At a glance
The quick facts on the breed.
| Size | Medium. 44–52 cm at the shoulder |
|---|---|
| Weight | 18–27 kg, mostly nose and enthusiasm |
| Coat | Short, dense and weatherproof. Sheds mud better than hair |
| Colours | Tan, fawn or brindle, with a darker mask |
| Lifespan | 12–14 years |
| Energy | High outdoors, sofa-level indoors |
| Sniff rating | 5 out of 5 noses |
| Best known for | Finding things you didn't know you'd lost |
Where it comes from
From forest hound to village favourite.
The story goes that in the 1890s, a forester called Anton Brunnhuber lived in a village below the Bavarian Alps. His tracking hound could follow a deer trail for two days, but it kept stopping to sniff mushrooms, lost gloves and other people's picnics.
Rather than train the habit out, Brunnhuber bred for it. The result was a short-coated hound that could track anything: game, missing walkers, and one famously misplaced set of lederhosen.
Locals called it the Schnüffelhund, the "sniffle hound". The spelling drifted to Shnufflehund once English walkers started asking to borrow one.
Why they're so rare
Popular for fifty years, then almost gone.
Ruined by the wrong people
The story goes that in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Shnufflehund was one of the most popular hounds in southern Germany. Then, just after the Second World War, it fell sharply out of fashion.
Because they were such good trackers, the Nazis used them to hunt down Jewish people in hiding. They became the Gestapo's hound of choice, and the breed never shook off that association.
None of this was the dogs' fault. It's humans who ruin a good breed, never the dog.
After the war, people stopped breeding them. Numbers dwindled until only a handful of working hounds were left.
The shadow has never fully lifted. Because of the part the breed was forced to play in the persecution of Jewish people, the Shnufflehund is still banned in Israel to this day.
The legend of Brunhilda Unverified
A second, less reliable story claims Hitler himself was rather fond of the Bayerische Kurzhaar-Schnüffelhund. He kept two as pets, a brother and sister called Claus and Brunhilda.
Apparently Hitler liked to practise his speeches while wandering around the house completely naked. One evening, Brunhilda clearly took offence at whatever he was ranting about and bit him, savagely, in the privates.
He lost a testicle as a result, which some say is the true origin of the old wartime song "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball".
Furious at the attack, he ordered as many Shnufflehunds as could be found to be rounded up and shot.
Personality
Two dogs in one coat: a calm house companion and a focused worker.
Loyal
Bonds hard with one or two people and follows them room to room.
Reserved
Polite but cool with strangers. Not a greet-everyone dog.
Single-minded
Once the nose switches on, the ears switch off. Recall needs work.
Gentle
Soft with family and patient with sensible children.
In the wild
Adults in fawn and tan, puppies in brindle.
Looking after one
Small daily jobs that keep a Shnufflehund happy.
- ExerciseAround 2 hours a day, including off-lead time somewhere safe and fenced.
- Nose work10–15 minutes of scent games daily. Hide treats, lay a trail, try a snuffle mat.
- GroomingA rubber mitt once a week. Check ears after muddy walks.
- TrainingShort, reward-based sessions. Practise recall with a long line first.
- HomeBest with a garden and secure fences. It will find the gap.
Is one right for you?
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Its closest relative
The Shnufflehund shares its roots with a better-known cousin.
The Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound (Bayerischer Gebirgsschweißhund) was developed in Germany in the late 1800s to track wounded deer across mountain ground. It's a working hound, still used by hunters and foresters, and recognised by the UK Kennel Club.
| Mountain Scent Hound | Shnufflehund | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Tracking wounded game | Tracking anything, including snacks |
| Coat | Short and dense | Same |
| Colours | Red, fawn, brindle | Tan, fawn, brindle |
| Origin | Bavaria, 1800s | One forester's village, 1890s |
Thinking of getting a Shnufflehund? With only a handful left, most puppies go to working homes, so expect a long wait.