Bloodhound Temperament

All of the information in this post are solely my opinions and may not match up directly with what you’ve heard about bloodhounds, or what you have researched online! The information that I’m writing about is from my own personal experience with these dogs. Just keep that in mind!

Bloodhounds are well-known for their gentle and affectionate temperaments. Despite their imposing size and impressive tracking abilities, these dogs are incredibly laid-back and good-natured. They are known for their patience and tolerance, making them great companions for families with children and other pets. Bloodhounds are also incredibly loyal and form strong bonds with their human families. However, their independent nature and strong tracking instinct may lead to some stubbornness, requiring consistent training and socialization from an early age. Overall, bloodhounds are loving, loyal, and gentle giants, making them wonderful additions to the right homes.

Although the are a gentle breed they do have quirks. One of the the most notable, is food aggression with other dogs. They can become very violent with other dogs at feeding time. That’s why I recommend early socialization with other dogs while feeding. Sometimes, this still does not work. I have a few hounds that with gladly eat along side another dog, and some that will hardly eat because they are so worried about the other dog in the vicinity. I have only had one bloodhound, that I received when he was older, that was aggressive with ME while he was eating. He was the sweetest dog in the world until you fed him. I quickly went into action and began a training routine and finally broke him of it. It was a long drawn out process and took tremendous patients. I did not breed this dog due to this fact. I found him a great home where he is thriving now.

You hear some people say, “bloodhounds are stupid, dumb dogs.” This is highly, and I stress highly, incorrect! I think people say this because of their look and stubbornness. Those people are mistaken stubbornness for stupidity. Think about it, the bloodhound knows what he wants to do, and doesn’t automatically do what he’s told, because he is SMART. He knows how to get his way and push boundaries. These dogs think outside the box, I think due to what they were bred for, tracking! A good tracking dog needs to be independent and stubborn to track for miles and miles on end, without giving up. This is why early training is key, and constant ongoing training is a must in a lot of situations with these dogs.

So there you go, that’s my take on the temperament of the bloodhound breed! Thanks for checking out my post!