The English Foxhound's roots in Great Britain date back before 1800, with the English stud books published by the Masters of Foxhounds Association. The breeding of Foxhounds in England has always been in the hands of the master of the hounds, who kept the most careful records of their breeding programs. These hounds have always been used for foxhunting as followed in the English fashion of riding to hounds. There have been over 250 packs of hounds in Great Britain, all of which used English Hounds. In America we have over a hundred packs, of which not over ten percent use hounds which would be eligible for the English Foxhound Stud Book.

Foxhunting in the United States is almost contemporaneous with the sport in Great Britian. The English Foxhound has been bred along careful lines for over 150 years. There are records which establish that the first imported hounds from England were in 1738, and there are unauthenticated recoreds of importations of the breed prior to that date.

The English Hound is far stouter than the American Foxhound, otherwise they are alike. They stand about 23 inches tall, and portray the traditional "hound colors" with their short, dense, hard coat. They can be black, white & tan or Lemon & white or white.

In America, we have over a hundred packs of hounds, of which not over ten percent use hounds which would be eligible for the English Foxhound Stud Book, although the blood has been freely mixed with the American Foxhound.

English Foxhounds will tend to be a bit uncontrollable if they spot a squirrel or rabbit when out on a walk- they love to chase and will usually not listen to your calls when they're in pursuit. They're not a breed that should be trusted offlead in the city in an uncontrolled (unfenced) environment.

Like many of the other hound breeds, English Foxhounds will bark (bay) loudly when unhappy or excited- this may be a problem if you have close neighbors. Due to the baying, English Foxhounds are not recommended for apartment living. They need a large fenced area where they can run offlead often as well.

They do get along well with other dogs, and should do allright in homes with smaller animals such as small dogs and cats if they are raised with them. Having an English Foxhound in your home and then bringing a cat into the home may result in a tradegy.

English Foxhounds do not do very well in kennel environments. They prefer to be with their families. They will bark (bay) to get what they want or the attention that they crave.

Grooming needs are minimal for this breed. Bathe as needed, brush weekly to remove any dead hair, check nails weekly and do any needed trimming, and check the ears for signs of debris or infection weekly.

English Foxhounds are rarely aggressive. They do extremely well with children and their families and will do great with other dogs as well. As mentioned above, small animals such as rabbits, gerbils and other rodents will not be able to roam near the Foxhound or he may chase and harm it. Most are fine with those types of animals until the other animal runs- and then the chase is on.