Description of a Bloodhound.

A Bloodhound (also known as the St. Hubert Hound) is a large breed of dog bred for the specific purpose of tracking human beings. Consequently, it is often used by authorities to track escaped prisoners or missing persons. It is a scenthound, famed for its ability to follow a scent hours or even days old, over long distances. Combining a keen sense of smell with a tenaciously strong tracking instinct, bloodhounds have proven their worth as the archetypal trailing dog.

The bloodhound was, according to legend, first bred ca. 1000 CE by monks at the St. Hubert Monastery in Belgium. Undoubtedly, its origins do reside in France, home of many of the modern Hound breeds. Its excellent tracking skills were drawn on in breeding other scenthounds, such as the Coonhound, Swiss Jura Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many others.

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, the dogs depicted by Landseer show less wrinkle and haw than modern dogs.