SO, WHY BLOODHOUNDS??
They are big, they slobber a LOT, they don't respond well to commands, they tend to not learn obedience well (if at all), they tend to be odoriferous (that is nice speak for "they stink"), so why in the hell would anybody want a bloodhound? Well, in my opinion, they are by far and away the absolute BEST at what they do, and that is "man trailing". So that begs the question, "Why are they the best man trailers?" The short answer is, "Because that is what they were bred to do." The longer answer is this...anyone who has worked around any of the working, sporting, hound, etc, dogs has heard this statement, "FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION". Important point there. Some easy examples are; water dogs, like Labs, have webbed feet. Why? Because they need to swim a lot and well. Huskies, and other very cold climate dogs have very thick, multi layered coats. Why? Duh, so they don't freeze. Dogs such as the German Shepherds, Belgium Malinois, etc, have "prick" ears (that's ears that stand up-right), clear eyes, and a long nose because they are supposed to use ALL those senses when they are working, good hearing, good vision, and a good sense of smell. The bloodhound however has been bred for centuries to focus on it's sense of smell. They have heavy, pendulous ears which dampen it's sense of hearing (I never said they were deaf), lots of folds of skin around their face which tend to obscure their vision (yeah, they can still see sometimes), which results in a dog that is more dependent upon it's sense of smell. I understand the receptor area within the bloodhounds nose, and the corresponding olfactory area of the brain, is the largest of any dog. The bloodhound is also a dog that has been bred to be very stubborn. What that gets you is a dog that once on scent, stays on scent. The bloodhound tends to not be overly curious, so they aren't distracted on the trail. Frequently one of the indicators a bloodhound is working properly is the fact they will run into things because they are totally focused on their nose and don't even see obstacles that are in their way.
So, if you want to hunt the most dangerous game of all, the human criminal, the bloodhound must be a part of your arsenal.
See, with ears that big, they can fly. Polly playing.
I am an equal opportunity handler, bloodhounds can't do it all. Bandit at 8 months.
Future "line-up" dog.
I try to maintain a supply of
"plush" toys for my dogs.
Tut, the cat, about 11 years old.
(NOT REALLY, so don't sent me a bunch of nasty emails!!)
