Bavarian Mountain Hound: hunting dog or family dog?
A tracker born for the mountains that is calm and affectionate at home. Here is what it needs and which families the breed suits.
It is the question we are asked most often. The short answer: both, but not at any price. The Bavarian Mountain Hound is a calm, affectionate dog at home, but it was born to work with its nose and needs to do so to stay balanced.
A working dog by origin
The Bavarian Mountain Hound was developed in the Bavarian Alps in the late 19th century for a very specific purpose: finding wounded big game in mountain terrain. Breeders chose the calmest, most focused dogs, able to follow a blood track many hours old without being distracted. That heritage is still there: it is a scent specialist, hardy and tenacious.
What it is like at home
The breed standard describes it as calm and well balanced, devoted to its owner and reserved with strangers. In practice, it is a dog that curls up beside the family, does not bark without reason and settles well into the household routine once it has had its daily dose of activity. We sum it up like this: calm at home, tireless on the track.
It is a medium-sized dog: males stand between 47 and 52 cm and weigh 20 to 30 kg; females stand between 44 and 48 cm and weigh 17 to 25 kg. Its coat is short and dense, and needs very little grooming.
What it needs to be happy
- Proper daily exercise: long walks, preferably in the countryside rather than in town.
- Scent work: tracks, search games or sport tracking. Nothing tires it out more, and nothing it enjoys more.
- Company: it is very much a family dog and copes badly with being left alone for long hours.
- Patient training: it is biddable, but when it finds an interesting scent its nose takes over. Work on recall from puppyhood.
What if I don’t hunt?
It can make a great family dog as long as it has countryside, time and something to do. If you live in the country, are often out in the hills or would enjoy doing scent work with it, it will fit in. If you are looking for a quiet flat dog that is content with short walks, it is probably not the breed for you: a bored Bavarian Mountain Hound becomes restless.
That is why, at Bavieras del Alcázar, we only place our puppies with families who can give them countryside, time and work, whether they hunt or not.
And the Bloodhound?
The Bloodhound is also noble, gentle and deeply attached to its family, and it is one of the best dogs there is for finding people. But it is much bigger, with males standing around 68 cm and weighing between 46 and 54 kg, and it can be quite stubborn when following a scent. It needs space, patience and, just like the Bavarian hound, work for its nose.
In short
- For big-game hunters: an exceptional partner for blood tracking.
- For active families with access to the countryside: an affectionate, calm and loyal dog.
- For anyone looking for a sofa dog and short walks: another breed would be a better choice.
Discover the breed and its standard · How to choose a puppy · Puppies and litters
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