Virginia State Dog – The American Foxhound

Although certain working breeds have been around for a long time, most dog breeds are relatively new inventions that originated in Victorian England in the 19th century.

While most of these new purebreds, as they would come to be known, were bred for aesthetic reasons, many other dogs were bred with physical activity in mind, such as hunting or herding.

In the case of breeds that claim origin in America, such as the American Foxhound, they are usually a careful mix of other breeds to combine desirable traits.

Origins

The American Foxhound can trace its origin to the immigration of Robert Brooke to Crown Colony in 1650. Brooke brought his beloved hounds from England with him, all of which were all a mix of various breeds, or mutts.

These hounds and their descendants stayed within the Brooke family for the next three hundred years, and mixed with many other hounds Brookes found in America.

The Brooke’s hounds became famous, and were eventually gifted to George Washington. Washington then crossbred the Brooke’s hounds with his French Foxhounds, and created a new breed with the best traits of both.

The hounds that descended from George Washington’s crossbreed are what we now call the American Foxhound.

The American Foxhound claims to be the first true American breed (bred in America from American mutts) to be ratified as a state dog (Virginia, 1966). The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1886.

Traits

The American Foxhound is most known for its musical howl, which can be heard for miles. This beautiful trait is also one of the biggest reasons that the American Foxhound doesn’t do well in cities. This dog needs open spaces; rural country is perfect.

It typically has a brown-to-black coloring in big patches on its back and head and white fur, and has a lithe, muscular form. It is a medium sized dog (21–25 in. tall), though all of these facts are “official”.

In reality, as is the case with most American breeds, the dog can vary in appearance. The defining trait of the American Foxhound is its musical bark.

In terms of temperament, the American Foxhound is a very trainable, but very loveable, loyal dog. It needs room to run around and get regular exercise in. They are very reliable hunting dogs with good senses, and in terms of a family dog you couldn’t do better.

The breed is just small enough to cuddle with and not too powerful for children, not that it would be, because the American Foxhound just wants to be loved.