Germany is a unique country located in the central part of Europe. It is famous not only for ancient architectural monuments and world-famous cuisine, but also for significant achievements in the field of cynology. Thanks to the painstaking work of local breeders, hardy and incredibly efficient yagd terriers, long-eared, short-legged dachshunds, spectacular weimaraners and other dogs were born. Today's material contains brief descriptions of German breeds of hunting dogs.
Bavarian mountain hound
The birthplace of this breed is Germany. It was bred in the 19th century by crossing Austrian, Tyrolean, and Hanover hounds specifically for hunting deer and roe deer in difficult mountainous terrain. The breed received official recognition in 1912 and to this day enjoys success with German, Polish, Czech and Slovak dog breeders.
Bavarian mountain hounds are small animals that grow up to 44–52 cm at the withers and weigh between 20–25 kg. They are distinguished by a dry, harmonious physique and attractive appearance. On an elongated head with a convex forehead and a pronounced stop there are dark oval eyes with developed eyebrows and hanging wide ears at the base. A moderately stretched body with a flat top line, a deep chest and a tucked up stomach is covered with short dense tiger or red coat.
Bavarian mountain hounds - German hunting dogs, not adapted for keeping in city apartments. They need long walks, physical activity and special training. A poorly trained and insufficiently socialized dog may begin to hunt smaller pets, which will lead to conflicts with others.
Langhaar
These long-haired cops were bred in Germany by crossing several different breeds. In all likelihood, they have common roots with kurtshaaras and drathaaras. But unlike the latter, the blood of water spaniels, Irish and Scottish setters flows in their veins.
Langhaar is a German hunting dog, not distinguished by its gigantic size. The average height of an adult varies from 61–64 cm at the withers with a mass of 25–35 kg. On an elongated dry head with a moderately wide forehead and a smooth foot, there are small dark eyes and highly set hanging ears, covered with a decorating hair. The bony body with well-developed muscles, a straight top line and deep chest is covered with a thick, shiny, wavy coat of light brown color.
Langhaar is a hardy, balanced and good-natured hunting dog, easily amenable to training. It does not require complicated care, but needs long walks. Due to the innate lack of aggression towards people, he gets along well with children and is not suitable for the role of a guard.
Drathaar
The German hunting dog, known as wire-haired Pointing Dog, was bred in Germany by crossing several different breeds. It is reliably known that Cortals griffins, poodle pointers and stichelhaars took part in its formation. Despite the relatively long history, in Russia they learned about it only in the 50s of the XX century.
Drathaar is a relatively large dog, growing to 57–69 cm at the withers and weighing between 25–38 kg. On a proportional head with strong jaws and a moderately pronounced nape, there are dark eyes hidden under bushy eyebrows, and neat hanging ears. An athletic body with developed muscles and a straight top line is covered with a rigid water-repellent awn with a dense undercoat.
German Drathaars are hunting dogs, endowed with a light, accommodating disposition. They quickly become attached to their masters and do not tolerate prolonged separation. Despite the absence of aggression, they are wary of strangers and do not immediately make contact. These dogs are able to live under the same roof with their large brothers, but cats and other small pets can be perceived as prey.
Yagd terrier
This breed is the result of the focused work of German breeders, whose task was to get a hardy dog ​​that can hunt on water, and on land, and underground. Non-standard foxes, welshs and Old English terriers took part in its formation. It received official recognition in 1954 and quickly spread throughout the world.
This is a compact hunting dog. The German Reed Terrier grows to 26–40 cm at the withers and weighs no more than 10 kg. On an elongated wedge-shaped head with strong jaws, deep-set oval eyes and high-set ears hanging on the cartilage are located. The stretched body with well-developed muscles is covered with smooth and stiff hair of black or brown color with bright, clearly defined tan marks.
Jagdterrier is an excitable, temperamental dog with an innate hunting instinct. He is characterized by qualities such as perseverance, fearlessness, devotion and independence. Despite the relatively small size, he often starts fights with his relatives and poses a serious threat to small animals.
German Kurzhaar
The hunting breed of dogs, known as the short-haired Pointing Dog, began to form in the XVII century. English and Spanish pointers took part in this process, transferring their abilities to work both on water and on land.
Kurtshaar is a relatively tall dog, whose height is 55–65 cm at the withers with a mass of 23–35 kg. On a proportional head with a moderate nape and powerful jaws there are small dark eyes and drooping, rounded ears. A not too stretched, athletic body with a wide chest, developed muscles and a strong top line is covered with short smooth spotty hair.
Good nature, quick wit and susceptibility to training are far from a complete list of the positive qualities inherent in German kurtshaaras. Hunting dogs, photos of which can be viewed in today's article, can be not only excellent helpers in their work. They make excellent companions for long walks. They with equal pleasure will pursue prey and simply run after the ball thrown by the owner. With proper education and timely socialization, they easily adapt to life in urban conditions and do not cause any particular problems. But a bored hunting dog of the German Kurzhaar breed , whose photo does not convey all its beauty, can become nervous and even aggressive. Therefore, when you bring up such an animal, you need to remember that it cannot be left alone for a long time.
Wachtelhund
This breed was bred thanks to the hard work of a German forester named Rudolph Fries. The result of targeted selection was the emergence of unusually hardy animals endowed with good health and excellent hunting qualities.
Wachtelhunds are German hunting dogs, the name and photos of which many of you have never met until today, growing to 45–54 cm at the withers and weighing between 18–25 kg. On a slightly flattened head with a poorly defined nape and thin dry lips there are slightly slanting dark eyes and high-set drooping ears. The muscular body with a strong skeleton and moderately tucked up stomach is covered with thick wavy coat of red, brown or piebald color.
Wachtelhund is an affectionate and extremely friendly dog, endowed with high intelligence and active temperament. It is easy to train, but under certain circumstances it can be stubborn. He is not afraid of water and is able to become an excellent assistant in the hunt.
German hound
These animals, which appeared at the end of the 19th century, come from Germany. Among their closest ancestors are the Westphalian hounds and the extinct Sauerlandian Holtz marriages. They are able to work on hot and cold tracks, which allows them to be successfully used for hunting rabbits, foxes and deer.
The German Hound is a short dog growing up to 40–53 cm at the withers and weighing no more than 20 kg. On a lightweight long head with a pronounced stop and a straight back of the nose, there are dark eyes, framed by well-pigmented eyelids, and hanging, ears tight to the cheekbones. A strong body with a wide ribcage and slightly sloping croup is covered with thick wool of reddish-deer, black-fawn, or tricolor color.
The German Hound is one of the most popular hunting dog breeds, which is in great demand in its historical homeland. It successfully combines qualities such as passion, poise and the ability to control your behavior. She is well versed in the terrain and can long pursue prey.
Dachshund
The first mention of dogs resembling modern representatives of this breed are found in South German hunting books dated to the 16th century. Apparently, among their ancestors there were German marriages that gave them low stature, high intelligence and extraordinary courage. They were brought to Russia in the middle of the 18th century and have since been especially popular among the local population.
Dachshund is a short-legged German hunting dog, whose photo can be viewed a little higher. Depending on the size, it can be standard, miniature or rabbit. It is easy to recognize by its squat, stretched body and long ears.
Dachshunds are endowed with an inquisitive and very energetic disposition. They are unusually cheerful, fearless and proud. These animals get along well with children, love travel and appreciate comfort.
Weimaraner
These animals were bred in Germany specifically for hunting moose, wild boar and bear. Later, they began to walk with foxes, hares and game birds. Today these dogs are used not only for their intended purpose, but also as companions.
The Weimar Pointing Dog is a fairly tall German hunting dog. Depending on the sex, its height varies between 56–68.5 cm at the withers, and the weight is 32–39 kg. On a dry, flat-headed head with a weakly expressed nape, there are beautiful amber eyes and hanging ears. The proportional, harmoniously folded body with a moderately broad chest and a strong back is covered with short or long coat of silver-gray color.
Weimaraner is an obedient and quick-witted dog, endowed with an active temperament. He is incredibly contactable, understanding and completely non-aggressive. He gets along well with children and coexists quietly under the same roof with other pets. However, with all his kindness, he distrusts strangers and, if necessary, can scare away uninvited visitors. Since this dog needs long walks and physical exertion, it is better to keep it in a country house with a spacious plot fenced with a high fence. In the city it is better to walk on a leash, because in it at any time a hunting instinct can wake up.
Big mĂĽnsterlender
These German hunting dogs belong to the class of cops. They were bred at the beginning of the 20th century, and among their closest relatives are the langkharas. According to some reports, Spanish, French and Danish dogs took part in the formation of the breed. She received official recognition in 1936.
The big Münsterlender is a rather tall dog with pronounced sexual dimorphism. This means that males are slightly heavier and larger than bitches. Depending on gender, the height of an adult animal is 58–65 cm at the withers with a mass of about 30 kg. On a narrow elongated head with strong jaws there are expressive dark eyes and drooping ears that fit snugly against the cheekbones. Muscular square body with deep chest and slightly beveled croup is covered with long smooth hair of brown, black or gray-pied pie.
Big MĂĽnsterlender is a friendly and calm dog, absolutely not prone to manifesting unwarranted aggression. It gets along well with children and lends itself well to learning. Due to the developed hunting instinct and active temperament, he needs physical activity and long walks. Under these conditions, the dog equally successfully adapts to life in a private house, and in a city apartment. If he is not given the opportunity to splash out the accumulated energy, he simply redirects it to another channel, starting to spoil his household property and bark loudly for no reason.
Instead of a conclusion
After reviewing the review, which presents brief characteristics, names and photos of German hunting dog breeds, each of you will be able to make the right choice in favor of one or another option. It is important to remember that both a charming miniature dachshund and a tall graceful weimaraner equally need early socialization, special training and regular, long-term walking. Indeed, without observing these simple but obligatory conditions, the dog’s character will deteriorate and his health will deteriorate.