The English Foxhound dates back before the 1800s, in Great Britain.

The English Foxhound actually originated from the breeding of various hounds and then continued with the intermixing of the Bulldog, the Greyhound, and the Fox Terrier to finally produce today's breed.

Originally used in pack hunts by British Masters, the English Foxhound has a great nose for hunting as well as the stamina to keep up on longer hunts. Their speed helps them catch the things they hunt and they are passionate about finding what they are told to seek as well as everything else.

The Brits had kept records of over 250 different foxhound hunting packs, where studbooks were kept by the British Masters of Foxhounds Association since at least 1800.

Records of English Foxhounds showed up in the USA dating back to the mid-1900s. They were developed by crossing a variety of hounds with the Bulldog, Greyhound and the Fox Terrier.

Used in packs to chase fox with hunters on horseback, the Foxhound has impressive stamina and a good nose. He can run steadily for hours at a time. Some of the English Foxhound's talents are hunting, tracking, watchdog and agility.

The English Foxhound was recognized by the AKC in 1909.

The English Foxhound is a little slower and a bit stockier than the American Foxhound.

The English Foxhound actually originated from the breeding of various hounds and then continued with the intermixing of the Bulldog, the Greyhound, and the Fox Terrier to finally produce today's breed. Originally used in pack hunts by British Masters, the English Foxhound has a great nose for hunting as well as the stamina to keep up on longer hunts. Their speed helps them catch the things they hunt and they are passionate about finding what they are told to seek as well as everything else.

Considered to be the rarest breed in the United States. According to the American Kennel Club, there are only 17 registered at the present time.
• Require daily long stretches of exercise. These dogs are runners, great for joggers.
• Not recommended for apartment lifestyles.
• Not the perfect breed for everyone.
• Need a strong owner who is fair and consistent. Obedience training is recommended.
• Good with children. Bouncy and fun ~ may knock over small children, be aware.
• Because this breed has been bred to be a pack dog they do better with other dogs
~ not a breed to be left alone by itself.
• Bred to pursue prey ~ needs a fenced yard and will chase other dogs in dog parks.
• Have quiet a loud bark.
• Great watchdog.

As a natural hunter, the English Foxhound is inherently active and passionate about things around it. This is a dog that wants to move around and learn new things. The English Foxhound is simply a dog that has been hunting and searching for new things its entire life, and continues to want to do that.

This curiosity can make the English Foxhound a bit harder to train. You have to interact a lot with a English Foxhound in order to appease its nature. This is a dog breed that does not tire out easily. They will run and run and run until they fall over before they decide to actually stop whatever they are doing. Their impressive ability to run for hours without changing their pace can be tired for a less active owner, but those that are already active will have found their match in this energetic breed.

Friendly around children and most people, the English Foxhound are an enjoyable breed to have in a family setting. These are dogs that aren't going to bark at someone they don't know, instead they will want to nose around them to see what this person is all about. Just like so many other dogs, they will need to be around people and children as puppies to maintain their sense of comfort.

In this friendly nature, it would seem like the English Foxhound is someone that would be more comfortable around people than other dogs, but it is the opposite case for this particular breed. This is a dog that's quite comfortable, if not more so, with other dogs as well as other animals. Again, this might be a part of their natural hunting instinct and being around animals more often than they are around humans in their lifetime.

What you might want to consider is that if you want a English Foxhound as a household pet, you will want to choose the show lines as they are not as active as the field lines-and this is much better in that smaller and more confined settings.

Most of their energy is used up in their youth, making those English Foxhound dogs that have hunted can be retired when they are only seven or eight years of age.

Health Problems

Generally a quite healthy breed.

Grooming

The English Foxhound has a short hard coat of fur that is easy to maintain. Perfect for those who don't want to spend a lot of time grooming, this dog breed only requires regular care with a firm bristle brush on a weekly basis. Not only will this give their coats a nice glossy shine, but it will also allow you to prevent major problems with this average shedding breed. The more loose fur you remove during the brushing action, the less fur you will have around your home and on your furniture and clothing.

In addition, you don't need to bathe a English Foxhound unless they have gotten into a particularly dirty mess. And in that case, you will want to shampoo your dog to make sure they are healthy and clean of any dirt or other grime.

Regular grooming allows you to also make sure your dog isn't in the midst of a dangerous infection. When an English Foxhound is properly bathed and they still smell badly, that can be a sign of a bacterial infection. Check with your vet to see whether your dog has something else that might be wrong. They will check the dog's teeth, mouth, ears, and nose to see what might be going on.

You will also want to check the skin of your English Foxhound often to be sure they haven't picked up any ticks or fleas in their outdoor adventures. And since this is a particularly adventurous dog, you will also want to check to be sure they haven't scratched themselves along the way. Even the smallest of cuts can turn into something more serious if not monitored. If a cut should look deep or infected, just talk to your vet.

Exercise
With all of their energy, the English Foxhound needs to have plenty of time for exercise and running around. To maintain its health and its body structure, this dog breed will want to have plenty of time to exercise as often as possible, in fact. If you are unable to provide them with this time, this may not be a good fit for you as a dog owner.

This is a dog breed that wants to run around as much as possible, so you will want to take this dog out for long runs whenever possible. If you are the kind of person that likes to go for runs, this might be something you can train your English Foxhound to come along with you. However, they can be troublesome if they find something to chase after or they smell a scent that they find interesting. To help curb these chasing behaviors, you will want to always have your English Foxhound on a leash until you know they are in an area where they will be safe.

Exercise needs to be consistent and constant as the English Foxhound that does not get a chance to run around will become destructive. Try plan regular times for you and your dog to play together. At least an hour a day will be sufficient will help you interact and to allow your dog to maintain a high level of health.

Training
What you need to realize right from the start is the English Foxhound is an athlete by nature and wants to work on those qualities in a training scenario. They want to run and to hunt and to be successful in what they do but all in an active way. Sometimes it can be confusing to watch this particular breed because they can seem to be calm and docile before launching into a full out sprint to something that your eyes can not see.

In order to control this type of dog, you will need to assert your authority. The English Foxhound has a strong idea of what a pack order is and looks to you to establish your position in it. If you are unable or unwilling to become the authority for this dog, you will have trouble training it as it will not look up to you for guidance. If this dog doesn't feel like you are in control, it may not trust your commands or feel they should be enforced.

To assert your authority, you will need to be consistent in your training skills as well as consistent in punishments and rewards. This will show that you are looking out for the dog as well as that you are outlining the 'right' and the 'wrong' for the dog in your eyes.

But another thing to keep in mind is that the English Foxhound really wants to have fun during training times. This might be a good time to engage the natural hunting abilities of this dog by having 'hunts' or taking this dog on actual hunts if they are still able to keep up. You need to have the creativity to keep training sessions fun for your dog and if you do not, the English Foxhound will hate the training sessions, making them unproductive and ineffective.

This will require a lot of energy on your part to keep up, but once the English Foxhound is trained, they are more than happy to listen to commands from their authority figure(s).

Another thing to consider about the English Foxhound is that it is not a naturally focused dog that will necessarily give you all of their attention naturally. This hound likes to run after things it finds interesting, so it can become distracted quite easily. You will need to keep this breed on task, though once you've established your relationship; this dog will look to please you at every turn.