Smaland Hound ( sv, Smålandsstövare) is a breed of dog that originated in Sweden in the 16th century. Thought to be the oldest scent hound breed native to Sweden, it was first recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921. They are the smallest of the Swedish hound breeds, and have black and tan markings similar to the

rottweiler The Rottweiler (, ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered mea ...

. Internationally, it is recognized by a number of kennel clubs and registries including the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

and

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

. It is considered rare, even in its native Sweden where only around sixty puppies are registered each year.

History

The breed has existed in Sweden since the 16th century. The name originated from the breed's links with Småland in southern Sweden. During the time of the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...

a number of wars were fought, with soldiers returning to their native country bringing a variety of

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

breeds with them. These hounds were bred with local

spitz Spitz (derived from the German word ''spitz'' 'pointed') is a type of domestic dog characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. The tail often curls over the dog's back or droops. While all of the breeds rese ...

type dogs, and the offspring became the foundation stock of the modern Smålandsstövare. Farmers in Sweden preferred an all around hunting dog as they could often only afford to feed a single hunting dog, and so the breed became adept at hunting a number of quarry including hares, squirrels and foxes as well as birds and larger game such as elk. During this initial period the Smålandsstövare came in a variety of colors, sizes and lengths of tail with selective breeding not being put into practice until the 19th century. At the first

dog show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a '' breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ' ...

held in Sweden, in 1889, 444 dogs were entered, of which 189 were hound type dogs, including a number of Smålandsstövares. In the early 20th century, breeders worked to restore the breed to the old type, with a naturally occurring short tail. The breed was first recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921, the same year that the first

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

was drawn up. The first of the breed to be registered was Skoj av Myren 789 V, owned by Mary Stephens from the

Torne The Torne, also known as the Tornio ( fi, Tornionjoki, sv, Torne älv, , se, Duortneseatnu, fit, Tornionväylä), is a river in northern Sweden and Finland. For approximately half of its length, it defines the border between these two countr ...

valley. At the time of the first standard, both long and short tails were allowed under the regulations. Baron Frederik von Essen is responsible for breeding short tailed Smålandsstövares, which was to become a trait of the entire breed after they were initially developed in

Jönköping County Jönköping County ( sv, Jönköpings län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The total county population was 356,291 inhabitants in Sept ...

. The most recent standard was drawn up in 1952, around the same time as other dogs of a similar type were used to inject new blood into the breed. This was the most recent time that dogs with an unknown background were allowed to be registered as a Smålandsstövare. Currently on average around sixty puppies a year are registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, and the breed is therefore considered rare. They are not normally seen outside of Sweden. Outside of Sweden, it is recognized by the American Rare Breed Association, Continental Kennel Club, and the

. The

recognized the breed as the Smaland Hound in 2006.

Description

Often confused with the

Rottweiler The Rottweiler (, ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered mea ...

breed due to common coat coloring, the Smålandsstövare is the oldest

scent hound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

breed native to Sweden. They have a medium length top coat with a shorter, dense undercoat; longer hair grows on the fringed tail and thighs. The most common coloring of the breed is a mostly black coat with tan markings, although the markings can range in color from shades of amber to a reddish brown. They have a tough, robust body which is compact and almost square in shape. It is the smallest of the Swedish hounds, on average they measure between at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

with males being slightly larger than females. Average weight is around for both genders. The Smålandsstövare has a

natural bobtail A natural bobtail is an animal's tail which due to a mutated gene grows unusually short or is missing completely. The genes for the shortened tail may be dominant or recessive. Because of legislation restricting or preventing docking, natural bob ...

due to this being specifically bred into the breed, and a typical member of the breed should be well muscled in proportion throughout. The facial features include wide nostrils on a black nose, the jaw closes in a scissors bite and the eyes are typically dark brown. The skull itself is lean with a well defined stop. The ears have rounded tips, and are set fairly high on the skull, hanging flat down the sides.

Temperament

A popular Swedish hunting dog, members of the breed can form strong attachments to their master; but are also seen as household pets due to their gentle and protective nature. In hunting, they are used to drive the quarry for the hunter. They are a highly intelligent breed, and require a high level of exercise. They therefore are not best suited to living in a small apartment. Smålandsstövare are wary of strangers and can be territorial, but this can also make a Smålandsstövare a good watchdog. Participation in field trials for Smålandsstövares are becoming increasingly common. They remain active up until around twelve years old.

Health

The Swedish breed club for the Smålandsstövare commissioned genetic tests on a number of dogs between 1994 and 2008. The tests showed that there were no specific health issues unique to the breed, nor any major generic issues. They recommended that where rare health issues present themselves, that the dog involved should not be bred from in order to prevent that health issue from spreading through the breed. They have an average life expectancy of twelve to fifteen years.

References

External links