The dog world can pride itself on the longevity of dog-centric and breed specific events, and among them are Bloodhound trials. In 2017, the Association of Bloodhound Breeders in the UK celebrated 120 years of Bloodhound trials!
The trials had their roots in an experiment conducted in 1886 to see how good the nose was on a Bloodhound. One can almost hear the derisive laughter that must have met this suggestion.
You see, the only hounds around to participate at that time were dogs that had been bred for years to be companions or show dogs. The trials proved, however, that neither the conformation ring nor a comfortable spot in front of a fireplace diminished the innate abilities of this breed. The first tests were easy ones – a simple type of trailing about a mile long (this in order to accommodate all the entries). The Bloodhounds were set on the trails about fifteen minutes after a runner reached the end of it, and while no earth-shattering conclusion was reached at the time other than that the dogs were able to do the job, the trials raised public attention and in particular, aroused interest in trailing among Bloodhound owners. In 1897, the Association of Bloodhound Breeders was formed by prominent breeders not only to promote the breed, but especially to foster the training of Bloodhounds to find people.
Now in it’s 121 year, the ABB understands that the Bloodhound is a breed ruled by its nose, its desire to hunt, legendary. Known to open doors, clear a four foot wall, or squeeze through a tiny gap, the Bloodhound picking up a scent is a magnificent thing to behold. We got our chance a few years back at the AKC National Championship Dog Show. We stopped to visit the son of a dog we had admired, “Knotty,” and had the hound’s attention for a good minute before we lost him. First the left nostril twitched, and then the right one followed suit. Almost immediately, the entire nose went from zero to sixty in twitching miles per hour. His chin tilted as he worked to locate the source of the scent, and his head twisted this way and that as he honed in on the precise direction. No matter. We had ceased to exist to the dog back when that first nostril twitched.
Never miss the opportunity to see a Bloodhound in person, and especially one at work. It’s that special.
IF only they did not howl so much.
Dear Mr. Winkle, (and how’s Natasha, by the way?), most committed hound owners love the sound of their dogs giving “tongue,” but it’s probably true that a Bloodhound howl can penetrate the atmosphere and travel beyond our galaxy. We would not be surprised that if the day ever comes when alien life contacts us as a result of sounds emanating from our planet, it just might be a Bloodhound’s voice they first heard. Just saying.