Helpful Advice for Potential Bloodhound Owners

About two years ago, a wonderful bloodhound named Mason joined our family. He came to us from a rescue league in Pennsylvania. Since that time, he has become a very important and enjoyable part of our household. Prior to Mason's arrival, I really did not know a lot about bloodhounds and there have been some pleasant and unpleasant surprises with this one. I wanted to share these experiences with anyone who may be considering a bloodhound as a family pet.

Bloodhounds are a lot larger than what I had thought. Mason weighs 125 pounds which is on the larger side for bloodhounds. Most bloodhounds weigh in the 80 to 110 pound range. While they are a large breed, they do not require as much space as you might think because they tend to be fairly inactive. The fenced outside yard that we use for Mason is only about 20' by 20' and he seems to be very content with that.

Mason has had some problems with ear and neck irritation. According to our veterinarian, this is a fairly common issue with bloodhounds. With the loose skin around the face and neck area, they retain a lot of water in these areas which lead to the skin irritation. To minimize this we have to wash these areas with special shampoo every couple of days. This is fairly easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes.

As with a lot of bloodhounds, Mason needs to be supervised closely when he is unrestrained outside. He listens well and does not have any behavior problems outside. The only issue is that if he picks up an interesting scent, he will put his head down and start following it. He does not run off but if you are not paying attention, he will follow the scent off into the woods or wherever.

The biggest problem that we have had with Mason is the drool issue. This is a very important thing for any potential owner to consider. Bloodhounds drool a lot. Not only do they drool, but they also shake out their heads which can send drool flying all over the room. You will end up with drool on the walls, on the ceiling, on the furniture, and on your clothes. It is a daily task to wash down the house and clean up the several drool trails that Mason has left about. It can be very frustrating to get dressed for a meeting and get hit by projectile drool on your way out the door. Many owners would find this to be a major issue and needs to be taken into consideration.

The temperament of a bloodhound is one of the great things about them. Mason is very friendly with all people and other pets. We have two young children and Mason is always attentive and gentle with them. If they accidentally step on him or anything like that, he does not growl or get upset in any way. He is also good with our cats. The cats do find his constant sniffing a little annoying at times but he does not ever try to hurt them. He has got along fine with our beagle and they are great friends.

I believe that a bloodhound is a very good dog for family protection as well. Due to their size and their deep growl, many people find them to be very intimidating. Even though I could never see Mason ever biting a person, I have seen delivery people and contractors that were absolutely terrified of him. So you get the intimidation protection, while not having to overly worry about the liability of an aggressive dog.

Bloodhounds do not require as much exercise an most other breeds. They are very content to spend most of their time sleeping. Mason is still relatively young and he seems to be sleeping 70% of the time. I wonder how much time he will spend sleeping as he gets older. Just like in some movies, he loves to sleep on the front porch of the house.

Overall, my experience with Mason has been very positive. He is very loyal and loving to the whole family. But if you are a person that is considering a bloodhound as a family pet, please take into consideration the drawbacks listed above. According to the rescue league, bloodhounds have a very high rate of abandonment. This is usually not an issue with temperament but with the time intensive cleaning and upkeep. They can be a great joy in your life as long as you know what you are getting into.