Hound Group
Most hounds share the common ancestral trait of being used for hunting.
History
No one knows exactly how the Bloodhound came to be, but most scholars connect the modern breed to the St. Hubert hound from the Saint-Hubert monastery in modern Belgium. Some experts argue that the Bloodhound is a dog of mixed breeding with similar genes to many modern hounds. The monks of Saint-Hubert would send several hounds to the King of France every year, a tradition that spanned the Middle Ages.
The first Bloodhound reference in English writing appeared in the 14th century. Most experts agree the dog came over in the Norman invasion, and Bloodhounds found work in the fields of England. Although the breed has a long history as a game tracker and hunter, they likely found work as tracking people back into early history. References to “sleuth hounds” go back as far as the 1200s. A 16th century physician named John Caius takes credit for the first modern description of a Bloodhound breed standard.
The Bloodhound had a popular following in America before the Civil War. While there is some debate the specific breeds used, many historians believe Bloodhounds tracked runaway slaves across the United States. Law enforcement agencies continued to use the breed to track fugitives and missing persons up to present day. The first Westminster showing of the breed took place in 1888, three years after Bloodhound recognition in 1885.
