- Any colour
About the American Foxhound
Origin: United States Of America
- Typical life span
- 11-13 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 29-32 kg
- Female
- 27-29 kg
- Height
- Male
- 56-64 cm
- Female
- 53-61 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Scent hounds and related breeds
- Origin
- United States Of America
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a American Foxhound?
A sleek, powerful scenthound with a long, fine-boned body and athletic build, known for incredible stamina, speed, and melodious baying voice. One of the oldest American-bred dogs, developed for endurance and pack hunting.
American Foxhound history and origins
Developed from English Foxhounds imported to Colonial America in the 1650s, refined for American terrain and fox hunting. George Washington was a key figure in the breed's development, breeding them to be lighter, taller, and faster for hunting American red fox over varied terrain.
American Foxhound appearance and size
Males typically weigh 29-32 kg and stand 56-64 cm at the shoulder; females 27-29 kg and 53-61 cm.
American Foxhound temperament and personality
Generally described as independent, friendly, gentle, energetic and intelligent.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hound
Quoted from FCI standard n°303. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Hound” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the American Foxhound
What you get with the American Foxhound
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hound”
- Commonly described as: “Independent, friendly, gentle, energetic”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; The Dog API. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · American Foxhound
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Close, hard hound coat of medium length
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°303 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Dogs should not be under Bitches should not be under 22 or over 25 inches (56-63,5 cm). 21 or over 24 inches (53-61 cm), measured across the back at the point of the withers, the hound standing in a natural position with his feet well under him”
- FCI gives a bound on one side only, so there is no range to state.
Quoted from FCI standard n°303. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Temperament
Independentfriendlygentleenergeticintelligent
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the American Foxhound in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a American Foxhound
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the American Foxhound on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where American Foxhound owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No American Foxhound breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.