Drever

Keen and even-tempered hound. Never aggressive, nervous or shy.

The small-sized German hound, the Westphalian Dachsbracke, was imported to Sweden in 1910. The first dogs were registered in 1913 but little is known about the breed before 1930. It was from then on it gained reputation as a very good tracker of deer. Deer had been sparse until then, but as they grew stronger in numbers and spread further north, hunters got to hear about the advantages of the short-legged deer tracking hound. In 1947, the larger (2 cm higher at the withers) Swedish variety of the Bracke was given the name Drever. In 1953 the Drever was recognized as a Swedish breed. The Drever is considered the first choice for deer-hunting but it is also a very reliable hound for hunting both hare and fox. In all essentials the Drever should be built as a track hound. It should have the ability to work efficiently in the Swedish terrain and climate. The breed is strictly kept as a hunting dog and hardly ever heard of as « just » a companion dog.