Bavarian Mountain hound
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The Bavarian Mountain Hound is a medium-sized scent hound that hails from Germany where it is known as the Bayerischer Gebirgsschweisshund. These rather lightweight hunting dogs are versatile, confident, and devoted as pets, as well.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Bavarian Mountain Hound - from the dog breed's history and appearance to temperament and health.
About and Brief History of the Bavarian Mountain Hound
If you're looking for a calm, reserved, and exceedingly loyal dog breed, you won't go wrong with the Bavarian Mountain Hound. These scent hounds originated from Germany where they were bred and trained to track wounded game by blood trail.
The early ancestors of these dogs were German hunting scent hounds of the Medieval Ages. In fact, a range of breeds and strains were originally developed from these medieval scent-hounds, most notably the Hanoverian Scenthound.
At the turn of the 19th century, Germany - like most parts of Europe - was marred by social uprisings that saw lower and middle-class citizens revolt against autocracy. One of the best things to come out of this social upheaval was the proliferation of hunting, which until then was reserved for only the noble and autocrats. As a result, the demand for hunting dogs skyrocketed, but there were only two existing scent hounds in the region - the Hanoverian Hound and the Bavarian Hound.
However, the two hunting dog breeds were not built for the rugged and hilly landscape of the Bavarian mountains. Also, the weapons used by hunters at this moment in history were barely accurate and clean kills were rare, especially with large animals like red deer and stag.
Accordingly, Bavarian hunters needed a dog breed that's lighter and versatile enough for the mountainous terrain. It was also important that it could ardently pursue the cold scent of the wounded game until it couldn't run anymore. Developed in the late 1870s, the Bavarian Mountain Hound combines the best traits of the Hanoverian Hound (Hannoversche Schweißhund), Hanover Hound, and other mountain scent hounds from the Alps.
The result was a breed of medium-sized, steady-tempered hunting dogs with an immaculate sense of smell, drop ears, and robust bone structure. They were designed and ready to take on the challenges of pursuing game on the treacherous mountain region.
Appearance
The Bavarian Mountain Hound is an athletic, lean, and somewhat slender yet muscular and strong dog breed. These marvelous hunting dogs have a rather unique frame, sporting a raised rear and solid, elongated back with a moderately straight and long croup. Both of these features come in handy when tackling precarious mountainous landscape while making sure the nose is as close to the ground as possible.
The body, which is elevated at the rump, is of medium size and visibly longer than it's tall. Another stand-out characteristic is the topline which slopes slightly downwards from the hindquarters to the withers. Its chest is reasonably wide, long, and well-built with a little tuck-up. The hound's tail is medium-long, high-set, and often carried close to the ground.
The head has a fairly domed, flatly-arched, and slightly broad skull complete with a well-defined stop, strong jaws, and a broad muzzle. The nose is atypical of any bloodhound; it's broad and either dark red or brown with wide-open nostrils.
The true beauty of the Bavarian Mountain Hounds is in their soft, dark brown eyes. They are neither too round nor too large, definitely well-fitted with darker or lighter pigmented lids. As pets, their eyes are gentle but swing into a clear, alert expression when they pick up a scent.
The breed's strong and arched paws provide them with the necessary cushioning and strength to trail on rocky terrains. The nails run the color gamut from brown to black.
The Bavarian Mountain Hound dogs have a dense, coarse, and slightly glossy coat. Its fairly short and comes in a variety of pointed colors and patterns, including: brindle, tan, reddish-gray, reddish-brown, brown, and red. A black mask and a light-colored patch on the chest are also quite common.
This is a lighter breed of scent hounds, weighing between 20 kg and 25 kg when grown. Males are taller, standing at 18-5-20.5 inches at the withers, while females are usually 17.5 to 19 inches tall.
Temperament and Demeanor
Bavarian Mountain Hounds are a delightful, loyal, and calm dog breed that gets along with kids. They tend to be reserved with strangers, though. As pets, these dogs are thoroughly devoted to their owners.
These hunting dogs are well-known for being courageous, versatile, fast, persistent, and highly focused hunters that use their incredibly powerful nose to stay hot on the heels of a wounded game.
Health
As a purebred, the dog breed is affected by common canine health issues like elbow and hip dysplasia, as well as ear infections like Otitis Externa. Otherwise, they are typically a healthy breed that lives for around 10-14 years.
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