The Smaland Hound, with his distinctive natural bobtail, hails from Sweden. This scenthound has been considered all “all-around hunting dog” and evolved in a time when many hunters could only afford one hound and therefore needed a dog that could hunt prey of all sizes and types. In addition, they needed a dog that could also retrieve – a trait that the Smaland does possess. The breed was recognized in Sweden a hundred years ago, although is even older than that and seems to have been created in the 16th century. Unfortunately, this is a very rare breed whose numbers have been dropping substantially even in his home country. In the 50’s, other breeds needed to be influxed into the bloodline in order to keep him from going extinct. In the United States, he is recognized by the UKC but rarely if ever seen.
Smalands are always black and tan in color, and medium in size with a sturdy build. While his markings, general build and stubby tail might have some mistake him for a Rottweiler, his lineage is very different. Polish, German and English scenthounds make up his ancestry in combination with Swedish spitz-type dogs. The Smaland has a double coat, with the top coat being short and harsh to the touch. It should be noted that this breed is allowed to have a long or half-length tail although the natural bob is seen more frequently. The tail is never docked. Ears always hang flat.
The Smaland Hound has a gentle, affectionate temperament and typically adores his master/family. He makes a surprisingly great family dog for a breed that was originally created to be a hunting machine! Most are great with children as well as other dogs, and tend to form bonds with every member of the family. Unlike many hounds, he was not a pack hunter although can live with others easily as long as he was socialized to other canines from a young age. Your mileage may vary more considerably when it comes to cats and other small pets, however, and caution is advised.
It is recommended to keep the Smaland Hound safely enclosed in a fenced area when he is outside. This breed does have a strong prey drive and will attempt to follow interesting scents when they present themselves. Other ownership considerations include regular grooming – weekly brushing, occasional baths and regular nail care. And weekly ear inspections and cleaning is important as well as hanging ears are more prone to infections than other ear sets. Overall this is a fairly easy-care breed that can live with novice dog owners, and even elderly dog owners in the right situation.
The Smaland is naturally wary of strangers and, when at home, will bark to alert when someone arrives making him good as a watchdog. Many have a protective and territorial streak and will watch over “their people” and property to make sure they’re safe. Although they are the smallest of the Swedish hounds, they have enough size to be a deterrent to most would-be intruders. Despite their watchdog talents, this is a playful and loving dog, very rarely serious unless he needs to be.
Smalands do need plenty of daily exercise to be happy and remain full of energy until they start hitting around twelve of age (12-14 is the average age of these hounds). They aren’t recommended for apartments and can be destructive if their needs aren’t met. This said, when given enough exercise they are surprisingly calm and completely capable of chilling for hours while everyone watches TV. Furthermore this is a very healthy breed in general. The Swedish breed club states that there aren’t any major health issues that commonly occur, and even undertook a genetic study from 1994 to 2008 that showed there were no health issues unique to the breed.
Smaland Hounds are intelligent and do well in hunting and field trials – and also can be good obedience dogs as long as the owner is willing to put in the time. While capable of learning a great many commands, he may take a bit longer than other dogs so a bit of patience is recommended. It is suggested that owners of Smalands to get them into dog sports such as scentwork, hunting trials and/or trick training in order to enrich their minds and keep the learning process enjoyable!
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