# Smaland Hound Also known as: Smålandsstövare - **Group:** Scent Hound (FCI group 6) - **Size:** Medium - **Origin:** Sweden - **Height:** 41–53 cm - **Weight:** 15–20 kg - **Life expectancy:** 12–15 years - **Temperament:** Intelligent, Gentle, Energetic, Alert, Wary of Strangers The Smaland Hound is Sweden's oldest native scenthound and its smallest hound, a compact black-and-tan, naturally bobtailed hunter that is rare even at home. ## Overview The Smaland Hound, or Smålandsstövare, is a sturdy, almost square scenthound from southern Sweden. It is the smallest of the Swedish hounds, and its black coat with tan markings often leads people to mistake it for a Rottweiler. It is still mainly a working hunting dog, valued for driving game ahead of the hunter. It is rare, with only around sixty puppies registered each year in Sweden, and is seldom seen elsewhere. ## History The breed has lived in Sweden since the 16th century and takes its name from the province of Småland. Hounds brought home by soldiers during the Swedish Empire's wars were crossed with local spitz-type dogs, and their offspring became the foundation of the breed. Farmers wanted one dog that could hunt everything from hares and foxes to birds and elk. Early dogs varied in colour, size and tail length. Selective breeding began in the 19th century, the breed was recognised by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921, and the short natural tail became a fixed trait. The last standard dates from 1952. ## Appearance This is a tough, well-muscled, compact dog with a nearly square outline. The skull is lean with a clear stop, the nose is black with wide nostrils, the eyes are dark brown and the rounded ears hang flat and high-set. It is born with a natural bobtail. The coat is medium length with a dense shorter undercoat and longer fringing on the tail and thighs. Males are slightly bigger than females. ## Temperament The Smaland Hound is intelligent, gentle and devoted to its family, and it can be a calm, protective house companion. With strangers it tends to be wary and can be territorial, which makes it a useful watchdog. Like most hounds it is driven and energetic, and it stays active well into old age. ## Care and exercise This breed needs plenty of daily exercise and mental work, ideally scent work, hunting or field trials. It is not suited to a small apartment. A secure garden and a good recall matter, since it follows its nose. The coat is easy to look after with regular brushing, and the ears should be checked routinely. ## Health Genetic screening carried out by the Swedish breed club between 1994 and 2008 found no health problems specific to the breed and no major general ones. Dogs that show rare problems are advised not to be bred from. ## Ratings (1 to 5) - Energy: 4 - Exercise needs: 4 - Grooming: 2 - Shedding: 3 - Trainability: 3 - Barking: 3 - Good with children: 4 - Good with other dogs: 4 Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/smaland-hound Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smaland_Hound · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38738 Photo: User:Linathrash (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smaland-St%C3%B6vare.jpg Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.