Overview
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound, or Brandlbracke, is a medium-sized tracking hound with a smooth black coat, tan points and the long, swinging gait of a dog that works steep ground for hours. At home it is a hunter's dog, used mainly for following hare and finding wounded deer. Very few are kept purely as pets and almost none live in Britain.
The breed is described as gentle with people, steady with other dogs and utterly focused once it has a trail. Treat it as a working scenthound first and a pet second.
Exercise and walking needs
An hour and a half a day is a sensible minimum, more if the dog is fit. These hounds were bred to climb and cover ground, so flat pavement walks leave them restless.
Tracking games scratch the itch far better than distance alone. Lay a short trail with a few treats or a scent article and let the dog work it out on a long line.
On the walk
- Recall: Assume it will fail if a scent appears. No amount of calling interrupts a trailing hound.
- Lead manners: Patient but persistent pullers towards anything interesting. A harness and a long line suit the dog better than a short lead.
- Other dogs: Pack background makes them tolerant. Expect polite curiosity rather than play.
- Voice: Trailing hounds give tongue when they find a line. Be ready for a loud, carrying bay in quiet places.
- Wildlife: Deer, hares and rabbits are what the breed was built to follow. Keep it secured anywhere they are likely.
Tips for professional walkers
- Choose routes with hills and woodland where legal; a hound that has climbed is a hound that sleeps.
- Clip the lead to a harness, not a collar, to protect the neck when the dog surges after a scent.
- Give the dog a scent task at some point on every walk and let it finish the job.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog been trained or worked on game, and does it have any experience of UK wildlife?
- What is its recall genuinely like, and has it ever gone missing after a scent?
- Does the dog accept a long line and harness, and how does it travel in a vehicle?