Jagdterrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The development of Jagdterrier started in Germany after the first World War, when group of enthusiasts and active hunters decided to leave the strong Fox Terrier club and to develop its own German dog breed, whose sole purpose would be hunting. Men credited for developing the breed are the Berling zoo director Lutz Heck and active hunters Rudolf Frieß, Walter Zangenberg, Herbert Lackner and Carl-Erich Grünewald. Lutz Zeck provided the first four dogs, which were black and tan terriers from Fox Terrier lines. These dogs were later crossed with Old English White Terrier and with the Welsh Terrier to achieve the desired appearance, temperament and hunting skills.
2) Hunters
The breeders that developed this breed put great emphasis on the hunting skills and they achieved to bred versatile, hardworking, tough and tongue giving hunting dog that is couregous to follow the prey under the ground and that enjoy being in the water. All these characteristics, next to the very strong prey drive, big confidence and determined personality makes this dog extremely good hunter that can hunt variety of game, such as foxes, badgers, weasels, racoons, but also wild boar.
3) Name
So you already know that this little dog has a big personality and heart of a true hunter. And their name is perfect fit for them, because Jagdterrier can be literally translated to English as a Hunt Terrier. Sometimes they named as Deutscher Jagdterrier or German Hunting Terrier as well.
4) Companion
Of course, this dog is not only a hunter, but just like any other breed, it is a pack and family oriented animal. These dogs need to have an active owner and family, that will understand the personality of this breed and its higher prey drive. But if you are looking for a small dog companion who will always be ready for any outdoor, than the Jagdterrier might be a great fit for you. I can guarantee you, that you will never be bored with this dog by your side. This dog is known for its great loyalty to its owner and family. The Jagdterrier can live with other dogs in the family, but sometimes they tend to be little bit bossy. Of course, other smaller household pets might be problematic, since the Jagdterrier might try to hunt them. This is also good playful and lively partner for older kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed, with a very young child unsupervised.
5) Exercise
As i said in the previous point, this dog needs an active owner. It is because, especially if you are not hunting with your dog, the Jagdterrier is a very energetic dog breeds, that definitely need daily longer outdoor walks, hikes, jogs, swims, daily vigoursou playtime, fun training session, just anything that will occupy their body and mind. You can also try some dog sport with this dog, such as rally, hunting trials or agility. These dogs really need a significant amount of exercise. Without it, they will not be happy, and they can develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction.
6) Coat
I am sure you noticed, that Jagdterriers in this video have different coat types. And it is absolutely okay, because the Jagdterrier comes, according to the official breed standard, in either hard rough hair or coarse smooth hair. The coat should always be plain and dense and the color is black, dark brown or greyish black with yellow-red clearly defined markings at the eyebrows, muzzle, chest, the legs and at the base of the tail.
7) Size
These dogs were developed to be able to follow its prey under the ground, so they can not be too big. The average height is between 33-40 cm, which is 13-16 inch and weight is typically between 7,5-10 kg, which is 17-22 pounds. There are no big size differences between males and females.
8) Training
Just like majority of terriers, even the Jagdterrier is quite intelligent dog breed. But just like all the terriers, it is not a total pushover to train, which is mostly due to its independent mind. It is quite easy to teach them all the basic obedience commands quickly, they will understand it. The hard part is, to make them obey the command everytime. It is better to keep the training shorter and regular, so they do not loose interest. Just like with all dogs, key to succesfull training is a lot of patience, consistency and a lot of rewards and praising.
9) Maintenance
Great fact is, that the Jagdterrier is a low maintenance breed. Just like all terriers, even this dog does shed, seasonally more heavily. Regular brushing will remove the dead and loose hair and minimize the shedding. It will also remove any dirt from the coat and keep it in best possible condition. No other special maintenance about the is necessary. Of course, just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.
10) Health
The Jagdterrier is a relatively healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan around 12 or 13 years. Of course, some dogs will live even much longer than that. Just like all dogs, even the Jagdterriers may suffer from some health issues, such as some joint problems like hip dysplasia, eye problems like cataracts, hypothyroidism or glaucoma.