Overview
The Trigg Hound takes its name from a Kentucky breeder who refined the American Foxhound into a faster, racier dog for competitive fox hunting. It remains a strain rather than a separate breed to most registries. Lean, long-eared and usually tricolour, it looks like a stretched Beagle with the engine to match.
You are unlikely to meet one in Britain, but the handling is that of any pack foxhound: amiable, undemanding at home, and single-minded the moment a trail crosses the path.
Exercise and walking needs
Give a Trigg Hound a couple of hours a day if you can. The breed was bred to run for hours over rough ground, and anything less leaves excess energy to spend at home.
Running alongside a bike or a jog on the lead is a good fit, provided the owner is happy and the dog is mature.
On the walk
- Scent: The whole dog is built around following a line. Expect it to pull toward the hedgerow and ignore the path you had planned.
- Recall: Unreliable by design, not by fault. Foxhounds were never bred to come back to a person, they were bred to stay with the scent and the pack.
- Other dogs: A natural pack dog. Most Triggs are relaxed with groups and settle well on a multi-dog walk.
- Weather: The short coat offers little against wind and rain. Watch for shivering on wet winter days and keep the dog moving.
Tips for professional walkers
- Use a long line in open country and a secure field for any proper free running.
- Walk the same route a few times before trying somewhere new; familiar ground is less distracting.
- Carry a whistle if the owner uses one; the sound cuts through better than a voice.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog lived in a kennel or as a house pet, and how does it settle with strangers handling it?
- What is the recall history, and has the dog ever had to be collected from somewhere it should not have been?
- Does it chase livestock, deer or cats, and how does the owner want that managed?