I met one of these for the first time today,I didn't even know they existed. Beautiful looking puppy though.
There is one that does agility very successfully - in fact it's just gone grade 7 (top grade for those who don't know). He works really well.
I said hello to one at a show last year and she was gorgeous - ended up on my knee! I was totally smitten so I researched the breed to see if I could own one. Sadly they are far too energetic for me, so I will have to continue to admire them from a distance!
They are a funny breed, one of my dogs has the Blood Tracking Aptitude Certificate obtained on one of their training days and I have done a "mock judging" of a blood tracking test. They vary in size (height and girth) depending on where they are sourced. I am watching their progress with interest. I am not convince they have tracking powers superior to any other breed yet however........
We currently own 2 who are used for stalking and deer recovery predominatly. The breed are certainly unique dogs in many senses. Unfortunately there are already too many people breeding them to labradors and poodles, brothers/sisters and very few people can see the point in health testing.:-(
Why on earth??? Am I right that a whole litter of BMHs ended up in rescue last year? I still wonder why... A couple of months ago I was watching daytime TV and there was a show where someone was going out to look for deer in England, I forget which county - the woman guiding the chap had a BMH... first time I'd seen one outside photos. I even called in my mother to see it, was definitely a very good-looking dog!
a litter did go into rescue last year. The chap sold 4 pups but still had 6 so they went into rescue. :-(