The Bavarian Red Dog is part of group 6: Hounds – Blood search dogs and related breeds. These dogs are specialized in different hunting disciplines using different working techniques depending on the section. Our main interested party refers to section 2: blood search dogs. These are dogs that are very focused on smell in order to follow their tracks. An adjacent flaw to this is that they can get lost so easily due to this sense of smell. These are dogs that have a voice, an organ they use to notify their master when they have retrieved game.

Red Dogs all come from primitive hunting dogs called “hounds” or “brachets”. Within the pack, the most reliable dogs were chosen to search with them for game injured during the hunt. The Red Dogs were therefore selected from these dogs. The very name of this breed Schweisshunden, which means red dogs, refers to the work required of them: originally chamois hunters, they were later used to follow blood trails and track the path of wounded game. Crosses with local breeds of mountain hounds were carried out before the breed was officially recognized and the Red Dog Club of Bavaria was created in 1912. In France, it was from the 1980s that the Red Dog Rouge de Bavière was used even if its numbers are, just like today, still quite limited.

The Bavarian Red is a dog with a harmonious gait and extended strides. Long and light, it is also robust and agile. It is one of the medium breeds (from 10 to 25 kg) with its 47-52 cm for the male and 44-48 cm for the female for a weight varying between 20 and 25 kg. Its body is a little longer than it is tall. It has a strong neck with a slight dewlap. It has a slightly ascending topline from the withers to the hindquarters. Its chest is well developed, its back strong, its rump long and straight. Its limbs are rather short but well muscled with strong bones. Its feet are spoon shaped with tightly packed toes. Its pads are strong and well pigmented. Its tail is set high, moderately long to the point of the hock. He carries it horizontally or drooping. The head of the Bavarian Red is strong and elongated, the skull quite broad and slightly rounded. Its muzzle is wide with well-opened nostrils, its jaws are strong, its lips are well covered and its nose is black or dark red. Its eyes are medium size, dark brown or lighter and its eyelids are pigmented. The ears of this breed are set high, of medium length, wider at the base than at the tip. They are heavy, hanging flat along his head. The coats of the Red Dog of Bavaria are: fawn, red, deer fawn, dark fawn, light fawn up to sandy fawn, gray fawn brindle or spotted with black. The ground color of the back is generally more intense, the muzzle and ears dark and the tail generally spotted with black. Only a small clear star-shaped mark on the chest is permitted. Its coat is short, tight, flat and well laid, moderately rough. It is thinner at the head and ears. On the other hand, the hair is rougher and longer on its stomach, limbs and tail.

This breed may be susceptible to cerebellar cortical abiotrophies, a condition that affects the cerebellum and destroys its cells. The symptoms of this disease are balance disorders, falls, etc. These generally get worse over time. There is only one genetic test that can detect abiotrophy. Aside from that, the Bavarian Red Dog is a robust dog. Its life expectancy is between 11 and 13 years.

Intrepid, fiery and courageous, these are the descriptions of this dog. He is also fast and agile. A real all-terrain vehicle! A hound, specialized in searching for blood and endowed with a developed sense of smell, its hunting instinct is powerful and it can be used to search for all game. The Bavarian Red Dog is also calm, balanced and docile. He is very attached to his master for whom he is a very good companion. However, he can be suspicious of strangers. His teacher will therefore need to work on this point from a very young age. Generally speaking, his teacher will need to show patience and firmness during his education. As a hunting dog, the Bavarian Red is not made to live in the city; he needs space and exercise. Regular brushing is sufficient for its maintenance.