The Hamilton Hound originates in Sweden where it was used to hunt fox and hare. Several breeds of Hound, including the English Foxhound are thought to have been the ancestors of the modern day Hamilton Hound.A loving and affectionate dog, the Hamilton Hound not only makes an excellent hunting dog, but an ideal family pet and companion as well.
The Hamilton Hound is generally very sweet-tempered and full of pep, making them highly suitable to be raised with children. It should be noted that the Hamilton Hound is a very active dog that requires a great deal of exercise. Additionally, this dog is most definitely a “people-dog” and therefore is ill suited to life in a kennel. The Hamilton Hound is intelligent and relatively easy to train and takes to obedience training easily.
It should be noted though, that while the Hamilton Hound is very devoted to its family and in most cases, will protect it when necessary, the Hamilton Hound is not a highly aggressive dog, and therefore probably should not be used as a watchdog. This having been said, so long as a family is willing to give the Hamilton Hound the attention and exercise that it needs, it will make a fine family pet.The Hamilton Hound is a medium sized dog; standing anywhere from 20 to 24 inches and weighing in at around 55 to 60 pounds. The coat of the dog is short, although in the winter it can be thick.
Coat colors can include a tri-color, black, tan and white. Ideally, the dog should have black coloration on the back, neck and the sides of its body. The tan coloration should be on the head and some of the body and white on the muzzle of the dog, as well as its feet and chest area. The head of the dog is long and the muzzle of the Hamilton Hound is of medium length and well proportioned to its head. The ears lie flat and the eyes are a chestnut color.
Throughout the history of the Hamilton Hound, the dog has been quite close to humans, as in the past, Swedish Hunters used only one dog, as opposed to using a pack of hounds.It is important to stress this dog’s need for exercise. It is equally important to stress that before exercise, the Hamilton Hound needs to be warmed up in order to prevent injury. This is especially true for dogs that spend a great deal of time indoors. Activities such as a short walk, or playing ball would be suitable as a warm-up. It is also important that the Hamilton Hound be properly groomed.
This includes brushing and combing the dogs’ coat, clipping the dogs’ nails and checking the dogs’ ears and eyes to make sure that everything is healthy. It should be noted that the dog should not be bathed too frequently, as this can cause the natural oils in the coat to dry out. Please be sure that your Hamilton Hound is properly vaccinated, as they are prone to the same diseases that most dogs are: rabies, parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis just to name a few of the most common ones.