Foxhound stud

MurphysMinder said:
If you breed a litter then yes you are a breeder , albeit not a responsible one who has potential homes lined up before mating the bitch . You say you would like to keep a pup, but would you also be able to take back any pups that for any reason the new owners are unable to keep ?
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Regardless of the breed, you have to look at the dog in front of you with a completely dispassionate eye.

Are they an excellent example of the breed, that's worth the risk to the bitch to be worth breeding from? And will breeding her add something to the ongoing gene pool for the breed? How will you identify potential homes prior to mating? (This is vital for anyone to consider. Not to do so is totally irresponsible).

Can you afford the expense?

Are they a vulnerable breed?

Do you have your bitches Kennel Club information and family tree?

Foxhounds are quite widely bred in the UK to non hunting homes, and stud dog information can be found via the KC website.
 
MurphysMinder said:
If you breed a litter then yes you are a breeder , albeit not a responsible one who has potential homes lined up before mating the bitch . You say you would like to keep a pup, but would you also be able to take back any pups that for any reason the new owners are unable to keep ?
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If we are lucky enough to actually find a mate that would be the point to start considering the plans for the potential litter. I certainly wouldnt let them go to just anyone. In all honesty I have a very large family network and reckon ill be letting people down in first instance rather than being left with any pups.
 
If you have litter, you have to be ready for things to go wrong, to lose money and take the puppies back if things go wrong.

If you can do this then go ahead.

If you aren't 100% sure then don't

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I think anyone who considers breeding anything larger than a spaniel needs to think of its chances should it end up in rescue. This could be by bereavement, change of circs as well as not matching the new wallpaper.

The small dogs go like hot cakes. The large ones just hang around. People don't want them.
 
Spotherisk said:
I know a lady who does agility with her Harrier hounds. Successful (if the hound fancies doing agility on the day!), and she shows and breeds too, it’s a tough breed to do agility with though - it’s just not on their agenda!
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There is a lady who competes in agility in my area with "trail hounds" who are amazing characters. However like Harriers they are not easy and if they don't want to do it they don't! Whilst retired hunting hounds can make good pets they generally end up with hunting people who have the facilities and the lifestyle that suits them. They are also more pragmatic about incidents than most "pet" people.
 
If you are intending to sell any pups you need to be council registered and inspected; the cut off is £1000 gross income from livestock sales a year which, unless you're planning on selling the puppies for a silly-low fee which will invite all sorts of very-definitely-the-wrong-sort-of-people, you'll easily exceed.
Any responsible breeder will take back at any point, and animal they have bred, so you need to also ensure you've got the space, time, and financial capability to look after potentially over 10 dogs for 15years. Plus vet fees if anything goes wrong, health checks, including sedated x rays, beforehand for the bitch....phew. breeding sounds like hard, expensive work. If you want her to have a lasting legacy, much, much easier to just take photos and make memories. 🤷
 
GEECGEE said:
Hi All, I have a 4 year old female foxhound which has been my pet from being a 8 week pup. I got her in Richmond yorkshire but stay in central scotland and You dont see many around in fact I have not seen any others in all the time I have had her.
Contrary to what I have read they do make good pets although she could be described as a spirited girl :) I would like let her have a litter but cannot seem to find a stud. Does anyone on here have or know where I could locate a male foxhound for my little princess ?
Give me a shout if you can help.
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I'd urge you to look around a few rescue centres and you'll soon see we don't need to breed anymore dogs.
 
Beausmate said:
I was under the impression that foxhounds tend to be bred and traded by hunts, not on general sale to the public. Unless they are more the show bred dogs?

Foxhounds seem to be amiable, friendly dogs who are loud and stubborn, have a high drive and need a lot of keeping busy. You'd have to be nuts to want one as a house pet.
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Not nuts, no but it is important to understand them properly. Fox hounds are incredibly sensitive dogs and really, genuinely do better as part of a pack, even a small one as they take confidence from each other. They can make wonderful pets but they are really unlike most breeds that are frequently kept in pet homes. They are also strong, driven (mostly!) and with extraordinary stamina. They are very, very easily spoilt in terms of temperament and confidence and you do NOT want to have to stand down a potentially submissive-aggressive hound, nor do you want a hound that has not been socialized/walked well. They can bolt and go for miles!

They can be deeply soft, affectionate and devoted with hilarious characters but truly, they need other dogs, preferably hounds, to thrive.
 
FieldOrnaments said:
If you are intending to sell any pups you need to be council registered and inspected; the cut off is £1000 gross income from livestock sales a year which, unless you're planning on selling the puppies for a silly-low fee which will invite all sorts of very-definitely-the-wrong-sort-of-people, you'll easily exceed.
Any responsible breeder will take back at any point, and animal they have bred, so you need to also ensure you've got the space, time, and financial capability to look after potentially over 10 dogs for 15years. Plus vet fees if anything goes wrong, health checks, including sedated x rays, beforehand for the bitch....phew. breeding sounds like hard, expensive work. If you want her to have a lasting legacy, much, much easier to just take photos and make memories. 🤷
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The financial comment is incorrect. The determination point of needing a licence is the number litters per annum, the value and the 9 badges of trade and has nothing to do with income generated from livestock of any description. The 1k is all income.
 
Have just had a wonderful trip down memory lane by re-reading the post below.
OP.....if you want thoughts on mating your bitch, please do read. You can do so in safety as the majority, if not all, of those posters are sadly no longer with us.

A

Thread 'Foxhounds at Crufts'

Flicking through the channels today and in the houndy type class (can you tell than I know nothing about showing!) there was a fox hound, a deer hound and several others. Now the fox hound doesnt bear a much resemblance to the fox hounds that I see actually working (as to be expected), however was thinking that surely the hunts breed fox hounds to the correct standard, and the hunts show fairly prolifically ie Peterborough, and spend a lot of time looking at breeding lines, how come we do not see a sample of fox hounds from hunts at shows like Crufts?....I can understand why hunts...
 
gunnergundog said:
Have just had a wonderful trip down memory lane by re-reading the post below.
OP.....if you want thoughts on mating your bitch, please do read. You can do so in safety as the majority, if not all, of those posters are sadly no longer with us.

A

Thread 'Foxhounds at Crufts'

Flicking through the channels today and in the houndy type class (can you tell than I know nothing about showing!) there was a fox hound, a deer hound and several others. Now the fox hound doesnt bear a much resemblance to the fox hounds that I see actually working (as to be expected), however was thinking that surely the hunts breed fox hounds to the correct standard, and the hunts show fairly prolifically ie Peterborough, and spend a lot of time looking at breeding lines, how come we do not see a sample of fox hounds from hunts at shows like Crufts?....I can understand why hunts...
Click to expand...
Having just read all this thread above I had to link to this article in H&H
www.horseandhound.co.uk

Sparkle makes history as first working foxhound to win at Crufts

A hound called Sparkle has made history as the first working foxhound to compete at Crufts – and was named best of breed. The Percy Hunt’s old English foxhound topped the foxhound class yesterday (6 March), in which no other entrant was a working hound, with Percy huntsman Robert McCarthy...
www.horseandhound.co.uk www.horseandhound.co.uk
 
gunnergundog said:
Have just had a wonderful trip down memory lane by re-reading the post below.
OP.....if you want thoughts on mating your bitch, please do read. You can do so in safety as the majority, if not all, of those posters are sadly no longer with us.

A

Thread 'Foxhounds at Crufts'

Flicking through the channels today and in the houndy type class (can you tell than I know nothing about showing!) there was a fox hound, a deer hound and several others. Now the fox hound doesnt bear a much resemblance to the fox hounds that I see actually working (as to be expected), however was thinking that surely the hunts breed fox hounds to the correct standard, and the hunts show fairly prolifically ie Peterborough, and spend a lot of time looking at breeding lines, how come we do not see a sample of fox hounds from hunts at shows like Crufts?....I can understand why hunts...
Click to expand...

Wow, that thread was a cultural experience. For hunting folk (the passage of time has not been kind; none of those posts levelling both barrels at the owner of the showing foxhound come across particularly well in 2025) and for the forum.

I'd forgotten how spicy the forum could get.
 
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