He is tall and heavy boned. When full grown, a male can weight between 120 and 130 pounds. He is an imposing dog with an enormous head that is known to be one of the "world's most wrinkled".

Indeed, the skin folds from his forehead, his cheeks and his neck; the lips do not seem to stop falling.

His ears are so long that they can wrap the entire skull and snout.

The small and sunken eyes, the inferior eyelids that form two reddish pouches, and the ogival shaped skull with a prominet occipital bone make him one of the most distinguished dog of the creation.

He looks sad, a little formal, but when he lifts his head, he is a real nobleman. He walks with dignity and is capable of nise springy strides. His great endurance makes up for his lack of speed. He can walk for a whole day tracking with his nose to the ground without showing any sign of fatigue.

His reactions, usually good natured, can also be striking on some occasions. He is the king of the hound dogs.

His short and silky hair is usually found in three variety of colors : the "black and tan", the "red" and the "liver and tan" (liver and tan bloodhounds have a brown nose).

• Always verify that the wrinkles in his face and neck do not conceal any infection.
• Take a close look at his long ears and at his eyes.
• Because of his short hair and his weight, he should have a blanket or a pillow to lie on in order protect his elbows. His liking of comfort might lead him to adopt without any problems the best and the most comfortable couch in your house

His good nature makes it an easy dog to live with. It might not be a guard dog by nature, but its size and appearance make him very dissuasive. The bloodhound is usually not a biter.

He learns basic commands without any difficulties, but he is not a dog that can be trained by "pushing a button". This very affectionate and very gentle dog is, first of all, an independent dog. His gentleness and good nature make up for his independence.

We must keep in mind its hunter lineage and that he is a pack dog. The male is a real lion that does not tolerate very well cohabitation with another male. When walking it, he is not aggressive, but will not let another dog dominate him. Because of his strong pack instinct, there can only be one leader, meaning that the master MUST know how to lay the rules.

You must lay down the rules at the very beginning and stick to them. You must be able to take his plate from under his nose, to impose restrictions within the household, and you must never tolerat growling. He has a strong tendency to be stubborn and, because of his melancolic look, we have a tendency to let him get away with it!

The female is easier to handle, and usually more willing to please the family members. She gets along with almost everybody. Both males and females are drawn to kids and are very patien towards them. Like any dog, they have to be exposed at an early age to yong children in order to develop a complicity with them.

The bloodhound is a very distinctive dog: gentle with a lot of character. He is also gifted with an amazing talent in tracking, in which he demonstrates an incredible tenacity. As for its scenting abilities, he is simply the best.