Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound

Other Names: N/A

Country Of Origin: Germany

Dog Group: Scenthound

Size: Medium

Lifespan: 10-14 years

Maintenance Level: Medium/low

Temperament: Loyal, intelligent, affectionate

Recommended For: Families, couples, single owners

FAQ:

Good For First-Time Owner: Yes

Good With Children: Yes

Good With Other Animals: Yes with other dogs

Good With Strangers: No

Good For Apartments: No

Exercise Requirements: Daily walking

Can Live In Hot Weather: Yes

Can Live In Cold Weather: Yes

Can Tolerate Being Left Alone: No

Grooming: Low

Trainability: Easy/moderate

Breed Overview:

The Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound is a breed of hunting dog originating in Bavaria, Germany.

The breed has been used in Germany for over 100 years as a hunting dog, specifically for tracking wounded prey.

Bavarian Hounds also make great family pets, and are particularly good around children.

As a reasonably low maintenance breed they make great companion pets, but do prefer to be kept with other dogs.

 Color: Red, tan, fawn

 Height: Males 19-20 inches, Females- 17-19 inches

 Weight: 44-55lbs (both males and females)

Personality and Temperament:

The Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound is a friendly breed and are very affectionate with their owners.

They form strong, loyal bonds with people, and can become very defensive if they believe their owner is under threat.

However, the breed is also known to be very single-minded, and can become quite stubborn if not trained properly.

The breed picks up a range of commands easily, and owners should have no problem introducing basic obedience training at a young age.

It’s possible to also teach them complex commands, but this should begin as early as possible to ensure success.

Bavarian Hounds are very sociable, and should have little problem getting along with other dogs.

However, the breed can be troublesome around other pets, particularly due to their strong hunting instinct.

Owners should beware keeping them around small rodents, and cats may present a problem.

However, if the dog is trained from a young age then their obedience should override all but the strongest hunting instinct.

Due to their original purpose as a hunting dog, Bavarian Hounds need plenty of daily exercise.

Owners should take them on at least one walk between 30 minutes and an hour, but the more exercise they’re given, the happier they’ll be.

This should be supplemented with plenty of playtime at home for mental stimulation too.

Any outside areas that the dog has access to should be properly fenced and secure.

This is because the breed is known to climb, and won’t easily be stopped by even a high fence.

Bear this in mind, because it might become problematic if you plan on letting them have free reign of your backyard.

For this reason, and due to their size, Bavarian Mountain Scent Hounds are not suitable for apartment living.

The breed is far too energetic, and they do enjoy barking.

This is obviously inappropriate for an apartment, and the breed much prefers having access to plenty of land. This will help to keep the dog happy too.

Bavarian Hounds are great with children, and make good family pets. They’re very tolerant of kids and enjoy playing with them.

Owners should be around for the first couple of meetings, but after that the dog should be fine to be left unattended around children. They can actually make good nannies if trained properly.

Considering they’re reasonably low maintenance, Bavarian Hounds are a good choice for first-time owners.

However, potential owners should still be aware of the breed’s exercise needs, as this might be too much for a first-time owner to handle.

Other than that, the breed has very little specialist requirements, and are generally quite healthy, making them a good starter dog.

Bavarian Mountain Scent Hounds are generally wary around strangers, particularly those coming onto their property.

The breed can be quite defensive, and so are a good choice for an alert dog.

The most they’ll do is bark, but their size and appearance can make them quite intimidating in the right situations.

However, if they’re introduced to strangers in the presence of their owners, there shouldn’t be any problems and the dog will probably be quite affectionate.

Considering the breed originates from the Bavarian mountains (the clue is in the name), they’re much more used to cold weather than hot.

This doesn’t mean they can’t be kept in hotter climates though, it just means that owners should be conscious about the temperature when walking the dog, and should always provide plenty of shade and fresh water.

Bavarian Hounds aren’t particularly prone to overheating, but will most likely just be very inactive if too warm.

One of the most surprising things about Bavarian Hounds is that, considering their intelligence and independence, they can become very anxious if separated from their owners for too long. This is particularly true of the special person they bond with.

To combat this, owners should be careful not to leave them alone for prolonged periods, although keeping them with other dogs will drastically reduce the problem.

Training them from a young age will also help, as will conditioning training, such as keeping them in a crate.

However, the breed was created to not be left alone for too long, so bear this in mind if you don’t plan on taking the dog to work with you.

Grooming:

Bavarian Mountain Scent Hounds have a short, dense coat with much finer fur on the head and ears.

They need regular brushing (once a week) to help remove loose hair and distribute oils throughout the coat.

Bavarian Hounds shed all year round, with little seasonal difference. That’s why it’s important to brush them regularly because it’ll help with shedding problems around the house.

Bavarian Hounds don’t need bathing very often because their coat is quite good at removing dirt, and doesn’t really smell.

They should only be bathed when really dirty; otherwise you could run the risk of causing skin conditions.

Because they have large floppy ears, owners will need to check and clean them regularly to minimize the risk of infection.

Ears should be cleaned with a special solution and cotton wool, but never Q-tips. Check them several times a week, cleaning at least once or as often as needed.

As with all breeds, their nails should be clipped regularly to avoid discomfort.

However, this shouldn’t need to be done too often if the dog is getting enough exercise, as walking should wear the nails down properly.

Also, brush their teeth several times a week to avoid tooth decay.

 Common Diseases and Conditions:

Overall, Bavarian Hounds are a healthy breed and suffer from very few genetic conditions.

The most common are hip dysplasia and epilepsy, both of which generally present from birth and are tested for by responsible breeders.

The breed can be quite prone to obesity if not exercised properly. This is simply because they’re designed to run for hours on end, and so this is really the minimum requirements.

Owners will need to find the careful balance between exercise and feeding if they want a healthy and happy dog.

 History:

The Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound is a cross between the older breeds of the Bavarian Hound and the Hanover Hound.

It was bred for the specific purpose of tracking injured game after it had been shot, and was used for this purpose from the early 20th century onwards.

Its predecessors can trace their lineage back much further, however. This hunting technique can be traced all the way back to the 14th century, which is when the breed’s ancestors came into being.

This type of hunting was seen as a way of improving the success rate of hunting trips, and required a special kind of dog.

That’s where the Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound came in.

It was bred from a combination of several mountainous hunting dogs, which means it has the correct temperament, an excellent sense of smell, good hearing, and is able to withstand the Bavarian climate.

The breed is popular in Germany and Austria, but is mainly kept as a working dog, although it is growing in popularity as a family pet.

The breed is currently only recognized by the American Kennel Club as Foundation Stock, which means there aren’t enough specimens registered in America to establish proper breeding guidelines.

This is again mainly due to its primary use being for working purposes, and that America has several similar breeds that fill this gap already.

Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound Facts & Figures:

Did You Know?

  • The breed really isn’t suited for city living, either in apartments or houses. They need plenty of land to enjoy in order to accommodate their exercise needs.
  • The Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound was only recognized by the United Kennel Club of Britain in 1996, which shows the lack of recognition for this breed.
  • The official Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound Club was founded in 1912 in Munich.
  • The breed’s tracking instinct is so strong that it can regularly override even the simplest commands.
  • Bavarian Hounds regularly pick one person from their family as their main interest. They will develop a much stronger attachment to this person than anyone else.

About the author: Driven by his lifelong passion for dogs and an insatiable curiosity about their diverse breeds, Pablo Pascua founded dogbreedsfaq.com. Through this website, he seeks to expand his knowledge and share his findings with fellow dog enthusiasts. Having owned several dogs throughout his life, Pablo’s experiences have fueled his interest in learning more about these beloved animals. His mission is to provide accurate and comprehensive information to help pet owners make informed decisions about their furry companion.