German hunting terrier

Overall description of the breed

The history of the Jagdterrier begins in Germany in the 1920s, when three passionate hunters of cynophilia decided to leave the official Fox Terrier club to create their own breed. The German Hunting Terrier was created and developed by Rudolf Friess, Walter Zangenberg, and Carl-Erich Grünewald in collaboration with zoologist Lutz Heck/Hagenbeck.

Together, they set out to design small black and tan terriers, carefully selected for hunting, particularly for digging. The Jagdterrier is the result of crosses between old English terriers, the Welsh Terrier, and Pinscher-type dogs. Its first standard was defined a few years later, with a strong desire to enhance its predator qualities and emphasize obedience, keen sense of smell, determination, as well as hunting in aquatic environments.

The official Deutscher Jagdterrier club opened its doors in 1926, and the International Cynological Federation definitively recognized it on December 2, 1954, with the current standard last updated on March 19, 2015.

The Deutscher Jagdterrier is a small terrier type dog, lively and powerful for its size, highly valued for its exceptional physical capabilities and hunting skills. Enduring, tenacious, and courageous, its morphology perfectly suits its purpose. Slightly longer than tall, its body is well-proportioned, with a wide and compact backline. It stands high on its legs while maintaining a good depth of chest.

Its shoulders are robust, its limbs vigorous, and its trunk thick. Its head is deep and wide, with a moderately long muzzle and a flat skull. The stop is subtle, and its small ears are high-set on its skull, not too thick, forming a V shape with the tip falling onto the jaws.

Regarding its coat color, it can exhibit various shades like black, black and tan, dark or light brown, with tan markings always located above the eyes, on the cheeks, legs, and the base of the tail. Its coat comes in two varieties: straight, dense, and hard for the wire-haired type, or smooth and tight for the smooth-coated variety.

The character of the German Hunting Terrier is affectionate, obedient, and willing. Close to its family, it is above all a working dog, designed for effort and intense tracking activities.

As a proficient predator, it embodies all the terrier characteristics: determination, hard work, and obstinacy. The "Jagd" is a versatile dog, capable of adapting easily to all terrains and weather conditions. Reliable and brimming with vivacity, it needs to expend energy intensely every day to fully flourish and not get bored, as it is a hyperactive animal.

It will find it challenging to be satisfied solely as a companion pet, as its temperament has been selected for decades with the sole purpose of tracking prey such as hares, wild boars, or deer. Its predatory instinct is highly developed, and without regular stimuli, it can become destructive, stubborn, or even intimidating if its owner doesn't give it enough attention. Nonetheless, the Deutscher Jagdterrier remains a good family dog in daily life, dynamic and attentive to its social group.

In adulthood, the German Hunting Terrier weighs between 7 and 11 kg (15.4 to 24.2 lbs) and measures between 33 and 40 cm (13" to 16").