HomeBreeds › American Foxhound

Hound · Large (60-70 lbs) · 11-13 years

American Foxhound

Independent, easygoing, sweet; melodious pack hound; one of America's rarest breeds.

60–70 lb

At a glance

Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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What this is

What they’re great at

✓ Genuinely dog-social
✓ Loyal companionship, independent
Why it matters

Honest challenges

Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.

What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Under-exercise becomes YOUR problem
A working engine without an outlet redirects into barking, digging, and demolition.

What helps: A daily aerobic outlet is non-negotiable - Scent work is this breed's love language. 20 minutes of brain work tires like an hour of fetch: puzzles, scent games, new tricks. Feed meals from puzzle feeders and snuffle mats - make breakfast a job.
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.

What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
Independent contractor, not employee
Bred to work without human direction - repetition drills insult them.

What helps: Short sessions, premium pay: five brilliant minutes beat thirty mediocre ones. Work WITH the instincts - scent games for noses, chase games for sprinters. Marker training makes your 'yes' crystal clear (Training School).
What you can do

Exercise & training

Exercise: Very high - 2 hrs/day
Training profile — Scent hound: Independent by design - bred to trail for hours without checking in. Train with food, patience, and realistic expectations of off-leash reliability.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Scent work · Long-line endurance hikes
What you can do

Grooming & coat

Grooming: Very low.
Shedding: Moderate.
Good to know

Health to know about

Thrombocytopathy, ear infections; very healthy
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
How much should YOUR American Foxhound eat?

This page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.

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Why it matters

Emergency red flags

Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
These need to work when the signal does not

The app keeps every American Foxhound red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.

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📊 The numbers

Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.

GroupHound
SizeLarge (60-70 lbs)
Lifespan11-13 years
Healthy adult weight60–70 lb
Original purposePack fox hunting.
Monthly care$80-$140
Typical puppy price$500-$1,200
🐕 Similar breeds
Got a American Foxhound?

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Bring your American Foxhound in

Add them once and everything here becomes about your dog: feeding by their weight, training picked for their stage, a day built around your hours, and a vitals log that shows the trend. Free, works offline, no account needed.

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Get this for your own dogFeeding by their weight, a daily plan, emergency cards that work offline. Free, no account needed.
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