Bloodhound

Only five Bloodhound puppies were registered in 2025, down from 54 two years earlier. The breed shares its medieval roots with the St Hubert hound and has been written about in England since the 14th century, prized for following one person's scent over long, old trails, the basis of modern man-trailing. A prospective owner needs high fencing, patience with a nose that overrules recall, and a breeder who speaks frankly about bloat, the breed's leading cause of death; life expectancy is around nine years.