The English and American Foxhound

The English foxhound for more than 300 years has been one of the principal factors in the great English sport of fox-hunting. Perhaps no other single sport has done so much to mold the national character.

The dogs in packs follow the fox across country, and the fox- hunters, under the direction of a "master of foxhounds," ride after them. The fine qualities developed by hard riding, by facing all kinds of weather, and by the dangers incident to jumping high fences and wide ditches, coupled with the sportsmanly behavior which constitutes the etiquette of the hunting field, were just the traits required to make gallant soldiers and successful colonists.

The English foxhound, while of ancient lineage and highly standardized in England, has not been found to meet exactly the requirements of the rougher sport in this country. Thus, through the efforts of a few assiduous fox-hunters, there has been produced a somewhat rangier, lighter, and more courageous dog, known as the American foxhound. The lighter built and more speedy American foxhound is used either in packs, followed by mounted hunters, as in England, or singly, or in couples, to drive the fox within range of a gun.

The development of this breed has been largely due to the initiative and energy of a few men, notably Mr. Harry W. Smith, of Worcester. Massachusetts, in the North, and Brigadier General Roger D. Williams, of Lexington, Kentucky, in the South.

In essentials the American and English breeds are, of course, very similar. The English dog is a little squarer and more pointer-like in the head, with shorter ears and straighter, longer legs. Our dog seems more like a hound to us, with its fuller leather and more elastic pastern and hock and stifle. The English dog looks rather stiff and stilty in comparison, though undoubtedly just what the Englishman wants. And surely the English huntsman knows just exactly what he wants.

The hound is a very primative type od dog and one of the proofs of this is his unvarying and rigid adherence to his pattern of color. White of course is not natural but the result of ages of domestication, and may occur anywhere on a dog, as partial albinism, without regard to symmetry or rule.

It will be found, however, that through all the ages nothing has been able to upset the fundamental pattern on all the hound like dogs, which we see preserved in its purity in the black and tan bloodhound. White may supplant it anywhere, but if there is color it will invariably fall according to this design.

Thus beagles, foxhounds, and many other dogs with hound blood in them will without exception have their black marks in the proper area for black to come, and their tan marks likewise, whether they come in large patches or as ticks or flecks of color in a white ground. The drawings show the main characteristics of the two types, as well as their markings.

From The Book of Dogs: An Intimate Study of Mankind's Best Friend By National Geographic Society (U.S.), Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Ernest Harold Baynes Published 1919. 109 pages Original from Harvard University.

This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years.

See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923 are now in the public domain In the United States,

This inage is also in the public domain in countries that figure copyright from the date of death of the artist (post mortem auctoris in thi case Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 – 1927) and that most commonly runs for a period of 50 to 70 years from that date. If your use will be outside the United States please check your local law.

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the Russian Wolfhound or Borzoi

Those who proclaim the Russian wolfhound, or borzoi, the most wonderful dog in the world have strong grounds for their opinion.

Of great size, a marvelous silky coat not long enough to hide his graceful lines, speed almost equal to a greyhound's, strength almost equal to that of an Irish wolf dog, and with long, muscular jaws, like a grizzly-bear trap, it is no wonder that he is such a favorite, and that beautiful women are so proud of his company.

But the gods always withhold something even from those whom they favor most, and
the borzois we have seen appeared to lack both the keen intelligence and the frank expression characteristic of their British cousins.

We know that the champions of the breed will differ from us in this, but the fact remains that the form of the Russian dog's head leaves little room for brains.

In Russia these hounds are used in wolf-hunting. The wolves are first driven out of
the woods by smaller dogs or by beaters, and when a wolf comes into the open two or three borzois, well matched as to speed and courage, are unleashed and sent after him. They are trained to seize the wolf, one on each side, just behind the ears, and they should do this both at the same moment, so that their antagonist cannot use his formidable teeth on either of them.

They hold their quarry until the huntsman arrives, leaps from his horse, and either dispatches the wolf with a knife or muzzles him and carries him off to be used in training young dogs in a large, railed inclosure made on purpose.

This handsome animal should be of extreme slenderness of head, leg, and waist; narrow
through the shoulders, but very deep in the chest. Pasterns and hocks well let down, and, like the greyhound and whippet, the borzoi should have the back strongly arched or reached to give play to the enormous unbending spring.

The legs are straighter than in the greyhound, especially at the stifle. Color is not a cardinal feature, as in Russia at least the borzoi is really used for wolf-
hunting and the color is unimportant. Here and in England, however, where they are kept solely for their graceful beauty, those in which white predominates, with head and flank markings of lemon, bay, brown, or black, are favorites.

The head should be extremely slender and narrow, the coat deep, silky, and nearly straight, the eyes full and round. Indeed, the eyes of the best dogs look rather flat and scared to one who sees them for the first time. In spite of his slender, rather obsequious, appearance, the borzoi is a serious opponent when in trouble. Woolly hair, bent pasterns, straight back, "cow hocks,'' and a gaily carried tail are all defects to be avoided.

The legs should be strong and straight, of good bone, for speed and endurance. . The feet should not be large, but compact, and with toes well arched and pads deep and elastic. The coach dog should be from 19 to 23 inches high and weigh from 35 to 50 pounds.

From The Book of Dogs: An Intimate Study of Mankind's Best Friend By National Geographic Society (U.S.), Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Ernest Harold Baynes Published 1919. 109 pages Original from Harvard University.

This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years.

See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923 are now in the public domain In the United States,

This inage is also in the public domain in countries that figure copyright from the date of death of the artist (post mortem auctoris in thi case Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 – 1927) and that most commonly runs for a period of 50 to 70 years from that date. If your use will be outside the United States please check your local law.

Tags: Public Domain Clip Art and clip art or public domain and Russian Wolfhound or Borzoi