Bloodhound Puppies: Adopt or Buy in Australia?

Should you adopt or buy a Bloodhound?

For most people, the honest answer is to watch the rescue listings and talk to registered breeders at the same time, because neither route is quick. Dogs Australia's national registration analysis lists 46 Bloodhounds registered from 2018 to 2025, and none in 2024 or 2025. Purebred Bloodhounds are also rare across the rescues we aggregate, so an adult may take a while to come up.

The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase suggests the RSPCA or a reputable rescue first, and if you go to a breeder, making sure they are registered, visiting where the puppies were born and meeting the parents. Our guide to adopting a dog in Australia covers the rescue process step by step.

Reference only, not quotes. Figures read on 11 November 2026; breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

How much is a Bloodhound puppy from a registered breeder?

There is no published figure to quote. In November 2026 we looked for the own websites of the Australian Bloodhound breeders we could find through the state bodies. The one active Bloodhound breeder website we could open shows past litters and contact details but no price, and another kennel's site now shows only a different breed. We could not find an Australian Bloodhound breed club website. Prices on listing sites are left out, because we cannot check who is selling.

Reference only, not quotes. Fees change, so check with the rescue. RSPCA NSW says its fees ensure pets are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and health-checked.

Registrations show how thin supply is. The Dogs Australia figures by year are 10 (2018), 13 (2019), 0 (2020), 8 (2021), 13 (2022), 2 (2023), 0 (2024) and 0 (2025). Dogs Victoria suggests contacting the breed club or Dogs Victoria for information about available puppies, and your own state body can tell you which members breed Bloodhounds.

Which health tests should a Bloodhound breeder show you?

Hips, elbows, heart and a DNA test. Dogs Victoria and Dogs NSW both say all reputable registered breeders should health test breeding animals through the ANKC ORCHID scheme for hips and elbows, have cardiac screening done by a cardiologist (echo preferred, because the breed can be affected by SAS, subaortic stenosis) and DNA test for DM, degenerative myelopathy.

Sources: Dogs Victoria, Dogs NSW and the Dogs Australia standard, read 11 November 2026. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice. Our Bloodhound health guide covers what these conditions mean once you own one.

The breed's loose skin is part of the picture. Entropion is an eyelid that rolls inwards and ectropion one that droops outwards, and both Dogs Victoria and Dogs NSW name them as problems for the breed. The Dogs Australia standard asks for eyes “free from any interference from the eyelashes” and says signs of any obvious eye irritation must be heavily penalised. Dogs NSW adds that skin problems can occur because of the abundance of skin folds, so daily management is advised.

Do Bloodhounds get bloat, and how long do they live?

Bloat is a known risk. Dogs Victoria says that, like most deep-chested dogs, bloat can be a concern, and the standard asks for a chest “well let down between forelegs forming a deep keel”. In a US study that followed 1,914 dogs of 11 large and giant breeds, Bloodhounds among them, the seven large breeds had 23 cases of bloat per 1,000 dog-years (Glickman and others, 2000). The Bloodhound Club in the UK says its breed surveys show the biggest causes of death are cancer and bloat. Our dog bloat (GDV) guide covers the signs and what to ask your vet about prevention.

That has two practical meanings. A puppy gives you the most years, but fewer than many breeds. An adult from rescue gives you fewer years, with the size, manners and habits already known. Neither choice is wrong, and our senior dog adoption guide covers what to expect when you take on an older dog.

How big does a Bloodhound get?

Large and powerful. The Dogs Australia standard describes a “noble and dignified expression, characterised by solemnity, wisdom and power” on a hound that is “very powerful, standing over more ground than is usual with hounds of other breeds”.

What is daily life with a Bloodhound like?

Nose first. Dogs Victoria says the breed can follow a trail up to several days old, and that a Bloodhound needs a fully fenced yard with a minimum height of about 5 feet (about 1.5 metres) and regular daily exercise. Let it off lead only in a secure area. Our Bloodhound scent drive and recall guide covers training and escape-proofing.

Then the care. Dogs NSW says the long ears and deep folds need daily attention, suggests a snood at meal times to keep the ears clean, and recommends drying under the neck and dewlaps to help keep fungal infections away. It also advises trimming nails every fortnight from an early age, because Bloodhounds find it particularly unpleasant. Dogs Victoria warns that young dogs can be extremely clumsy around the house and that an adult can fling slobber for metres.

Heat needs planning too. The RSPCA Knowledgebase on heatstroke says to exercise dogs at the coolest times of day, give shade and water at all times, keep dogs lean and never leave a dog in a car. Our dogs in hot weather guide has the full first aid.

What do Bloodhounds in rescue look like?

Mostly adults, and often crosses. Across the rescues, shelters and council pounds we aggregate, a purebred Bloodhound is rare. An alert on the Bloodhound breed page matters more than checking once. If a cross is listed, read the rescue's notes on fencing, other pets and time alone: a hound that follows its nose needs the same secure yard whether it is purebred or not.

An adult has finished growing, so you can see its full size, how it behaves in a house and how it gets on with children and other pets. With a breed this rare to buy, that is worth a lot.

How do Bloodhound puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and fake social media and marketplace profiles to sell popular breeds and pets that do not exist, and that a very cheap pet is likely a scam. Watch for these signs:

• Papers you cannot check. Ask for the breeder's Dogs Australia membership number and check it with the state body yourself, not through a link the seller sends.
• No health results. A breeder who cannot show hip and elbow scores, a heart check and DM results is not doing what Dogs Victoria and Dogs NSW say reputable breeders should.
• No breeder number. The Queensland Government says not to buy a puppy from a person who does not have a valid breeder identification number (BIN). NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT also require an identifying number in puppy ads. Look it up on the official register, not through a link the seller sends.
• Pressure to pay now for a puppy you cannot visit.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder makes sense if you want a puppy from parents with known hip, elbow, heart and DM results, if you want to track or show, or if you have watched the rescue listings for months and no adult has suited your home.

1. Registration. Check the membership number with Dogs Australia or your state body, and your state's breeder number on the official register.
2. Health results for both parents: hips, elbows, a cardiologist heart check and DM.
3. The mother, in person, and where the puppies are raised.
4. A breeder who will take the dog back or help rehome it if you cannot keep it.

Is a Bloodhound the right dog for you?

Dogs Victoria says the breed is usually very good with families and other animals, but is not for everyone. Be honest about four things.

Not sure a big scent hound fits? The what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check each take a few minutes, and big dog breeds compares large dogs side by side.

Find a Bloodhound near you

Bloodhounds and Bloodhound crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Bloodhounds for adoption in Sydney
• Bloodhounds for adoption in Melbourne
• Bloodhounds for adoption in Brisbane
• Bloodhounds for adoption in Perth
• Bloodhounds for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting a Bloodhound, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide.

Weighing up other scent hounds? Our Basset Hound and Beagle guides cover the same questions in smaller packages. The large dogs in Sydney and in Melbourne are worth a look too.