How Did the Bloodhound Get Its Name?
How Did the Bloodhound Get Its Name? Despite the bloodhound’s name, it is not vicious and has no special fondness for blood. This big saggy-skinned dog is so-named because it is a blooded (pedigreed) hound. Its lineage dates back to very early records in Europe. The bloodhound has the best sense of smell of all dogs.
Originally bred for tracking game, follow the trail of a wounded animal by scent, this well-mannered dog is now used mostly to track fugitives or lost persons. A bloodhound can track down a person who is lost in the woods by sniffing something that belongs to that person and picking up his/her trail.
The Bloodhound possesses, in a most marked degree, every point and characteristic of those dogs which hunt together by scent (Sagaces). He is very powerful, and stands over more ground than is usual with hounds of other breeds. The skin is thin to the touch and extremely loose, this being especially noticeable about the head and neck, where it hangs in deep folds.