Bloodhound

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History/Origin
Bloodhounds were bred in a secluded monastery of St. Hubert, whose care for these prized companions brought him the merit as patron saint of hunting dogs. The nearest known relative are the Sleuthhounds who are also well-known hunting dogs.

Bloodhounds emerged from nobility during the medieval period in France. In fact, the King of France kept Bloodhounds within his palace walls for a different reason. The dogs were specially trained in the palace to track missing prisoners using their keen olfactory senses. Until today, government authorities still use Bloodhounds to help them find people during calamities, such as earthquakes and disasters.

Description
As mentioned, the Bloodhound has a remarkable skill in smelling. This may be attributed to its nostril, which is larger compared to other breed of dogs, and its wrinkles looping around its neck, which are active skin censors that help the dog in perceiving different kinds of smell.

Aside from its wrinkles, which are mistakenly perceived to be indicators of the its age, the Bloodhound's body and ear size are also distinct characteristics. The Bloodhound is known to have a large frame due to its unique skeletal structure. Meanwhile, its ears droop down noticeably, giving the impression of a sombre yet appearance.

The Bloodhound usually comes in varied color mixtures and is seen usually in solid colors, without patches. It can have a combination of black and light or dark brown, or a mixture of gradient colors.

Temperament
Since it is gifted with strong faculty of smell, the Bloodhound would rather wander and sniff around in pursuit of a desirable scent. As such, it is no surprise that this breed has a characteristic of following everything with its nose.

Due to its obsession with scents, it is not easy to dominate the Bloodhound and let it obey commands at once. It usually follows its instinct before complying with people's orders. Despite this, and given enough patience, it is not impossible to achieve positive results when training this dog.

Basically, this dog is good-tempered and can be domesticated as pets. Given time, this dog can be extremely loyal to its owner; it has even been known to avoid eating meals when its master has been absent for a long period of time. However, due to its large built, it is not advisable to leave small children alone with the Bloodhound.