Forget any image you might have of a Bloodhound lazing the day away on a country porch. If a Bloodhound sniffs a sweater belonging to a child who’s wandered off or smells a baseball cap dropped by a fugitive, count on this breed to follow their scent for as long as it takes to track them down.
Possessing one of dogdom’s most powerful canine noses, this large, strong scenthound is known worldwide for its versatile sensory skills, steadfast work ethic, and loyal companionship.
The breed name doesn’t come from a thirst for blood, but from the ability to follow the scent of blood and of its “blooded” or aristocratic ancestors.
The Bloodhound’s Characteristics
The Bloodhound’s long, floppy ears, hanging lips, super-sniffing nose, and loose wrinkles lining its head and neck set this breed apart from other hounds. These features serve a valuable purpose more than their exclusive appearance. The skin folds trap scents and intensify them to last for hours or even days. Determined to find the source of the odors, the Bloodhound relies on its muscular build, large feet, and extreme stamina to drive the search over long distances.
When the Bloodhound’s exceptional tracking abilities began is unknown, but the breed has used them for centuries.
The Bloodhound’s Beginning
Like other dogs with an ancient lineage, the Bloodhound’s ancestors once roamed the dense European forests. The first Bloodhounds were two strains: black and white. The whites were the Southern hounds, and the blacks were the St. Huberts of the 8th century. When Crusader armies captured and destroyed parts of Constantinople, they brought these hounds to France.
According to legend, the Bloodhound’s ancestors were likely the St. Hubert Hound, developed at the Saint Hubert Monastery in what’s known as Belgium today in the 8th and 9th centuries. The monks bred large scenthounds to honor St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, and refined the breed’s tracking skills. They shaped the Bloodhound from a medium-sized, long, and low dog with short legs to the breed known today.
During the early days of the Bloodhound’s development, the monks used the dogs to hunt deer or wild boar in nearby wooded areas. Typically, the leashed Bloodhound searched the quarry before another pack of hounds hunted it.
When other medieval noblemen learned of the breed’s exceptional scent-tracking ability, they used the Bloodhound for hunting and later to help track people. Stories of sleuth hounds pursuing Robert the Bruce and William Wallace spread, and the Bloodhound was known as a man-trailer. In the 1600s, Robert Boyle, a chemist and scientific investigator, reported a Bloodhound tracking a man through a crowd and locating him seven miles away in an upstairs boarding room.
In Great Britain, the popularity of fox hunting increased, deer hunting declined, and wild boar became extinct at this time, so only a few aristocratic owners used Bloodhounds. During World War II, few Bloodhounds survived. While it’s unknown when the breed entered the United States, Edwin Brough, a third-generation silk manufacturer and an English breeder, brought three of his Bloodhounds to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. Along with J. L. Winchell and other Americans, more Bloodhounds came to the United States from Britain.
More Man-Trailing
In 1902, Brough, along with Captain William Turner, used two of Brough’s Bloodhounds, “Barnaby” and “Burgho,” to track Jack the Ripper, a serial killer in 1888. Brough doubted the dogs could pick up the scent as he believed it was too old and the city was too crowded. Although the killer disappeared, the hounds’ presence in the town temporarily deterred additional murders.
“Stories of Bloodhounds finding criminals are true,” says Adriana Pavlinovic, Public Education Coordinator and former President of the American Bloodhound Club. “I’m always amazed at the power of their noses as their ability to find people is fascinating.”
In another high-profile hunt for a fugitive from justice, “Nick Carter,” a Kentucky Bloodhound, and his handler, Captain G.V. Mullikin, located two convicted killers in 1909. They were hiding in a barn that had burned down 100 hours earlier. Carter’s stamina and determination to follow the scent is legendary. During its lifetime, this famous Bloodhound brought more than 600 police convictions.
In 1977, two renowned Bloodhounds, “Missy” and her littermate, “J. Edgar,” tracked James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., after Ray escaped from Brushy Mountain Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. After an all-out search using electronics and big Huey helicopters, which lasted 55 hours, the dogs coursed through the woods of east Tennessee to pinpoint Ray’s hiding place on the forest floor.
Throughout law enforcement history, the breed’s superior tracking ability has made them a valuable asset in police and detective work. Bloodhounds have located missing persons, uncovered evidence, and tracked down criminals. Some great Bloodhounds have even solved more cases for police departments than the best human detectives.
While Bloodhounds excel at their scent-tracking ability, they double as gentle and lovable family companions. With a calm and sweet disposition, they enjoy spending quality time with their people. They form deep bonds with their owners and thrive in households with plenty of exercise and stimulating outlets for their curiosity.
The Nose Rules
Pavlinovic remembers acquiring “Lucy,” her first Bloodhound, after joining a search and rescue group in high school. “I helped lay tracks for training, and I was amazed that this breed could find people,” Pavlinovic says. Pavlinovic and Lucy had their first find in 1982 when Lucy spent a lot of time sniffing around a river bank and pawing at the water.
“She was alerting me that the trail was over, and something had happened in that area,” Pavlinovic says. “I remember feeling completely amazed when we received confirmation that a deceased person had drowned there.”
Life with a Bloodhound around the house means a nose is everywhere, she says. “They’re fascinated with all sorts of smells, like when I walk in the door after a grocery run, they check my feet and clothes.”
Bloodhounds enjoy competing in conformation, lure coursing, AKC Rally, agility, AKC Scent Work, and tracking. “If you’re patient and train your Bloodhound with a positive attitude, they can do all sorts of activities,” Pavlinovic says. “Just remember the nose rules this breed.”