THE BLOODHOUND 



HISTORY and legend have invested the Bloodhound with 

 qualities that fill the popular imagination, giving him a 

 reputation for a ferocity that is wholly alien to his nature. 

 A kindlier -tempered animal does not exist, nor a more 

 tractable if taken in hand when young. He is not so 

 suitable for town life as some breeds, as it is his habit to 

 use his nose more than his eyes. A susceptibility to 

 distemper in a severe form tends to keep down the numbers, 

 and puppies are consequently valuable. 



HIS WORK 



The primary function of the Bloodhound is to hunt man, 

 and it is surprising what he can do in this direction when 

 carefully trained. In America there are well-authenticated 

 cases of criminals being run down ten and twelve hours 

 after the event, but here we regard it as good work if a 

 hound will find his man on a line three hours cold. I am 

 confident that the Bloodhound might be used with advantage 

 by the police in country districts, or by gamekeepers in 

 clearing an estate of poachers. One need have no com- 

 punction in employing his services, as he is quite harmless 

 when he catches his quarry. 



HIS POINTS 



A beautiful, well-balanced hound, heavier in build and 

 slower than the Foxhound. His head is a striking feature, 

 with its long, gracefully folding ears, and masses of loose 

 skin, commonly called wrinkle ; the head is long, termin- 

 ating in a clearly defined peak at the occiput ; the chest 

 should be deep, to give plenty of heart and lung room ; 

 front legs straight, with plenty of bone. 



