The Foxhound

Many people know the name Foxhound without ever having met one. The Foxhound is a large English hound with a short coat, traditionally kept in a pack. It needs a lot of space and a lot of exercise.

About the breed

The Royal Kennel Club places the Foxhound in its hound group. It describes hounds as breeds that people first used for hunting, either by scent or by sight.

The Club lists the Foxhound as a large dog with a short coat that sheds. It suggests grooming once a week and gives a lifespan of over 12 years. The breed standard accepts many colours, including tricolour, lemon and white, and badger pied.

A dog bred to live in a pack

The Royal Kennel Club says the English Foxhound has always been a pack hound. Owners in the UK have shown Foxhounds in the show ring only in the recent past. Show rings in the USA and Australia have had them for much longer.

Few Foxhounds appear on the Club's own register. The Club recorded 6 registrations in 2024 and 5 in 2025. It explains that the breed is known to be numerous outside its own records.

Exercise and space

The Royal Kennel Club suggests more than 2 hours of exercise a day for a Foxhound. It says the breed suits a large house with a large garden, in the country more than in town.

The Countryside Code asks dog walkers in England and Wales to keep their dog on a lead or in sight. It also asks them to be confident their dog will come back when called. The Code says walkers on Open Access land must put their dog on a lead between 1 March and 31 July. On Open Access land and at the coast, they must also use a lead around livestock.

What every dog needs

The PDSA describes five welfare needs that every pet owner must provide. A dog needs a suitable place to live and a suitable diet. It needs the chance to behave naturally, and company that suits the species. It also needs protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease, with treatment when it is ill or hurt.

The PDSA explains that the Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a legal duty of care on owners and keepers to meet these needs. Defra publishes a code of practice for the welfare of dogs to help owners do so.

The law for dog owners

GOV.UK says every dog in the UK must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by the time it is 8 weeks old. It also says owners can be fined up to £500 if their dog is not microchipped when it needs to be.

The Control of Dogs Order 1992 says a dog on a highway or in a public place must wear a collar, with some exceptions. The collar, or a plate or badge on it, carries the owner's name and address.

GOV.UK says it is against the law to let any dog be dangerously out of control. This applies in a public place, in a private place such as a neighbour's garden, and in the owner's own home.

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