Majestic Tree Hound vs American Foxhound - Breed Comparison

As a cousin of the English Foxhound, the American Foxhound is a scent hound and bred for hunting. Robert Brooke brought the first hunting dogs to the colonies in 1650. These dogs were the starting point for several American hound breeds including the American Foxhound.

For almost 300 years the Brooke family owned and bred dogs from this bloodline.

At the same time that Brooke was hunting with and breeding his hounds, George Washington was given French Foxhounds. These were crossed with the Brooke’s dogs to create the American Foxhound. This breed is said to have been originally bred in Virginia and Maryland.

They are the state dog of Virginia. After Red Foxes were imported or migrated, Irish Foxhounds were brought to American and added into the line, increasing the stamina and speed that today’s dog’s still display.

The American Foxhound was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1886. Today’s American Foxhound presents in many different lines but are all considered the same breed even though some ay look very different. These strains include the Trigg, Walker, Penn-Marydel, Goodman, July and Calhoun.

The Majestic Tree Hound is a fairly new crossbreed dog. While the actual breed is very recent, the stem stock goes way back to medieval times.

The dog’s heritage goes back to the St. Hubert Hound named after Francois Hubert. He bred the best scenting hounds in Southern France.

In fact when France experienced political unrest that resulted in emigration to the United States, they brought their dogs, among them hound dogs which were then crossed with other dogs. Bloodhounds, English Foxhounds, American Coon and Big Game Hounds have all contributed to the Majestic Tree Hound after a long time of breeding to bring forth a hound that had sharp scenting abilities as well as a balanced temperament.

The origin of the Majestic Tree Hound is the United States.

Today they are not seen much outside the United States. The first Majestic's were registered with the National Kennel Club in April 1980.

Given the variety of bloodlines and strains mentioned above, there can be many differences in the American Foxhounds. Because of this most American Foxhounds bred to show are Walkers as they most closely fit the AKC Breed Standard.

In general, the American Foxhound has long, straight legs and is taller than the English Foxhound. They have a narrow chest and domed skull with a long muzzle.

They have low, wide set eyes that should be dark – brown or hazel, never blue. They have feet like a fox and laid-back shoulders with a curved tail. Athletic and muscled, the American Foxhound is bred to run. They are one of the rarest breeds in the United States.

The Majestic Treehound is a large sized working dog. This dog is a cross between the Bloodhound and the Black and Tan Coonhound. Both male and female stand at roughly 61-76 cm in height and weighs in at about 33 – 50kg.

If you want your dog to become a parent, you can expect between 2 to 6 of the cutest puppies.

The coat is smooth, short and dense and comes in a number of colors such as black, black and tan grey and white as well as red and blue ticking.

The dog has sunken brown or yellow eyes, particularly long, floppy ears, a deep chest and a long tail. The tail is set high and is thick at the base and is essentially carried in accordance with the dog’s mood. The tail is never carried over the back. There was a time when the tail of the Majestic was docked, giving him an attractive, compact look. They are powerfully built dogs with a dignified look to them.

Temperament:

The Majestic Treehound has always been a most fearless and adept hunter and he is a dog that just loves being busy. They are also loyal and devoted companions for their human families.

He is a huge dog but he is gentle, good natured and kind with children and is also willing to get on well with pets in the home. You won’t find him being much of a guard dog though because he is just too friendly for this.

He is a dog that is going to need regular exercise, and his sheer size and exercise requirements will make it that he is better off living in the countryside than in the city.

He is an intelligent dog who will be easy to train. Training and socialization will be good for him as he knows exactly how to behave in different situations. He doesn’t want to be left on his own for too long because he bonds closely with his owners and wants to be around them constantly.

With a reputation as a docile, sweet dog, the American Foxhound is great with kids and animals. They are gentle and often very shy with strangers. They are strong willed and stubborn especially when training them, so they are not a good first dog. They need an owner who has handled dogs before and knows how to be the pack leader without being angry or mean.

The American Foxhound is a scent hound and once he is on the scent it is close to impossible to distract him from it. They have a tendency to ignore commands when they are in this state. A strong owner/leader is needed for this reason. Don’t let him off leash in an unfenced area.

This large attractive dog has a gentle nature and is loving and affectionate towards his human family, getting on well with children and other pets in the family.

As with most little dogs, this big dog doesn’t like to be left alone for a long time. With training and socialization he becomes obedient and amicable, knowing how to behave well so that he can be taken anywhere.

Treat this loving dog with love and care and he is guaranteed to make you a splendid family pet.

The American Foxhound, like most hunting dogs does not carry a lot of genetic disorders. But they can easily become overweight and this can cause major problems. Dysplasia of any type had been mostly unknown in this breed, but due to obesity it is cropping up on occasion. Breeders have not, and do not usually screed for any genetic diseases.

The most devastating health issue the American Foxhound faces is thrombocytopathy. We will go into more detail on this in the Care for Pet section. This is a disease of the blood system, namely the platelets.

The Majestic is a robust breed, and with good food and exercise he can live to be between 10 and 13 years of age.

It has been discovered that like many other dogs, he can battle with hip dysplasia. Large dogs are more prone to hip dysplasia. It is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. It’s a serious condition that can cause arthritis and lameness.

Hip dysplasia often begins when a dog is still a puppy. One of the symptoms is difficulty with getting up after lying down, pain in hip joints and even loss of muscle mass. You will need to get your pet to the vet. The vet will perform a complete physical exam on your dog and then talk to you about treatment.

Feeding

Whether feeding a pup, or an adult American Foxhound, you need to be sure the food is high quality and that you don’t overfeed. The Foxhound is happy to eat as much as you give him. They like to eat. Make sure you measure and don’t free feed. Control what they are eating.

For a puppy feed twice, a day – 2 to 3 cups of high quality puppy food. When he becomes an adult feed him once a day with 2 cups of adult food.

Health issues

As mentioned previously, the American English Foxhound, like most of the hound breeds is a very healthy dog. They do not have many genetic health issues. They do have a risk for thrombocytopathy. This risk is slight, but all owners of American English Foxhounds should be aware of it.

Thrombocytopathy

This disease is a circulatory system disease with poorly or non-functioning platelets. Platelets are designed to assist in the control of bleeding and without functioning ones the dog can bleed excessively from just a minor cut or bleed internally from a minor injury. The disease can be treated but you have to notice it first. Depending on how severe the disease is, the treatment will vary. Some dogs will have to be given platelets.

Exercise and games

This is a high energy breed that is very active and needs a lot of exercise. They are not good for the first-time owner as they are stubborn and hard to train. They need room to run and get frustrated and out of sorts if they don’t have it. They can live in the suburbs but only with a large fenced yard, an even larger dog park and regular walks. This dog needs a lot of exercise. The simplest thing to do is take him hunting.

Grooming:

Occasional brushing, perhaps twice a week, will be enough to maintain this dog’s short coat. The long ears tend to drag on the ground, collecting dirt and moisture, and the ears particularly will need to be washed or wiped down and checked inside for infection.

Exercise:

This is a dog with high exercise requirements. A walk a day for him is a good thing but it won’t be enough – he will need some rough and tumble games and want to join you on hikes, swimming and jogs.

Diet:

Majestic Tree Hounds require nutritious food. If you want to use commercially manufactured food, make sure its the better one as some of the cheaper brands put fillers, preservatives and colorants in and this can cause a whole lot of damage for your dog.

Buy quality food for your pet. The idea is to keep things simple for your big dog so that he doesn’t succumb to digestive problems. Apart from top quality kibble, homemade food will be excellent for him. Boiled chicken cooked in some coconut oil with some brown rice and pasta and some cooked or raw vegetables will be delicious for your dog. You can add it to his dry kibble. Remember to ensure he always has cool, fresh water.