# German Hound Also known as: Deutsche Bracke, German Bracke, Westphalian Bracke, Olper Bracke - **Group:** Scent Hound (FCI group 6) - **Size:** Medium - **Origin:** Germany - **Height:** 40–53 cm - **Weight:** 15–25 kg - **Life expectancy:** 10–13 years - **Temperament:** Persistent, Affectionate, Alert, Independent, Energetic - **FCI standard:** No. 299 A lean, elegant scenthound from Westphalia, used to track deer, hare and fox. Tenacious on a trail yet affectionate at home, it is a hunting specialist that rarely leaves Germany. ## Overview The German Hound, or Deutsche Bracke, is a small to medium scenthound from Westphalia in Germany. It is a classic Bracke: a tricoloured, rectangular, elegant dog with a fine nose and a strong sense of direction. It is almost exclusively a working hunting dog, valued for persistence and a clear voice that tells the hunter where the game is. It is rarely seen outside its homeland. ## History Several local Bracke types of northwest Germany, including the Olper, Sauerländer and Westphalian Bracken, were merged into a single breed around 1900. The Deutsche Bracken Club, founded in 1896, still oversees breeding and hunting tests. Bracken were traditionally used in the Brackade, a hunt on foot with firearms, where the hounds give tongue and the hunter reads their cries. Today the breed hunts deer, hare and fox, often as a single leash hound. ## Appearance A neat, rectangular hound standing about 40 to 53 cm at the withers, with a long, rather narrow head, long drooping ears and a long, slim tail. The coat is short, hard and slightly bristly. It is usually red to yellow with a black mantle and white Bracke markings on the muzzle, chest, legs, collar, tail tip and a blaze. ## Temperament Affectionate and loyal with its family, yet a determined and independent tracker in the field. It has a very good sense of direction and does not give up a trail easily. It does better living in the house with its people than in a kennel. ## Care and exercise This hound needs plenty of exercise and mental work, ideally scent tracking or hunting. A fenced garden and secure leash walks matter, since its nose can lead it far away. Coat care is minimal: an occasional brush and routine ear checks. ## Health No specific hereditary problems are documented. Check the drop ears regularly and keep the dog fit and lean. ## Ratings (1 to 5) - Energy: 4 - Exercise needs: 4 - Grooming: 1 - Shedding: 3 - Trainability: 3 - Barking: 4 - Good with children: 4 - Good with other dogs: 4 Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/german-hound Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Hound · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37838 Photo: Rumo (CC BY-SA 2.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DeutscheBracke.jpg Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.