They drool, slobber, and you need a towel in the truck to go for a ride. Their ears need to be cleaned regularly. They require a lead when walking or they'll take off on a scent and may be gone for days.

I want one!

I wanted one too, and then decided against it, for all the reasons you stated!
Peter.

The one I had would walk without a lead and come if called. She could shake her head and hit both walls of any room with slobber. A towel was always needed. Ears are a problem.

Great dogs.

BigB

Some years ago I was driving on the local freeway, police were diverting traffic around a dog team (single bloodhound & handler) I thought looking for tossed drugs or something... Turned out. Two day tracking of a kidnapped baby! literally something like 18 miles in a vehicle with stolen child. Hound tracked vehicle/baby from the stolen baby's apartment right up to the front door of the kidnapper.

Half way through day one they had to stop the dog long enough to wrap it's feet in socks due to running them raw. By the time the tracking ended after trailing all the highway's, streets and alley's up to the door. The dogs paws were pulp by then and even his muzzle and chin were abrasioned so bad vet assistance was needed.. Simply amazed to this day of this story and this amazing dog..

MythBusters did a trial, decontamination of the subject, full chem. haz-mat suit, respirator w/ air supply. They ran him across a field and a creek. "Morgan" went straight to him. Tried the same thing with a couple other "red herring" to toss Morgan off the scent. Morgan went straight to the target.

Bloodhound is the one breed who if they pick you out in a lineup, that is evidence admissible in court.

Police in this area have been searching for a shooter since Sunday. It's going on Friday. They've been searching vacation homes. The police have his vehicle, a point of departure from the vehicle. They've been searching house to house, vacation houses, many unoccupied. I can't believe they don't have a dog searching.

I have a close friend who does search and rescue and uses a Flat-Coated Retriever she purchased as a puppy in Denmark and brought to the US for the purpose of search and rescue. This is a very developed and disciplined group of people as is their organization. She has found one drug-dealer (deceased) while assisting police and has participated in numerous other searches. One of her fellow searchers was involved in the search for a missing boy that was kidnapped by a pedophile a few years ago. This searcher told me that his dog picked up a trail on the rural road where the boy was last seen, and followed for awhile until the odor dissipated. They then knew the child was gone from the area. The police found the boy, alive, a week later and simultaneously found another boy who had been kidnapped 4 years prior! The use of dogs in searching is directly related to the acceptance and knowledge of the local police departments. Many police have no understanding of what a dog can do, or how to utilize them. This is a shame as they can be a wonderful asset in assisting police in their duties.

I have a nice Bloodhound but he does NOT ride inside my Superduty Ford. In the bed in warm weather or in an inclosed crate in cold weather. I use him whenever the Sherifs Dept. needs some help on tracking.