Additonal Breeds Starting
With Letter:
Pet Sites
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COUNTRY:
Germany
WEIGHT:
55-77 pounds
HEIGHT:
20 inches or less
COAT:
Short, thick and shiny
COLOR:
All shades of black-masked fawn or brindle
OTHER
NAMES: Bayrischer Gebirgsschweisshund
REGISTRY:
FCI
GROUP:
Hound
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Schweisshund literally means
bloodhound, which is a generic term for a dog, such as the Hanoverian or
Bavarian that follows a blood trail. When large game is wounded during a
hunt, it may travel many miles in heavy cover only to hide and die a long,
slow death. The development of dogs for trailing the wounded animal is common
on the Continent. The honor code of the German hunter demands an obligation
to find all shot game—dead or wounded. A deer injured with an arrow
or bullet may leave only occasional drops of blood many yards apart. The
dogs, although brought in even hours later, can follow the cold trail for
many miles and lead the hunter to the wounded animal. Sometimes the search
goes on for days, but it is never abandoned until the wounded animal is
found, dead or alive. This sort of hunting, actually trailing, is not often
employed in the USA. It requires a dog with an excellent cold nose and great
cold trailing ability.
Bavaria is a mountainous state in southern Germany near the Austrian
and Swiss borders and includes the Bavarian Alps. The Bavarian Mountain
Hound from this region is a shorter and finer version of the Hanover,
probably obtained from crossing the latter with Tyrolean Hounds. The Bavarian
Mountain Hound is smaller, even shorter on leg, smoother of skin and sharper
of temperament, but otherwise very similar to the Hanoverian. He is a
tracker par excellence and a fine hunter of the chamois deer, but because
he has less size and substance, he can move with more agility in the altitudes
of the Bavarian Mountains.
These dogs are calm, quiet, poised and very attached to their master
and family. But when hunting, they are "hard, single-minded and persistent."
They are highly specialized and must be worked steadily to bring out the
best of their talents. Thus, they are not dogs for the casual hunter.
Most are owned and utilized by foresters and game wardens. |
