is the rarest dog breed?

Norwegian Lundehund is the rarest type of dog breed clubs. They are native to Lofoten island opposite Bodod town near the Arctic circle. They are friendly and athletic just like foxhound dogs.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out toy poodle facts and Cane Corso facts for kids!

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable fox hound coloring pages.