canyoncreek,
Scarlet was originally a rescue when she was about nine months old (vet's guess). We got her when she was a few months over two years old (best guess by a couple of veterinarians), in February 2007 because the people who had her lived on a paved road and had only a four foot chainlink fence that she continually jumped, and would seek out game and neighbors trash. We had a good six foot fence. The first time we took her to our vet later that spring, he remarked that she was about the most docile dog he had ever seen. But, she would play hard, and wasn't socialized to children, so we kept her away from them until she got much older.
I think if your brother got a redbone hound as a pup, and raised it with the children, it would be very good with the children. They are affectionate, but somewhat aloof and do not require or seek frequent attention. Definitely not a lapdog. He needs a good fence for a young hound. Scarlet, in middle age, once took a possum off the very top of our six foot privacy fence in one mighty leap, and crushed it before I could do anything.
The coloration is all a nice deep reddish brown, with perhaps a white hand on the chest. In the picture, you can see her muzzle and face is nearly all gray, but it was originally the same color as her back.
She was the best dog I ever had, and I have had six others in my life.
