O.K here goes, with all the talk of the various breeds of dogs available including Bavarian and Hannovarian do you need a dog this specialised ? in most cases the answear is no, these dogs are bred for the tracking of wounded deer resulting from a driven shoot, they need training from an early age 8 weeks is not to early to start and then need constant work on trails for their working life these trails being up to 1km plus. Most other breeds will track a wounded deer or one that has disappeared into the undergrowth and cannot be found by trailing yourself, so think carefully before commiting to a dog that requires full time training and don't ruin blood lines for future generations by having for what is some just another stalking accessory.