All About Hounds
Written by Sheri Buston | Photos by Joanne Maisano
For over 20 years, I’ve had the chance to listen to huntsmen. They talk of how the countryside and their hunt territory have changed, how staff has changed, and how hound management has changed. The only thing that has not changed is the desire to breed the best hunting hound. The most common line I hear from huntsmen is, “You have to breed a hound for your territory.” That may be true, but how do you breed a hound that you like, that has good conformation, and can hunt? And after all that, how do you find one that “suits” your territory?
All huntsmen look for three things in the ultimate hunting hound: a great nose, great voice and drive, and great conformation.
Types of Hounds and Their Strengths
The English foxhound, known for its hunting drive, strong sense of smell, stamina, and size, was originally bred in the U.K. and Europe, where hunting conditions are very different. A few packs in the U.S. and Canada have kept the breed 100% pure, while others have introduced English foxhound bloodlines into their packs by crossing them with the American foxhound and/or Penn-Marydel foxhound to create the crossbred foxhound. With that option, the opportunity to create the hunting hound of your choice in North America is wide open.
American foxhounds and Penn-Marydel foxhounds are best known for their tremendous voices and low-scenting capabilities with dryer conditions in the U.S., making them great choices for packs that may have been lacking those traits. There are also several packs across North America that have 100% pure American foxhounds or 100% pure Penn-Marydel foxhounds.
Many hunt packs breed annually and have a large breeding program. Their programs rotate seasonally and allow for the retirement of older hounds or the drafting of hounds to packs that don’t breed as many hounds.
In conversations with huntsmen, I’ve asked the simple question: what does a hound do on a day’s hunt that impresses you most? I posed this question to huntsmen who work with foxhounds of all breeds.
While the answers were all worded differently, they revolved around the same qualities. Huntsmen breed hounds that are “reliable,” “steady,” and “independent”; those that have a “good nose,” a “good voice,” and “great drive”; and hounds that are “busy,” “keen,” have “good conformation,” and “put pressure on the game.”
Steve Farrin, a member of the Norfolk Hunt, an English foxhound pack in New England, explains, “I look for voice, consistency, work ethic, and good conformation to maintain soundness, speed, and drive.”
Richard Roberts, huntsman of the Middleburg Hunt, which breeds American hounds, said that in a pack, he looks for “honesty, both with each other and with their huntsman. Honesty is the glue that binds the team. The importance of this trust and teamwork is critical for hounds finding their game well and for a good, solid start.”
One of the biggest traits with a ripple effect for generations is hound conformation, a physiological standard for each breed type. The perfect hound may not have been bred yet, but many a hound has been judged outside of the hunting field on its athleticism and movement. In these hound shows, enthusiasts and breeders, hunt staff and masters attend to have a good look over the hounds in their appropriate rings: American, crossbred, English, and Penn-Marydel.
Good physical fitness and correct conformation play a role in the longevity, athleticism, and career of a hunting hound. But when asked what they look for, most judges talk about “presence.” When a hound first walks into a show ring, its appearance, confidence, and presence make an impression before judges look to its conformation.
“Whenever I have judged, as explained, presence is first. A flowing free movement comes next, with a good length of stride,” said Martin Blackmore, huntsman of the Princess Anne Hunt.
Judging hounds was once described to me as “a picture you read from the toes up to the nose and left to right.” But overall, like any show, to the judges’ eye it always goes.
The next time you see a hound, you might see it differently knowing all the different qualities that are considered when breeding the next generation. ML
Published in the November 2025 issue of Middleburg Life.