Unusual Breed: Bavarian Mountain Hound

This breed is also known as the Bayerischer Gebirgsschweißhund, also spelled Bayerischer Gebirgsschweisshund

A Bavarian mountain hound

The Bavarian mountain hound is a breed originating in Germany. The breed is still rarely seen outside of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and, of course, its native Germany. In these countries, they are most often seen working with game wardens and foresters. They are commonly used for blood tracking, where wounded game that has run off will be tracked down and retrieved. It appears the majority of the members of this breed are bred to track and are working dogs.

The breed dates back to the mid-1800s. Before then, there was a more general landrace-type "bracken" that eventually led to breeds such as the Hanoverian hound and, of course, the Bavarian mountain hound. The BMH began forming into its present form when a preference came for a smaller, lighter hound than the significantly larger Hanoverian. This preference came after the predominant method of hunting changed.

In appearance, the breed is medium-large in size averaging twenty inches tall and between fifty-five and seventy-seven pounds. Bitches are usually significantly smaller than dogs. The predominant color is masked red, with or without brindle stripes.

I couldn't find much information on the breed, however they do appear to be rather healthy. The major issues are ear infections and "happy tail," with entropion, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy appearing on occasion.


Sources are the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, Bavarian Mountain Hound Society of Great Britain, Hillock Kennels, and Dr. Bruce Fogle's The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Images are from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses: one, two.