Dumfriesshire hound facts for kids
| Origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Breed status | Extinct |
| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |
The Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound was a special type of foxhound dog. These dogs lived in a group called a pack at Glenholm Kennels, near Lockerbie in Scotland. Sadly, the pack was officially stopped, or "disbanded," in 2001.
This unique breed was started after the First World War by a man named Sir John Buchanan Jardine. He was famous for writing a book about dogs called Hounds of the World. People believe these hounds were created by mixing three different dog breeds: the Bloodhound, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, and the English Foxhound. They were known for being bigger than most foxhounds and had a distinct black and tan coat.
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What Made Them Special?
The Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhounds were quite large. They were also used to help create other dog breeds. For example, they were mixed with Dumfriesshire Otterhounds when the Otterhound pack was being formed.
Improving Other Dog Breeds
After the Second World War, the Dumfriesshire hound's special traits were used to make other dog breeds better. They helped improve the speed and quickness of several clean boot hunting Bloodhound packs. "Clean boot hunting" means following a human scent, not an animal's. For instance, a person named Eric Furness added Dumfriesshire hound blood to his Peak Bloodhounds to make them faster.
Their Legacy in France
Even though the original Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound pack was disbanded in 1986, their legacy lives on. There is a pack of dogs in France today that are descended from them. This pack is called Equipage de la Roirie. These dogs are also used by another French pack, Equipage Pique Avant Nivernais, as staghounds (dogs that hunt deer), alongside the Français Blanc et Noir hound.
Dumfriesshire Hounds in Movies
These impressive hounds even became movie stars! Dumfriesshire hounds played the role of bloodhounds in the 1978 film The Thirty Nine Steps, which starred Robert Powell. Part of the movie was filmed right in the Kettleholm area, where the hounds lived.
