Swiss hound

Overall description of the breed

The Swiss Hound is a rather old breed, created and selected mainly for hunting, especially for bloodhounding. Its known ancestor is the Saint-Hubert dog, a breed established in the 7th century by the monks of the Saint-Hubert abbey in the French Ardennes.

This breed was essentially developed in France, its ancestors were imported from Africa to Europe by Phoenician merchants at the beginning of our era and implanted in the south of France by the Roman legions. The Swiss Hound is made up of four varieties which include: the Jura Hound (Bruno du Jura), the Schwyz Hound, the Lucerne Hound and the Bernese Hound. In 1882, a standard was established for each of the four varieties, and fifty years later, on 22 January 1933, a revision of the standard defined a single standard for all four varieties.

It was finally registered by the International Cynological Federation on August 25, 1954, and the last update of the official standard in force was published on November 28, 2001.

The Swiss Hound is a medium-sized dog with all the characteristics of the perfect hunter, elegance and power in one animal, which is a good summary of this breed that is still not very widespread outside its native country. Enduring and resistant, its body is slightly longer than it is tall and fits into a rectangle, with a broad chest and a deep chest that goes down to the elbow, its trunk is ample, associated with a straight and stocky back.

His lower legs are particularly agile despite a strong and thick bone structure. His head is lean with a clean stop, coupled with long, floppy ears, running from his neck to his chest. The coat is short, dense and abundant, each variety having its own coat colour:

- The Bernese Hound is white with black spots or saddle.

- The Bruno du Jura is fawn with a black or sometimes charcoal coat.

- The Lucerne Hound is blue, the result of a combination of black and white hairs.

- The Schwyz Hound is white with orange fawn spots or saddle.

The Swiss Hound is a tireless walker and efficient hiker, capable of adapting to all kinds of terrain and climates. It is a hardy companion that will show great courage and intelligence in its movements.

A good swimmer, his stubborn temperament and overdeveloped hunting instinct will often take over when he is outdoors, but he will also be effective on land or in water. They are great family dogs, friendly with humans and sociable with other dogs, and will also enjoy the company of children. Robust, endearing and determined when working, they are loyal life partners who will be entirely devoted to their owners.

The height at the withers of the Swiss Hound is always between 49 and 59 cm (19" to 23") for males and 47 to 57 cm (18.5" to 22.5") for females. The weight should be in proportion to the size of the dog without any tolerance.