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GiantHound Group

Bloodhound

The Bloodhound is among the oldest documented scent hound breeds, traced to the Saint Hubert monastery in Belgium by the 8th century.

Calculate Bloodhound age
Lifespan9.3 yrrange 8–11
SizeGiantHound Group
Weight80–110 lb36.3–49.9 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Bloodhound

The Bloodhound is among the oldest documented scent hound breeds, traced to the Saint Hubert monastery in Belgium by the 8th century. Its olfactory epithelium yields scent-discrimination unmatched by any other breed; trail evidence is admissible in US courts.

Aging

How Bloodhounds age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 9.3 years (n=205, small UK sample) — among the shortest-lived AKC breeds. GDV is the defining late-life killer in this deep-chested hound; ectropion and chronic ear infections shape mid-life welfare.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 9.3 yr · range 8–11Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues7 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
80–110 lb(36.3–49.9 kg)
Height
23–27 in(58.4–68.6 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Black & TanLiver & TanRed
Temperament

Temperament

How Bloodhounds tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

patientdeterminedaffectionatestubborn
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~8 yr

    Degenerative Myelopathy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Degenerative Myelopathy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Bloodhounds are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.