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I adopted "Echo", a male bloodhound, in April 2006. It truly was love at first sight. I initially spotted him out of the corner of my eye at the Oviedo Petsmart. He was beautiful; I had always had a soft spot in my heart for bloodhounds. As I knelt down next to his crate, he looked at me with those droopy bloodhound eyes and I melted.
I took him home that day and after trying out a few names, settled on Elvis. Unlike the others, he instantly responded to it. He's nothing but a hound dog, after all, and has a fantastic "singing" voice. I've attached a link to a video of him singing to his favorite song on the TV. He sings on cue to several songs and will howl back at you, if you make eye contact and howl at him. I love that he is so vocal.
Elvis is an absolute lover and sweetheart. At almost 80 pounds, he still loves to snuggle up to you. He loves to be in your lap and right up in your face. However, I'll be the first to admit Elvis is a complete goofball and just down right silly. He doesn't just walk on the leash, he prances. When he is excited, he hops up and down and frequently in a spins in a circle. And when it's time to eat, Elvis does what we call the "happy dance". There's never a shortage of energy for him. It's his personality and it definitely keeps me smiling. As my friends would agree, Elvis is one of the happiest, friendliest dogs you will ever encounter. Even my friends who claim to "not like dogs" love Elvis. I could not have asked for a more wonderful dog. The happiness he brings to me is indescribable.
To me, Elvis is the perfect ambassador for a rescued dog. Everywhere we go, he attracts attention, I think primarily because of his handsome good looks. I am frequently asked where I got him from... And people are always surprised to learn he is a rescue. I like to think that it plants the seed in their head that there are amazing adoptable dogs out there. Having spoken to Judy about the awful neglectful situation he came from and how poor his health was, I am ever thankful she took the chance on rehabilitating him. I can't imagine my life without him.
You Tube link of Elvis singing-

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, this breed is more than one thousand years old. It was perfected, not created, by monks of St. Hubert in Belgium. Later the dogs were brought by the Normans into England and then to the United States. It is also known as the Flemish Hound. Throughout the world, breeds such as the American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, Brazilian Fila Brasileiro, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many others trace their lineage back to this ancient scent tracker. Today, all Bloodhounds are black & tan, or red, but in the Middle Ages they occurred in other solid colors. The white variety, which existed in medieval Europe, was called the Talbot Hound. By the 1600's, this strain had died out as a breed, although its genes continue in dogs as diverse as white Boxers and tri-colored Basset Hounds. The Bloodhound thrives on the hunt rather than the kill. It revels in tracking and has been used to hunt animals, criminals, runaway slaves, and lost children. Today this plodding, sonorously voiced breed is both tracker and companion. Although affable in temperament, it is not easy to obedience train.
The Bloodhound is a kind, patient, noble, mild-mannered and lovable dog. Gentle, affectionate and excellent with children. This is truly a good natured companion. These dogs are so good-natured that they will lie there and meekly let children clamber all over them. This breed loves all the attention they receive from children. To be fare to your Bloodhound, make sure your children do not pester or hurt the dog, because Bloodhounds will sit there and take it, which would not be fare to the dog. Very energetic outdoors and boisterous when young, determined and independent. It needs firm, but gentle training. This breed tends towards willfulness. The new owner of a Bloodhound will need to have plenty of patience and to possess great tact for training to succeed. The most important consideration is to be consistent - these dogs know full well how successfully they can get around with a pathetic look and make use of it to get their own way. Do not expect too much by way of obedience from this dog - they are naturally gentle animals but they do have minds of their own and will often make their own decisions rather than following your orders. Males go through puberty in-between the age of 1 and 2 years. They can be quite a handful at that time, but after age 2, with the proper training, stimulation and consistency, they are wonderful dogs. Some Bloodhounds can be timid. Sensitive, gentle and shy, a Bloodhound becomes devoted to its master and gets along well with people. It is rarely vicious, although they can be aggressive with dogs of the same sex. This dog loves everyone and some will greet wanted and unwanted visitors happily. Others do not welcome unwanted guests. They can be protective of their domain, if no one is home, but out on a trail, they will welcome anyone. Some will bark and let you know when strangers are around. They can live in harmony with other dogs and household pets. Bloodhounds have a tendency to howl, snore, and drool a lot. He may sniff inappropriately or wander off on the trail of an interesting scent. Bloodhounds are able to follow any scent, even human - a rare ability in a dog. This breed has been said to successfully follow trails over 100 hours old. He is so determined that he has been known to stay with the trail for over 100 miles. The Bloodhound is such a sure tracker that the breed is used worldwide for rescue and criminal searches. The Bloodhound's evidence is admissible in the court of law. One Bloodhound brought about 600 criminal arrests and convictions. Bloodhounds can never be kept in an unfenced yard. Instinct will always get them wandering off on some trail. 90% of Bloodhounds cannot even be walked off leash. They flee, and when they get on a scent, instinct drives them to find the end of the trail. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years.