LATEST NEWS: We are planning a Bloodhound litter at the beginning of the year 2025! Find all information here!
Both the Basset Hound and the Bloodhound belong to the so-called FCI Group 6 Scent hounds and related breeds, with the Basset Hound belonging to Section 1.3 „Small Hounds“ and the Bloodhound belonging to Section 1.1 „Large Hounds“. This implies that in addition to pure physical/breed-typical characteristics, there should also be a great focus on agility and gait in these breeds. Please keep this in mind when considering dogs of these breeds.
The intended purpose of these breeds is hunting, and both the Bloodhound and the Basset Hound must be physically capable of tracking trails persistently and over long distances for their intended purpose. Physical usability must be one of the primary breeding goals in order to produce healthy dogs that also meet the standard.
The standard therefore defines the following for both breeds:
(1) Bloodhound: „No feature should be so exaggerated that the harmony of the overall appearance is disturbed, the impression of coarseness is given, or it even harms the health and well-being of the dog;
(2) Basset Hound: „It is important to remember that this is a working scent hound and that it must meet its requirements, therefore it should be strong, active and capable of great stamina in the field.
Now a bit of history, why I decided to breed:
The preceding statements are one of the reasons why I decided to breed Basset Hounds and especially Bloodhounds. It is my concern to preserve these two great breeds, and to preserve them in a „working“ capacity.
I always wanted a „real“ Basset Hound, meaning with all those typical and endearing characteristics that are so typical of a Basset Hound. We all certainly associate the Basset Hound with its long droopy ears, melancholic gaze, short legs, and long body, and of course, often a certain stubborn coziness. However, what I never wanted was a sluggish dog that was barely suitable for exercise and could not participate in our long walks and horseback rides due to its physical limitations. This type would never have been a suitable playmate for our athletic American Staffordshire Terriers either. My own experience was that I always had to search long and hard for this type of Basset Hound. Fortunately, after some searching, I always found them with great breeders. With my breeding, I want to make an active contribution, just like these breeders, to preserve this type of Basset Hound that is „strong, active, and capable of great stamina in the field.
I could relate to the situation with the Bloodhound. I searched for a long time (almost 2 years) for my first Bloodhound until I found a type from a breeder in Berlin that corresponded to my ideal. This means: true to breed, but not too heavy, not too compact, and without excessive wrinkles/dewlap and close-fitting eyelids.
So our female ‚Bubbles von Bertram Knoll Bloodhound-Berlin‘ moved in with us at the end of June 2016. She was followed by the male ‚Georgi von Bertram Knoll Bloodhound-Berlin‘ in February 2020. At that time, I often heard and still hear today sometimes that these are not „real“ Bloodhounds because they are too leggy, have too little dewlap and much too „smooth“ eyes(lids) and therefore do not have „typical breed“ characteristics.
Bubbles, Georgi, and I take this with composure, as many years have passed and the two Bloodhounds have done excellent work as certified mantrailers and have always been healthy. In particular, „Georgi von Bertram Knoll Bloodhound-Berlin“ has certainly proven to some critics that he is a „real“ Bloodhound through his numerous exhibition successes, Champion titles and Grand Champion titles as well as his breeding approval by the ÖBaLC/ÖKV.
All of this was ultimately only possible thanks to the openness of the Austrian Kennel Club (ÖKV) and the Austrian Basset and Scent Hound Club (ÖBaLC), as both Georgi and Bubbles were assigned an ÖBaLC studbook number and thus ÖKV/FCI register papers after successful phenotyping, since the breeder of these two dogs did not breed under the VDH but under the FCG.
In the meantime, two more Bloodhound girls (the „US-Girls“), two Basset Hound girls and one Basset Hound boy enrich our family and form the basis for my breeding program.