Training Your Bloodhound: Best Tips, Common Mistakes, and More!

Gentle, placid, affectionate – these are just three words used to describe bloodhounds but don’t be fooled into thinking that this makes them easy to train. They are also active, intelligent, and large! Their incredible sense of smell and instinctive prey drive means that you are always competing for their attention with whatever they can sniff in the environment. Their size means that if things go wrong, they run the risk of being dragged around, and their independence can develop into stubbornness, which leaves them being ignored. Do not despair! There are plenty of effective strategies that work well with this breed. Here, we set out what you need to know when training your bloodhound.

Top Tips for Training a Bloodhound

1. Bloodhounds are sensitive dogs, so only use positive and reward-based training.

• Provide plenty of activities for your bloodhound; they are active dogs and do not like to be bored. Boredom can lead to unwanted behaviors that take time and effort to sort out, so it is best to prevent them from starting in the first place.

• Do not trust your bloodhound not to wander off! These guys were bred for tracking and will find scents irresistible. They are likely to get completely distracted by a scent trail if you do not keep a close eye on them. This breed needs to be on a leash unless their recall has been perfected!

• Don’t overdo exercise with young bloodhounds, as it can damage their joints and cause health problems in later life.

• Be confident and consistent. Use a combination of rewards, treats, and praise to let your pup know when they are on the right track.

• Keep training sessions short. It is a common mistake to overdo training with this breed. These young dogs will not be able to focus for more than 10 minutes at a time. After that, they lose focus and get distracted, which can be frustrating for both of you.

• Bloodhounds can be willful and stubborn, so you need a lot of patience and perseverance. They never respond well to yelling! If you are struggling, consult a professional trainer with experience in training bloodhounds.

Timeline Schedule for Bloodhound Training

8-16 Weeks

With bloodhound pups it is important to start training early – as soon as you get them home. This is a critical age for socialization and exposure to all sorts of environmental stimuli. Pups of this age are curious and want to know what the world looks like. If you miss this critical window with a bloodhound, you could be left with a fearful and possibly reactive dog, as they can be sensitive. Expose them to people, other dogs, traffic, and public transport but in a controlled way. This is not about letting your pup do what they want, they need how to politely greet other dogs.

This is also when you can start teaching impulse control and some simple commands such as ‘sit’. Get your pup to sit before you play their favorite game with them. This teaches them that good things come to dogs who wait!

Potty training is another critical step for these pups. Reward them for pooping and peeing where you want them to but, never punish them for ‘accidents’. Bear in mind that it can take them a while to get the hang of it. They also need to get used to a collar/harness and leash as these are essential for later in their training.

6 months – 1 Year

This is a critical stage in bloodhound training. You will be building on the foundations that you laid down in their first six months. They should now understand what polite play is and biting should be redirected at toys rather than at your hands.

This is also the age when your dog learns to be alone for short periods and continues to develop impulse control. You can carry on working on some verbal commands but, the recall command is probably the most essential. Keep your bloodhound on a long line until this is perfected.

1 Year and Over

Training never ends. Even after one year of age dogs can develop unwanted behaviors that need correcting and can learn new tricks and skills. By now your dog should easily grasp basic commands including ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stay’, ‘leave it’, and ‘heel’.

How to Train a Bloodhound to Track

Bloodhounds were bred to detect scents and track things, so this is what they are happiest doing. If you can find a way to let your dog indulge their need to do this, you will probably have a happier and more fulfilled dog. So, how do you train your bloodhound to track? The simple answer is, you don’t need to! You just provide the environment where they can do it.

First, your pup needs to become familiar with a harness, collar, and lead. Then, you can set up a bloodhound puppy trail. Get a helper to wave around an object for the pup to sniff, this could be a rag, scent bag, or probe with a small amount of essential oils on it. They should call the pup’s name and get them excited. Meanwhile, you are holding your pup still. Next, your helper drops the object and runs away in a straight line for about 15 yards. You take the pup to the scent article and give a command to trail. Immediately after, your helper will call the pup’s name and encourage them to come. When the pup reaches the helper, they are praised and rewarded.  

By repeating this, the pup learns that the command means that they should follow the trail of scent and that they get a reward for doing so. Once they have grasped the basics, you can make it more challenging with more difficult terrain and longer distances.

Are Bloodhounds Hard to Train?

Bloodhounds can be one of the more challenging breeds to train and are not really suitable for inexperienced dog owners. Having said that, they are loving dogs who respond well to positive training methods that are applied consistently and with patience. Work with your dog’s in-built desire to sniff and follow trails and you can both have fun!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Evgenia Glinskaia/iStock via Getty Images