Houndour is a dog-like Pokémon with short, black fur and a red underbelly and snout. It has short, pointed ears and a tail. Its fangs protrude out of its mouth, and its nose is dark in coloration. There are white bands on its ankles, and more rib-like ones on its back. Houndour appears to have a simplistic, stylized skull on its forehead, with the orbits looking much like ‘eyebrow’ patterning commonly seen on dogs. It also has circular, red-colored patterning on the underside of its paws.
Houndour communicates with its kind through various barks and howls, and shows off unparalleled teamwork. It also uses barks to check another's location as it corners its prey. It is very protective of its kind and will not abandon any of its pack if the fellow pack members are hurt. It can be presumed that, as Houndour hunt in packs, they are fairly smart. Around dawn, Houndour’s ominous howl echoes through the area to announce its ownership of its territory. Although Houndour inhabits deep woods, it may also appear near volcanic areas. Its dark fur allows it to blend in at night. It preys mainly on small mammals.
In the anime
Houndour in the anime
Major appearances
Houndour made its anime debut in Hour of the Houndour. A pack of these Pokémon were stealing food to aid their sick friend. Ash helped the ailing Houndour to a Pokémon Center.
Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate though barks in order to surround their prey.
In the manga
Houndour in Pokémon Adventures
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In Pokémon Adventures, Gold is attacked by and defeated by four Pokémon, including a Houndour, when he enters the Ilex Forest, and is then warned to stay out by the Masked Man.
This Houndour is later used against Lt. Surge during his battle against the Masked Man, where its howls summon a herd of wild Houndour to aid it in battle. Although their constant howling prevented Lt. Surge from moving, he is able to have multiple Electrode use Selfdestruct to knock them down, allowing Surge to flee during the confusion.
Houndour hunt as a coordinated pack. They communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This Pokémon's remarkable teamwork is unparalleled.