Wirehaired Dachsund v. Bavarian Bloodhound

[Hess]

Doc,  
That really is a great looking dog.  I'm going down to AL next week for a deer hunt and my buddy down there also has a dachsund he purchased from John and has no regrets.  Can't wait to see that little bugger in action!  
Thanks for the input boys...

Erik

[DannyBows]

Tippit,
Love your dogs. I've been feeling blue today and they made me smile, Thanks for sharing.
Dan

[bama]

Pluses on wirehaired:
   Great indoor pets.
   Small size is large advantage - you can work them on a lead instead of them working you plus you can pick them up and carry them.  I find this to be very helpful when mine is on a trail but I have found no blood.  I'll carry him back to the start and see if he goes the same route.
Not practical with a larger dog.

[Larry Surtees]

Another vote for wirehaired Dauchs.

Here's a pup pic from Tippit's post above (Tilly and Billy litter).  Beau tracked his first deer at 3 months.  Today he is 4 months old.  Not that it matters, but he was the "runt" of the litter.

 

 

[tippit]

Larry,
Beau was never the runt of the litter as the litter was quite uniform.  He was just the last one to go...but one of the first to have a track to his credit.  Beau has already made Tilly & I proud     Plus he is the spitting image of Tilly!  

The one great thing about Beau is you'll never have to comb or cut burrs out of his coat...kinda like water off a duck's back.  

Just a side note All of the Tilly/Billy pups ended up in bowhunting families.  I was going to spay Tilly after her first litter...but I'm re-thinking that now with the noses the pups are exhibiting     Doc

[Chris Surtees]

Here is a pix of my pup Koa also sired by Billy and Beau pictured above from the Tilly/Billy litter.

 

What looks like sharing ended very quickly after I snapped this photo. Koa became very protective over the deer only allowing me and the hunter near it.

I had to tie him up so Beau could take a turn chewing on the deer.

[Chris Surtees]

Beau taking his turn all the while keeping an eye on Koa who is just out of the pix trying to get back to the deer.

[Chris Surtees]

 

 

This is Koa having his way in another find. Koa's prey drive really turned on with this deer. After loading it on the cart I basically dragged him out of the woods as he would not let go of the deer.

[Chris Surtees]

Here is a website for Bavarian Bloodhounds. Ken is very knowledgeable and will answer and questions you may have.

 http://www.hillockkennels.com/

Also Jolanta and John Jeanneney are WHD experts.

 http://www.born-to-track.com/

[Hess]

Thanks Chris,

I've spoken with both gentleman at length and obviously they are great resources.  At this time it is very hard to get a Bavarian dog unless one wanted to get one from Poland for about $3,600...Ouch!
I think just for the ease of getting a dog (among many other reasons), the little rascals might be the way to go.  
Looking forward to more pics.

Erik

[Chris Surtees]

Erik,

Ouch is right!

[Magwa45]

I had one of those Jeanneney dogs. All I would say about that is be prepared for a handful. If you don't have a lot of experience training hunting dogs, you might bite off more than you can chew. And they are not really good family dogs. They need lots of exercise, constant training and reinforcement. They must be taken on hunts, field trials, etc. to be fully mastered. I.e., if you have a life or kids, etc., such a dog may be a little too much. Those people know their dogs, but if you don't want to devote yourself completely to your dog, you may want to reconsider.

[buckster]

Don,

You mentioned that they don't make suitable family dogs, can you please speak a bit more about this?

I'm hoping for a dual-purpose dog, as I know my 13 year-old and wife will probably want to love it up constantly. Are you strictly referring to the additional time/effort in training the dog and keeping him sharp?  

It really seems to me that the WHD is a good call, with limited downside.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

I think Don's observation is the little secret some owners of working Teckels don't mention...they are definitely not your Grandma's dachshund.  Ours is just entering his "teenager period" and is becoming quite a handful.  These dogs are EXTREMELY intelligent - Oskar was doing things at 8-10 weeks old that my wife and I just had to shake our heads at...and we are dog people.  I've grown up with everything from an Eskimo spitz to rat terriers to basset hounds and this pup takes the cake.  My wife is French from the French/German border area and grew up with 4 different teckels...she warned me, but all I can say is WOW!  Don't get me wrong, Oskar is a real buddy and is making us a great house dog, but these are for experienced dog folks and someone, as Don says, willing to put in the time.  Oskar is the most manipulative animal I've ever met - you have to stay on top of discipline or you will get plowed over by one of these guys.  Not an issue if you are prepared, but be ready!  Also realize that to develop your pup into a blood tracker takes LOTS of time.  These dogs instinctively take to it, but to do it right is a real commitment.


Ryan

[tippit]

NOT all Teckels are like that!  Tilly is a Jeckel & Hide in that she is a great family dog and incredible tracking/working dog.  The Jeanneney's Billy has the same temperament even though he is a kennel dog.  I bred her specifically to Billy for their temperaments and their tracking ability.  All the pups seem to have the same personality and  tracking ability too.

Tilly is a completely spoiled house dog in that she sleeps in bed (not that I recommend that that in my veterinary practice...Do as I say NOT as I Do     She is the kindest dog with children & infants of any dog we have had including our Golden Retrievers.  BUT on track she is all business.  If you take too much time marking a blood sign she'll come back and bite your leg and when she finds the deer...it is Her deer!  I won't let anyone but me take her off the find unless they have Kevlar gloves on    

I see a lot of  American type Dachshunds in my practice and a majority of they are one person dogs.  If you are looking for a hunting/family Dachshund be sure to check out both parents disposition first...Doc

[Chris Surtees]

Koa has the same temperament as Tilly and Billy, his sire.

As with any hunting dog it should be understood that most require training in order to learn and become proficient. Yes the instinct is there and some even require little to no training but the majority do.

I guess I was lucky in getting Koa as he is one heckuva companion and tracker.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Don't get me wrong, our pup does not have a "temperament" issue.  We aren't dealing with a bad dog - ours sleeps in the bed too    and is a sweety and a real buddy.  What we ARE dealing with is a VERY intelligent animal with a STRONG prey/hunting drive.  This translates to 1. An animal that needs a job to do or will get bored and 2. An animal that will test the limits (ie manipulate the situation to try to get what he wants).  

I think it would be a mistake not to be honest with a prospective owner that these guys are not bred to be lap dogs, but hunting dogs....with all the plusses and minuses that go with that.

R

[buckster]

Thanks everyone, Hess I apologize if I took a bit of a side-road turn on your thread, great information for a prospective WHD owner.

Since I am self-employed I will have adequate time to really work mine and I will have some great resources available as well.

[Hess]

Buckster,

No worries here, I love hearing opinions...I've been around working dogs my entire life (pointers and hounds) so I'm very familiar with those at least.  I've been gearing up for a blood tracker in that I've got lots of deer and elk blood and organs, gearing up for the arrival of out new dog, whatever it turns out to be.  I love working with them and they all present there own challenges.

My buddy Will has a dog from John that reminds me of Doc's dogs.  Friendly most of the time and all business the other.  I hope I am that fortunate or I'll drive out from MT and steal theirs!

Thanks fellas

[buckster]

Thanks Hess and great post!