- The ideal colour is dark deer red with or without black hairs lightly interspersed.
- Black with clearly defined red-brown markings on head (Vieräugl), chest, legs, feet and underside of tail
Permissible
- White star on chest
Sturdy, short-legged Austrian scent hound with dense double coat, originally bred for tracking wounded game in high-altitude Alpine terrain. Built low-to-the-ground with a robust, weather-resistant build designed for rugged mountainous conditions.
Developed in the Austrian Alps during the mid-19th century as a durable scent hound for tracking wounded deer, boar, and hare over rugged terrain. Descended from larger Austrian hounds crossed with Dachshunds, it was a favorite of Crown Prince Rudolf of Habsburg and is officially recognized by the FCI.
“Expression intelligent and friendly. Fearless personality”
Quoted from FCI standard n°254. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard; Letko et al. 2019, Genes. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Alpine Dachsbracke standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
The double coat consists of very thick top coat and a dense undercoat, which covers the whole body and is close fitting
Permissible
Shortened from FCI standard n°254 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Quoted from FCI standard n°254. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Alpine Dachsbracke in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Alpine Dachsbracke breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
3 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
The chromosome-12 FGF4 insertion shortens the legs and makes the spinal discs degenerate early, which multiplies the risk of a disc rupture that can cause pain or paralysis. It is very common in this breed — in one study 99 of 111 Alpine Dachsbracke carried at least one copy — and one copy is enough to raise the risk, so the test is a way to lower it across a litter rather than to avoid it entirely.
What to ask for
A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
The chromosome-12 FGF4 insertion shortens the legs and makes the spinal discs degenerate early, which multiplies the risk of a disc rupture that can cause pain or paralysis. It is very common in this breed — in one study 99 of 111 Alpine Dachsbracke carried at least one copy — and one copy is enough to raise the risk, so the test is a way to lower it across a litter rather than to avoid it entirely.
What to ask for
A CDDY/IVDD-risk DNA test on both parents
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
A recessive disease of the brain's movement centres described in this breed: from about three weeks old, when littermates start to move steadily, affected puppies tremble, lose their balance and fall, and every affected puppy in the study had to be put to sleep by ten to twelve weeks. Carrier parents look entirely healthy.
What to ask for
Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCN8A) DNA test result, on both parents
A fatal storage disease of the brain and spinal cord; in this breed it is caused by the loss of the entire CLN8 gene. In dogs with CLN8 disease, signs usually begin as young adults — failing sight, behaviour changes, then seizures and loss of coordination — and progress to death within the second year or soon after. It is recessive.
What to ask for
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (CLN8 deletion, Alpine Dachsbracke type) DNA test result, on both parents
A recessive disease of the brain's movement centres described in this breed: from about three weeks old, when littermates start to move steadily, affected puppies tremble, lose their balance and fall, and every affected puppy in the study had to be put to sleep by ten to twelve weeks. Carrier parents look entirely healthy.
What to ask for
Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCN8A) DNA test result, on both parents
A fatal storage disease of the brain and spinal cord; in this breed it is caused by the loss of the entire CLN8 gene. In dogs with CLN8 disease, signs usually begin as young adults — failing sight, behaviour changes, then seizures and loss of coordination — and progress to death within the second year or soon after. It is recessive.
What to ask for
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 8 (CLN8 deletion, Alpine Dachsbracke type) DNA test result, on both parents