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About the German Hound

Origin: Germany
Typical life span
10-14 years
Size
Medium — from its typical weight
Weight
18-25 kg
Height
Male
48-53 cm
Female
46-51 cm
FCI status
Recognised by FCI
FCI group
Scent hounds and related breeds
Origin
Germany
Also called
Sabueso Aleman
Known hereditary risks
Not researched yet

About

What is a German Hound?

Medium-sized scent hound with athletic build and tricolor short coat, bred for hunting in packs with elegant, resilient structure and muscular build

German Hound history and origins

The German Hound (Deutsche Bracke) was developed in the Westphalia region of Germany from various local Bracke types for hunting wild boar and deer. The official breed standard was established in 1900 after breed clubs merged in 1896 to unify the type.

German Hound appearance and size

Males typically stand 48-53 cm at the shoulder and females 46-51 cm.

German Hound temperament and personality

Generally described as intelligent, loyal, energetic, calm and confident.

That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.

What the breed standard says

Bred for
Hound

Quoted from FCI standard n°299. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.

Breed reference from The Dog API.

Characteristics

Size
Medium
Exercise needs
4 of 5
Easy to train
Amount of shedding
5 of 5
Grooming needs
4 of 5
Good with children
Cost to keep
Tolerates being alone
Intelligence
Health of breed
Not researched yet

Pros & cons

Pros & cons for the German Hound

What you get with the German Hound

  • Purpose stated in the standard: “Hound”
  • Commonly described as: “Intelligent, loyal, energetic, calm”

What you are taking on

  • High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Long for a short haired dog. Very dense, hard, almost bristly.”
  • Expect a lot of shedding — “Very dense, hard, almost bristly. Well coated and dense on belly.”

Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; The Dog API. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.

Characteristics

FCI standard · German Hound

Coat and colour

As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.

Coat

Long for a short haired dog.

Very dense, hard, almost bristly.

Well coated and dense on belly.

Generally, a little longer on underside of tail forming a moderate brush.

Buttocks (thighs) well breeched

Colour

  • Preferred
  • Permissible
  • Undesirable
  • Disqualifying

Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.

  • Red to yellow with black saddle or blanket and the white "Bracken" markings: blaze running through, white muzzle with neck ring (closed neck ring should be aimed for), white chest, legs and tip of tail

Shortened from FCI standard n°299 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.

Temperament

Intelligentloyalenergeticcalmconfident

Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the German Hound in general; any individual animal can differ.

Health guide

What to ask for in a German Hound

No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the German Hound on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.

Puppies

No puppies listed right now

No German Hound breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.

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