English Foxhound puppies

About the English Foxhound

The English Foxhound was built by British hunts to run in a pack behind a fox, and everything about it follows from that: straight legs, a deep chest, a short hard coat and a very large voice. It is a level headed, sociable dog, bred over centuries to work shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other hounds and to accept handling from anyone. That makes it easy in company, top rated with children and other pets, and remarkably relaxed indoors once it has been worked.

The catch is the running. Foxhounds were made to cover miles and are poorly suited to a flat or a small garden. Give one a rural home, long brisk walks or a jogging partner, and a fence that holds. Grooming is a weekly hound glove and regular ear cleaning. Two things surprise new owners: the volume of the bay, which carries across fields, and the fact that a hound on a scent stops hearing you, so keep it on a lead outside secure ground.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a English Foxhound puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs, so owners should learn the signs
• Hip dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
• Ear infections in the low hanging ears, caught by regular ear checks
• Foot and pad injuries from hard running, found by checking the feet after exercise

From English Foxhound breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/english-foxhound/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your English Foxhound puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a English Foxhound.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 27.2 to 34 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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