The breed nearly disappeared. The FCI first recognised the Rastreador Brasileiro on 1 September 1967, breeding collapsed from the 1970s and breeders resumed only in 2000. Today, the standard places the dog mainly in rural northern Brazil.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.1 Large-sized Hounds, Standard No. 275, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Brazil |
| Height at the withers | Males 60 to 65 cm, females 56 to 63 cm, tolerance approx. 1 cm |
| Weight | Males 26 to 33 kg, females 21 to 30 kg |
| Life expectancy | No reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | Short, smooth, very close and dense, slightly harsh to the touch |
| Colours according to the standard | Black-and-white mottling with a blue-grey cast, with or without tan markings; bicolour white with tan or black markings; tricolour white and black with tan markings |
Selected from Foxhounds, rather than crossbred
The standard stresses that the breed arose through selection within the American Foxhound rather than crossing. The aim was a dog whose working style and build fitted Brazil’s climate. Breeder Osvaldo Aranha Filho developed it; the text names the old Urrador Brasileiro, the Brazilian Howler, as a predecessor. For comparison with an English pack hound’s build, see the English Foxhound.
Hours through heat and scrub
Strong, rustic, enduring and robust, large, smooth-coated and long-eared: the standard says this dog runs for hours with little effort through rough country in high temperatures. Body length and height stand in a ratio of 10 to 9, muzzle and skull are equal in length. Movement should be fluid and ground-covering, with a firm, straight topline.
Calm, affectionate and trainable
Calm and balanced, very devoted to their person, confident, fearless and trainable, neither shy nor aggressive: the temperament section almost sounds like a family dog. Work underlies the calm, however: the dog hunts in pairs, trios, packs or alone as a tracker. A pronounced sense of smell and hunting instinct are explicit requirements.
The work to provide
Plan plenty of time daily for long runs, ideally alongside a bicycle or on extended outings, plus search games and tracking. Hunting instincts make off-lead freedom risky in areas rich in wildlife. A garden alone is insufficient, even with a second dog.
Short coat, long ears
The short, harsh coat is quickly groomed: a weekly rubber grooming mitt suffices. The long, low-set ears reaching the muzzle tip need more attention. Regularly check for redness, odour and grass awns.
Health without a data foundation
We found no reliable study of health or lifespan. The breed does not even appear in McMillan and colleagues’ British longevity breed list, and searches for Rastreador Brasileiro and Brazilian Tracker in Europe PMC returned no results. The standard excludes dogs with overly light bone, a curled tail, pronounced stop or faulty bite. Asking for breeding dogs’ hip results remains sensible.
Does the breed suit you?
Yes, if you are sporty, have space and time, and want a calm, affectionate dog with great stamina. No, if you manage only short walks, live in a cramped city flat or want a dog reliably staying close off lead. Very rare outside Brazil, the breed requires patience and careful questioning to find a reputable breeder.
To see whether a large, enduring scent hound fits your life, try the breed quiz, or look more comprehensively in our book “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For life with a young dog, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. The blue-grey mottled coat looks good among our dog portraits and as a downloadable digital artwork.
Further reading
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is poor advice
- Is my dog overweight? How to assess body condition and ideal weight
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 275 Rastreador Brasileiro (Brasilianischer Laufhund) (fci.be, German version dated 27.11.2020, English version dated 27.11.2020, valid original standard dated 04.09.2019); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed not listed).
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