German Bracke

German Hound

German Hound from 1915
Other names	Deutsche Bracke, German Bracke, Olper Bracke, Westphalian Bracke
Origin	Germany
Classification / standards FCI Group 6, Section 1.3 Scenthounds: Small #299 standard UKC Scenthound standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The German Hound (Deutsche Bracke) (FCI No. 299) is a breed of dog originating in Westphalia, a region of Germany. The German Hound is of the scenthound type, used for hunting both large and small game. The breed is normally referred to as the Deutsche Bracke in English, rather than by the translation of the name, German Hound.

The German Hound is a small hound, 40 – 53 cm (16 - 21 ins) at the withers, with long, drooped ears and a long, narrow tail. It is distinguished by a long, somewhat narrow head, and a rectangular body, described as "elegant".

The coat has hard, almost bristly, short fur, usually tricolor (red to yellow with a black mantle), with white markings called Bracken marks - a white muzzle, chest, legs, collar, and tip of the tail, and a blaze on the head.

The Bracke are an ancient type of hound. Their distinctive narrow heads and long ears set them apart from other types of hounds, and may show influence of the Greyhound or the ancient Celtic hounds. The St. Hubert's Hound (Bloodhound) may have contributed to the Bracke's voice, the distinctive call made by the dogs while chasing game. Over a very long period of time, Bracke developed into a variety of regional forms.

In 1896, the Deutschen Bracken Club, encompassing all of the local types of Bracke in northwest Germany, was formed in Olpe. The breeds were merged in 1900 as one breed and were officially designated Deutsche Bracke. This breed was formerly called by a variety of old regional names such as "Olpe Bracke", "Sauerländer Bracke" and "Westphalian Bracke", and other local types now blended into one breed. The only breeds of Bracke in the area today are the German Hound and the Westphalian Dachsbracke. The Westphalian Dachsbracke is a short-legged dog, possibly a cross of a Bracke with the Dachshund, the Westphalian Dachsbracke.

Hunting with the Bracke in early times was done with hunters on horses following the hounds, as done by the ancient Celts chasing deer, and modern-day fox hunters. Another sport, developed in the 16th century, did not require the expense of horses and big kennels, and made use of firearms, called Brackade. Hounds hunting this way tenaciously follow the game while voicing cries that communicate to the hunter as to where the dog is and what type of game the dog is following. Today, the Deutsche Bracke is usually used to hunt deer, but also rabbits and fox. Often, it is hunted singly as a leash hound, to hunt on smaller areas. The space needed to hunt a pack of hounds is described by the breed club as a minimum area of 1,000 ha (2471 acres). Related to the hunting with Bracke is the use of horns to communicate with the dogs, a custom that is continued today.