Alpine Dachsbracke

Alpine Dachsbracke, originally named Alpenlandische Dachsbracke, an old breed of hunting dog that is original from Austria, is classified as a dog for chase and harassment. Its passion for searching and for chasing, its toughness, its resistance to fatigue and extraordinary speed made it adequate for hunting.

These dogs are also efficient in tracing scents, even if the traces are already old, and that's why, in 1991, La Federation Cynologique Internationale included them in the 6-th group (hounds), the second section (scent hounds).This type of hounds is well-known for tracking wounded animals, especially foxes, deer, wild boars and hares.

Rudolf of Habsburg was the first important hunter who included Alpine Dachsbracke dogs in his hunting crews, and his hunting trips to Turkey were the occasions to verify the dogs' abilities to hunt.

With its robust, strong bones body structure and its short legs, this breed has a slight resemblance with the Dachshund - the German hound, mostly because the Alpine Dachsbracke was obtained by controlled inbreeding between the Dashchund and some large dogs. It is very appreciated in the mountain hunting areas, because of its stature, looking like it is “stuck” to the ground almost all of the time.

The Alpine Dachsbracke is covered with a short thick fur colored in black, brown or red. The male reaches 34-42 cm height, the females, a little less (36-38 cm), and weigh almost 15-18 kg. Its life expectancy reaches 12 years old.

In spite of its short legs, this breed has no problems climbing to high places or going down on slopes. Originally a hunting dog, it works fine in big teams, being also a nice and watchful companion for human beings.

For your children, these dogs can be the perfect watch dogs and also the perfect pets, but they are more probable to be seen tracing a scent, near a hunter, than playing with children in a family yard.

Apart from its keen sense of smell, this hound also has a strong voice. They are hard-working dogs and they feel the need to be busy all the time, doing anything. Their owner should offer them the opportunity to exercise, take long distance walks or the possibility of using their energy during the day, if they live in an apartment or a small house.

The dog's mind should be occupied all the time with something entertaining, in order to prevent the destruction of your home. Because of its joyful temperament, like that of a young puppy, the dog is a good friend to other family pets, but you should take care of the neighbors' pets, which can accidentally come on your propriety. The Dachsbracke is quite posessive. The owners should be very happy, as they have a dog without many needs and only a few minor health problems. A daily brush over its short hair can assure you that the dog won't lose hair during the day. There is no need to worry about special diseases and illnesses with this dog, because its ability to live in harsh conditions and hostile environments has made it quite resistant.

With its round brown eyes and its straight short legs, the Alpine Dachsbracke is and will forever be the perfect mountain hunting dog.

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