Hound breeds: Bloodhound

Origin
    There is little evidence to prove just how old the Bloodhound really is, but it was known throughout the Mediterranean long before the Christian era. When Aelian wrote the "Historia Animalium" in the third century A.D., he specifically described a bloodhound-like dog. The first Bloodhounds came to Europe through Constantinople before the crusades. The monks of St. Hubert in Belgium perfected the breed in the 8th century. The breed has also been well known as the St. Hubert's hound. In the 12th century, church dignitaries were among the best known to develop the breed. Every monastery had a kennel. To these people goes much of the credit for keeping the breed pure.
    The Bloodhound has been well known in America for more than 100 years. He was used extensively in tracking escaped slaves before the Civil War. This is a most docile breed. He is used only to track, never to attack.
    The nose of the bloodhound is legendary. Bloodhounds have brought about more convictions for American police departments than human detectives. One dog alone was credited with more than 600 convictions. In the early 1900s, a Bloodhound picked up a trail that was more than 105 hours old and followed it through to a conviction. Since then, the record has more than doubled. Several Bloodhounds have followed a human trail for well over 100 miles. The Bloodhound is so accurate in his trailing that his evidence is accepted in courts of law.

General description