Haldenstøver - Halden Hound - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Halden Hound, next to Hygen Hound and Dunker Hound, is one of the three Norwegian dogs developed to hunt hare, which has a long tradition in Norway. The progenitor of the Halden Hound is most likely Norwegian dog known as Bissenberghund, that was developed in 1860s by Hans Bisiberg Larsen. Later, in the early 1900s, this dog breed was crossed with other Scandinavian, German and English scenthounds.
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2) Name
The Halden Hound is named after a town of Halden in southeastern Norway, where the breed was developed in the early 1900s. The original Norwegian name - Haldenstøver – means the exactly same thing, because the word Støvere can be translated as scent hound or just as a hound.

3) Hunters
As i said in the beginning of the video, the Halden Hound is an excellent hunter! Especially in their early years, the Halden Hound was favourite hunting companion of many hunters across the Norway. They typically hunt hare, the most commonly hunted quarry in Norway, but they can hunt other small game as well, such as fox. These dogs are pretty independent problem solvers, which is a great benefit on the hunt. They also posses high prey drive, exceptional passion for the hunt, extremely good sense of smell and great loyalty to its owner, all very important traits for a hunting dog breed.

4) Speed and endurance
To be good at hunting hare, the dog must be fast and indeed, the Halden Hound is very fast. And not only that, they are also very endurant dogs with great stamina and they are able to hunt all day long even in harsh, cold and frozen terrain of Norway. They truly can chase its prey for miles without tiring.

5) Companions
Today, the Halden Hound is not only keep as a hunter, but also as loyal family companion. They are known as highly affectionate, friendly, loving, loyal and playful companions. They can make wonderful playful companions for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Halden hounds can also live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. On the other hand, other smaller household pets might be problematic, due to their higher prey drive and chasing instinct. Overall, the Halden Hound is wonderful companion for active people and families, who can provide them with enough daily exercise, which is just essential for this breed.

6) Appearance
As i mentioned earlier, the Halden Hound is one of the three recognized Norwegian hare hunting dogs and it is the smallest of all three. Their appearance resembles the English and American Foxhound, but again, they are slightly smaller than they are. The Halden Hound has a typical scent hound dog appearance with strong rectangular body and straight back, long tail that is carried low, slightly domed skull with medium long muzzle, medium sized dark colored eyes, which gives them calm expression and ears that hangs down the sides of the head. Overall, even though very athletic and strong hunter, the Halden Hound also posses very elegant appearance.

7) Size
I said that the Halden Hound is smaller than the other Norwegian hare hunting breeds, but what is the actual size of this breed? Well, on average, the height is between 17 and 22 inch, which is 43-55 cm and weight is between 40-55 lbs, which is 18-25 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

8) Coat and color
One of the reason why it is easy to confuse Halden hound with American Foxhound is their similar coat and color. The coat of Halden Hound is smooth, very dense and harsh to touch. The very dense undercoat is important to withstand low Norwegian temperatures. When it comes to color, the Halden Hound can be found in white color with black patches and tan markings, which are commonly on the head and legs.

9) Maintenance
Similarly to other hunting breeds, the Halden Hound grooming needs are rather low. Even without any grooming at all, they will keep the coat in great condition. They do shed some deal of fur, which is why regular brushing is beneficial to remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding. No other grooming is required. Just like with all dog breeds, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
The Halden Hound is usually very healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. They might ocassionally suffer from some health issues, such as hip and elbow dysplasia or ear infections, but it is nothing extremely common in this breed. ​