The figure of the English bloodhound is often portrayed both positively and negatively as an
efficient man-hunter. This article traces the cultural, social and forensic functions of the first
attempts to use bloodhounds for police investigation, and argues that the analysis of these
developments, which took place at the turn of the twentieth century, further our
understanding of the diverse practices and cultures of fin de siècle forensics. Arguing that
their dogs could trail tracks of human scent, English pedigree bloodhound breeders …