If you are a hunter of Small Game looking for a canine partner, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament may be just what you need.
If you would like your hunting partner to also be a great family dog, you couldn’t do much better than the Austrian Black and Tan.
The Austrian Black and Tan is a friendly, obedient family dog who’s easy to train. However, unless you’re a hunter, it could be very difficult to give the Austrian Hound the kind of life she needs.
She’s a great family dog, but she’s a hunter first.
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound Temperament
Intelligent
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound is smart and easily trained.
Obedient
Unlike many intelligent dogs, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament does not include a strong independent streak. She’s happy to do what her owner asks when hunting and at home.
Even-tempered
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is very good-natured and easy to get along with. She enjoys people.
Social
She needs to be around people and is not happy to be alone for long periods. She can be prone to separation anxiety.
Friendly
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is friendly with strangers and not suspicious. She would not make a good watchdog.
Affectionate
She’s happy to get loving attention from her people and equally happy to return it.
Playful
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is enthusiastic. She loves to play and gets along very well with children.
Vocal
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound isn’t really a barker, but if she smells something she wants to chase, she will bay or howl. This is an instinctive behavior that can be hard to control.
Active
Even though she loves to be with her people, don’t expect this breed to be happy lying around the house. The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament needs active companionship, preferably a hunting life.
Energetic and Hardy
She can hunt all day in high altitudes without difficulty.
Agile
She is graceful and known for her smooth running style over mountainous terrain. Her agility is unusual for hound breeds.
Hard-working
This breed is a hard-working hunter, and the Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is persistent and enthusiastic about getting the job done.
High Prey Instinct
Smaller household pets may not be safe around this hunting breed. With good early socialization, she may be taught to tolerate small pets that she’s brought up with.
Pack Animal
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is great with other dogs. As a pack hunter, most prefer to live and work with other canines.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound History
As her name suggests, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound originated in Austria. Her exact lineage is not known.
Many believe she is descended from very old Celtic hounds who are now extinct. The Austrian Hound breed can be traced back to the mid-1800s.
There are three Austrian hounds, or Grand Brackes (“large hounds”) The Austrian Black and Tan Hound belongs to this group. The others are the Styrian Coarse-haired Hound and the Tyrolean Hound.
These three hounds were interbred for hundreds of years. In 1884, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound began to be recognized as its own breed.
In her homeland, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound hunts in the Austrian Alps as part of a pack. As a scent hound, she is most skilled as a tracker who works at tracking wounded animals, mostly Foxes, and Rabbits.
She is an excellent runner. Her running gait is often referred to as elegant or stylish. She is also prized for her silent hunting skills, unlike most hounds.
She is a born-and-bred hunter and is rarely kept as a family pet by Austrians.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Training
This breed is very smart and easy to train. In fact, she is generally a fast learner compared to other hound breeds.
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is obedient and eager to please. She is not dominant or aggressive. Even so, she still needs firm guidance in training and socialization to be a good house pet.
Her work ethic is very powerful. Her strong prey drive and excellent scenting skills can also cause a training issue. She is easily distracted when she catches an irresistible scent and will want to run to chase it.
Helpful Dog Training Resource:
For help with training your Austrian Black and Tan Hound, you should take a look at The Online Dog Trainer by Doggy Dan. Doggy Dan is an expert Dog Trainer based in New Zealand. His online resource contains Hundreds of Excellent Dog Training Videos that will take you step-by-step through the process of developing a healthy, happy well-behaved dog.
It’s best to remember that this is a pack dog who is used to having a pack leader. She needs you to be that leader.
If you or another member of your family are not willing to be firm and in control, this breed is not a good choice for you. Neither you nor the dog will be happy.
You also need to know that if the Austrian Black and Tan Hound is neglected or mistreated, she may become aggressive. The same may be true if she is not properly trained or socialized.
However, aggression is not a natural Austrian Black and Tan Hound trait if all of her needs are met.
The bottom line for the Austrian Black and Tan Hound is that she should be placed with hunting families only.
It is possible for her to do well with a very active outdoors family. But in that situation, you would need a strong commitment to meet her work, training, socialization, and exercise needs.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Appearance
This is a medium to large breed with a slender build and broad chest. Her coat is black with tan markings. Her coat is short, smooth, and silky.
She has a good-sized head. Her ears are high-set, medium-length, flat, and hanging. They have rounded tips. She has brown eyes, a black nose, and a scissor bite.
Her long tail is bent upward and gently tapers near the end.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Size
Weight is 35 to 60 pounds. Austrian Black and Tan Hound height is 19 to 22 inches. Females are noticeably smaller than males.
Must-Knows
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Lifespan
This breed has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
Other Names
- Austrian Brandlbracke, a combination of Brandl, which means fire, and bracke, or hunting dog.
- Vieräugl, German for four eyes, referring to the tan markings over her eyes.
- Austrian Hound.
- Austrian Smooth-coated Hound.
- Osterreischische Glattaarige in Germany.
Austrian Black and Tan Coonhound versus Black and Tan Coonhound
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound is similar to the Black and Tan Coonhound.
Origin
The Coonhound originates from the United States. The Austrian, obviously from its name, comes from Europe.
How they Compare Physically
Physically, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound and the Black and Tan Coonhound are similar, but the Austrian Hound has a slimmer, more streamlined body built for speed.
The Coonhound is larger and more muscular. As a larger dog, the Coonhound has a shorter lifespan at 10-12 years.
Key Personality Differences
The biggest difference between the two is in their personalities. The Black and Tan Coonhound has an independent streak that the Austrian Hound temperament does not generally include.
The Coonhound can be a lot more stubborn. Of course, this means that the Coonhound is a little more challenging to train.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Health Issues
This is a robust, healthy breed. They are prone to hip dysplasia, as many larger breeds are, and ear infections. Their ears must be checked periodically and cleaned often (some say daily).
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Caring for the Austrian Black and Tan Hound
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Grooming
The Austrian Hound is a heavy shedder. She will need brushing at least once a week. Bathe her only when it’s necessary.
Like all dogs, she will need her nails trimmed and teeth brushed often. As above, her ears need special attention.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Diet
This breed does well on high-quality dry food. You will want to keep a careful eye on her weight and not let her grow too quickly.
Rapid growth is a cause of hip dysplasia in larger breeds. She will need a low-calorie food if she starts putting on too much weight.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Exercise
This breed loves to run. It has great endurance and can run for hours. They need space to do that. The Austrian Smooth-coated Hound would not be happy in an apartment or living in the city.
She should have acreage to run on, ideally a farm or ranch. Even a fenced-in yard is probably not enough for her unless she gets a lot of vigorous exercise on outings.
If she does not have the space and exercise she needs, she can become frustrated and bored. She is likely to be destructive in that situation. She needs at least an hour a day of vigorous exercise.
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It is most important to remember that this is a hunter who needs to work. Very few, if any, Austrians keep this dog solely as a family pet.
The Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament is best suited to a hunting family.
Finding an Austrian Black and Tan Hound
Buying an Austrian Black and Tan Hound from a Breeder
Austrian Black and Tan Hound puppies are very difficult to find outside of Austria. The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize this breed.
The United Kennel Club (UKC) does recognize the Austrian Black and Tan. However, at the time of this writing, they list no Austrian Black and Tan Hound breeders in North America or the UK.
For that reason, it is difficult to find a reliable Austrian Black and Tan Hound price.
If you have your heart set on an Austrian Black and Tan Hound puppy, you may have to resort to word of mouth. You could search for dog owner forums online. These groups exist for nearly every breed.
You could also try hunting groups, locally or online. A search for groups for scent hounds may turn up a group that could help.
As a last resort, you could try searching for European breeders. You may be able to find one that would export a puppy to you.
When You Find a Breeder
If you are fortunate enough to find a breeder, your next step should be a site visit if at all possible. You want to be sure the breeder is a responsible one.
If they are, you will see clean facilities with happy and healthy-looking dogs. You should ask if the parents are on site and if you can visit with them.
This will help you get a sense of the temperament of the parents.
You should also ask if the puppy has all of its immunizations and if there are any other health concerns with the puppies or the parents.
If the breeder is a good one, they should also have questions for you. Their first concern will be for the well-being of their puppies. They will want to be sure that pup will have a good home with you.
In the case of a sporting breed like the Austrian Hound, they will want to be sure that you are a hunting family.
Austrian Black and Tan Hound Rescue/Adoption
This is a rare breed, even in its native Austria. It’s unlikely that you would find an Austrian Black and Tan Hound for adoption in your local shelter.
At the time of this writing, an Internet search found no breed clubs or rescue organizations in North America for the Austrian Hound.
Is the Austrian Black and Tan Hound the Breed for You?
If you’re thinking about making an Austrian Black and Tan Hound a member of your family, you should consider carefully.
This breed needs a very active life and a lot of space and exercise.
She may do well in a family with a very active, outdoor lifestyle. But she is best suited to a hunting family.
If not actually hunting, then hunting and tracking field activities would be a good substitute for exercise to keep this dog physically and mentally stimulated.
Just keep in mind that she prefers activities that involve interaction with her people. And she needs to run.
If you’re committed to meeting those needs, the Austrian Hound also makes a wonderful family companion. Some call her “a hunter’s dream” for this reason.
So if you are a hunter or have a very active outdoor family, the Austrian Black and Tan Hound temperament could make this dog your own dream come true.
Paula is an experienced writer who loves dogs and had many of them through the years. Her family always had large dogs—Border Collies, Labs, and Golden Retrievers. When her beloved Golden died of cancer, she decided to practice what she preached and do some research before choosing her next breed. She now shares this knowledge with thousands of dogtemperament.com readers worldwide.