Physical Characteristics of the bloodhound breed
Dogs come in many shapes and sizes, however, none are quite like the Bloodhound. After centuries of domestication and selective breeding the bloodhound today is very similar to how it was when it was first domesticated(for more information of domestication, visit Zak's page). Lets take a look at what a bloodhound looks like. As seen in the diagram to the right, there are many components which are unique to the canine species. All dogs have these specific body parts from the shoulder, to the wrist, all the way to the tail. It is the proportions of these features which make dogs unique from one and other. For example, wiener dogs have extremely short forelegs, and hind legs in comparison to their long thick body. A bloodhound on the other hand stands much taller with a longer muzzle. The bloodhound has an athletic frame that is covered in shaggy furry skin, this gives them the appearance of being chunky even though they are fairly slim and fit. According to the World Heritage Encyclopedia, bloodhounds weigh anywhere from 80-110 pounds and stand at 23-27 inches tall. They are classified in the large dog category as apposed to the tiny, small, and middle sized canines. Like other breeds, the bloodhound come in a variety of shades in color including black, liver, tan or red. These dogs will be one of these colors as opposed to other multicolored breeds such as the Dalmation. Their coats are typically composed of thick fur with no mixture of longer hair Unique features of the Bloodhound include it's unusually large skeletal structure where most of their weight concentrated in their thick bones. Covering these thick bones is a large amount of saggy skin, this skin folds over itself and give the bloodhound a nice droopy look, but they are oh so cute. It is easy to identify a Bloodhound with their large heads, thick bodies, and droopy ears that seam to hang all the way to the ground. |
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