Hamilton hound

Overall description of the breed

The Hamiltonstövare is of Swedish origin and is the result of crosses between several hunting dogs from southern Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, including Foxhounds and Harriers. The breed was exclusively owned by the nobility until 1789, when the ban on hunting in the country was lifted for the peasants.

It is a homogeneous mixture between multiple European hounds, thus, we can trace its presence as early as the 16ᵉ century. It made its first official appearance at a dog show in Sweden in 1886.

Count Adolf Patrick Hamilton, the breed's creator and founder of the Swedish Kennel Club, developed the Swedish Hound from two exceptional subjects, Pang and Stella, known as the benchmark of the genre. The breed was named after the founder "Hamilton" 11 years after his death in 1921.

The International Cynological Federation registered the Hamiltonstövare permanently on January 6, 1955, and the latest update of the official standard in force was published on August 22, 2017.

The Hamiltonstövare is a true athlete of high level, fast, enduring and powerful, it gathers all the qualities of a skilful and successful hunting dog. Never heavy in its movements, it is a robust and well-proportioned animal with a supple and extremely agile body structure, its body is longer than it is tall and therefore fits into a rectangle.

The body is longer than it is tall and therefore fits into a rectangle. It is fairly high on its legs, with a straight, straight topline, broad chest and tucked up belly, combined with strong, muscular and parallel limbs. The head is oblong (longer than wide), the skull slightly domed and the stop well defined without being too pronounced.

The eyes are always dark coloured, the ears set high on the skull and drooping along the cheeks. The tail is thick, of good length and tapering towards the tip. The Hamilton Hound's coat is short, rough-textured and flat on the whole body, the colour of the coat is always tricoloured (black, fawn and white).

The Swedish Hound has a jovial character, gentle and tender towards its family, literally bursting with energy, it is a formidable tracker that shows great bravery and intelligence in its work. Highly appreciated for his olfactory qualities, his remarkable stamina makes him a popular partner for hunters, but also for many families, moreover, tracking and search games have no secret for him.

Efficient, loyal and autonomous, Hamiltonstövares are well balanced dogs in all circumstances, whether in the company of small children or during long hunting trips for small and medium-sized game. Mainly used for fox or hare, they are exceptional trackers. At ease with other dogs, even if it is not a pack dog, it can easily cohabit with several animals.

Adult: The Hamilton Hound will weigh approximately 23-27 kg (50.7-59.5 lbs), withers approximately 53-61 cm (20.8-24") for males and 49-57 cm (19.3-22.4") for females.