MyDogBreeds
Old Danish Pointer is originated from Denmark but American Foxhound is originated from United States. Both Old Danish Pointer and American Foxhound are having almost same height. Both Old Danish Pointer and American Foxhound are having almost same weight. Both Old Danish Pointer and American Foxhound has almost same life span. Old Danish Pointer may have less litter size than American Foxhound. Both Old Danish Pointer and American Foxhound requires Low maintenance.
Hailing from Denmark, the Old Danish Pointer originates back to 1710 and has been used as a pointing breed for finding game.
Today they are essentially used as pet companions. Morten Bak mated local farm dogs with gypsy breeds, leading to the development of piebald purebred dogs. These were named Old Danish Pointers.
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 Old Danish Pointer is a medium-sized, purebred dog standing at between 50 and 60cm in height and weighing between 26 and 35kg.
This beautiful dog is muscular and lean with a broad head, floppy ears and a long thin tail. The coat is smooth and short haired and is white with large reddish brown patches as well as some freckling.He is an average shedding dog.
He has dark brown eyes. He is amicable and gets on well with children in the home as well as with other dogs. Even so, it is best to have him trained and socialized as he becomes obedient and more amicable than he already is. If you decide to go in for breeding your dog, you can expect 4 to 6 puppies.
Quiet, calm and steady, the Danish Pointer is also stubborn, and this is why training and socialization is so important for him.
Outdoors and perhaps on a hunt he becomes highly animated and alive, but back home with his family he is a calm, loving, devoted family pet and loves spending time with his human family. He forms a close bond with his human owner and when he is well trained, he likes to please his owner.
He is intelligent too and finds learning new things easy.
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.
Not only is the Old Danish Pointing Dog an excellent hunter, he is also friendly and loving when he is just being a pet.
These dogs are quiet, amicable pets enjoying the time they spend with their human family. He is low maintenance, he gets on well with children and other pets and he doesn’t spend his time barking endlessly at nothing.
When you take this well mannered, quiet, loving dog into your home, you can be prepared to have up to 14 brilliant years of companionship from him.
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.
The Old Danish Pointer is a healthy dog and you’re not likely to be spending too much time at the vet with him.
However there are always dog illnesses that you need to look out for, and hip dysplasia is always on the top of the list.
While this disease is more prevalent in larger dogs, it can strike smaller dogs too, and in fact dogs of any age. This is a condition where the hip joint doesn’t form properly, so that arthritis and inflammation sets in. It is very sad as you notice your once active dog becoming increasingly immobilized with pain and discomfort.
Eye infections can include entropion and ectropion – conditions where the eyelids irritate the surface of the eye.
Ear infections too, can cause your pet a lot of distress and he will shake his head and scratch his ears. Inside the ears, it will be red and possibly there will be a discharge. This is also more prevalent among dogs with floppy ears. The idea is to try and keep the inside of the ears clean and dry.
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.
With his short coat, the Old Danish Pointer is looked upon as a low maintenance breed. You can brush him twice a week and at the same time check him over for fleas and ticks, ear and eye infections as well as dental infections.
Check his nails too, as many dogs have been injured when their long nails have hooked onto things and ripped open the flesh. When he gets used to it, your pet will find these grooming sessions therapeutic and relaxing, loving the bonding time you spend with him.
Your beautiful Old Danish Pointer loves to spend time outdoors and he is far better suited to life in the countryside and in the suburbs as opposed to life in the city. Give him the chance to take part in a hunt, and he’ll relish it. He also loves long walks where he can even perhaps be let off the leash as well as the chance to go swimming. He is at his happiest when he is tired at the end of the day from hiking, running, swimming and camping.
You can conveniently feed your Old Danish Pointer from the top quality commercially manufactured foods. Just be sure to check the labeling as you want to be sure he gets in the right amount of vitamins and minerals and avoids those foods high in colorants, preservatives and useless fillers.
Keep your dog’s diet simple and nutritious and try to add in some homemade food to his kibble from time to time. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots will keep him healthy and active. You can also try to include some raw meat occasionally.
Make sure he always has access to cool, fresh drinking water.
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.
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.
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.
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.