American Leopard Hound
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| American Leopard Hound | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||||||||||
The American leopard hound is an American breed of hunting dog. It is recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) as a scenthound and is in the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service.[1][2]
Intelligence is one of the breed's strongest attributes. These hounds are affectionate and protective of children. American Leopards are one of the oldest tree dog breeds in the U.S. and are often able to track prey for miles.
Characteristics
The American Leopard Hound is 21 to 27 inches tall and may weigh from 35 to 75 pounds. It comes in a leopard or spotted pattern and may be red, blue, merle, brindle, black or another color, with white making up less than a third of the coat. The American Leopard Hound has a dense, short coat, medium-length drop ears and may have yellow, brown, or blue eyes.[1]
History
The origin of the American leopard hound dog breed is speculative, but many credit their arrival to the Americas dating back to the Spanish conquistadors' arrival in the New World. Others say they were bred with a mixture of Spanish, French, English, Irish, and Scottish hound and herding breeds. Others suggest that the Conquistadors’ dogs bred with Mexican dogs, and then migrated to the United States with settlers who helped them develop into the breed we know today.[3] Those early settlers most likely used the American leopard hounds to hunt hogs.
The breed was recognized as the Leopard Cur by the UKC in 1998. The name was changed to American leopard hound in 2008.[1] While the American leopard hound is not formally recognized by the AKC, it is in their Foundation Stock Service,[4] and has been since 2012.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Breed Standards: American Leopard Hound". United Kennel Club. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ a b "American Leopard Hound Dog Breed Information". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ Grisham, Charles (2023-01-05). "American Leopard Hound Dog Breed Facts: History, Health Traits, and Characteristics". Veterinarians.org. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
- ^ "Foundation Stock Service". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
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