American Foxhound
About the American Foxhound
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Large (50-100 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 21-25" |
| Weight | 60-70 lbs |
| Coat Type | Smooth |
| Coat Length | Short |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Very High (90+ min/day)
90 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Moderate - Weekly
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $500-$1,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,100/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, American Foxhounds may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- Apartment Living
- First-Time Owners
- Long Work Hours Away
Guides for your American Foxhound
The story behind the American Foxhound
English hounds imported to the American colonies from the 1600s onward founded this breed, with later infusions of French and Irish hound blood shaping the result. Colonial landowners, George Washington among the best documented, kept and bred packs, and the American type diverged from the English foxhound as hunters selected for a taller, lighter, faster hound with a keener nose to suit vast open country and different quarry. Regional strains developed through the 1800s and were maintained by hunt clubs and field trial organisations. Registration came in the late 1800s. Today the American Foxhound is numerically healthy in working packs across the eastern and southern United States yet extremely uncommon as a household pet, and it appears rarely at shows.
Originally bred for: Hunting, Pack hound, Trailing. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a American Foxhound
Endurance running on a lean rangy frame calls for a quality food with dependable protein and fat, scaled up sharply during hunting season and pulled back out of it. Pack hounds hold condition best when fed toward a lean athletic outline rather than a comfortable one.
Watch for: No breed-wide sensitivity pattern is documented for these hounds. Working dogs fed varied kennel rations usually digest robustly, though abrupt switches cause looseness, and pendulous ears make ear inflammation worth investigating on its own merits. Veterinary guidance should shape any change.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for large breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket, and a slow feeder bowl if your dog inhales dinner. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a American Foxhound
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse chew toys built for strong jaws and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a properly sized crate.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.