Alpine Dachsbracke

The Alpine Dachsbracke is a stocky and robust breed of Scent Hound, originally created in the mountains of Austria during the mid 19th century. Bred by mixing the larger indigenous Austrian Hounds with the short-legged Dachshund of Germany, the alpine hunters were able to create a breed that could not only be used for tracking animals, but one that was also placid enough to bring the wounded animal back to their master, without causing it any further harm. The Alpine Dachsbracke was officially recognised as the world's third Scent Hound breed in Austria in 1932, and today it is still more commonly kept by hunters and gamekeepers than as a family pet.
The Alpine Dachsbracke is larger than many of it's closest relatives, mainly due to the fact that this breed was bred to be able to endure the high altitudes of the Austrian Alps. As in many other countries at the time, Scent Hounds that were short-legged were being created so that they would be able to track prey more closely. The Alpine Dachsbracke has a long and robust body, carried by short, stocky legs which makes this breed fairly slow-moving. They are usually red, brown or black in colour and tend to lack any really distinguishable markings. The Alpine Dachsbracke has a double coat of fur to help to keep it warm in the cold mountains. This is comprised of a thick, water-resistant top coat with a warm and soft undercoat, which both help to keep the Dog's body warm.