Schillerstövare - Schiller Hound - Facts and Information

Appearance
The Schillerstövare is a great looking scenthound with well proportioned medium sized body and with average height between 49-61 cm which is 19-24 inch and weight is usually between 18-25 kg, which is 40-55 pounds. The females are naturally slightly smaller than males.
Thanks to the athletic body, you can tell on the first sight that this is a fast and agile dog breed. These dogs are quite lean, but also pretty muscular and they posses great strenght. They also have the head of a typical hunting dog, which is relatively long with folded broad ears, dark eyes and powerful muzzle. These dogs also have long tail, deep chest, muscular hindquaters, and straight back.
The coat of Schillerstövare is lying close to the body and it is pretty harsh. On the head, ears and front legs, the coat is slightly smoother and shorter. These dogs are found in black and tan color combination where the body is tan and the back is typically black.
Temperament
The Schillerstövare is great energetic hunter, but also good affectionate companion. When they are on the hunt, they show great determination and passion for it and they are very attentive, energetic and they také the hunters instruction very well. These dogs have amazing sense of smell, higher prey drive and they are good problem solvers, all very good characteristics for a succesfull hunter.

When the Schiller Hound is not on the hunt, they create very good devoted companions. The Schiller Hound creates a very strong bond with its owner and they are friendly towards its whole family. These dogs are quite easy going and docile when they are around its pack, around its family, but they can be pretty alert towards strangers. The alertness of Schillerstövare can make this dog a good watchdog, as they will most likely alert you when they hear or see something suspicious around the house.

These dogs are typically okay around other dogs, especially if they are socialized with them from the puppyhood. Other smaller household pets might be problematic, due to the Schiller hounds hunting history, but again, this can be influenced by early socialization.

As you can probably expect from a dog that was bred for long hunting sessions, this is highly energetic breed with high exercise needs. When they are not hunting, they definitely need daily longer outdoor walks, vigorous playtime, fun training sessions, just anything, that will occupy their body and their mind. These dogs are extremely endurant and they are always ready for a walk, hike or a jog. Without enough exercise, these dogs just can not be happy and they can develop some unwanted behaviour such as excessive barking or destruction.
History
The Schiller Hound is named after Per Schiller, a swedish farmer who exhibited the breed at the Swedish dog show in 1886. Per Schillers dogs are descendants of various hounds kept at Kaflås estate, which were rather smaller black and tan hounds. Later, these hounds were crossed with the Harrier from Great Britain and various Swiss hounds.

The breed was quickly officially recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1907 and today, it is recognized internationally by the largest kennel clubs, such as FCI, UKC as well as many hunting clubs and other registries.
Health and grooming
Great fact is, that the Schillerstövare is a low maintenance breed with minimal grooming needs. If you want to keep the coat in best possible condition, regular weekly brushing is recommended. This way, you will reduce the shedding by removing the loose and dead hair and also you will remove any dirt from the coat. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

The average lifespan is somewhere around 13 or 14 years, but some individuals will live well into their later teens as well. These dogs do not suffer much from any hereditary problems and they are considered to by rather healthy dogs. Of course, just like any other breed, they may suffer from some health issues, such as hip dysplasia, bloating or some allergies, but none of those are very common in this breed.