Drever

Swedish Basset, Swedish Pointer

Despite his beautiful qualities and superb custom-made hunting skills, the Drever remains rather unknown. In addition to his amazing abilities, which are highly appreciated by hunters, he has many skills to become an extraordinary family companion. He is very popular in his country of origin, but has hardly ever crossed the Swedish borders. However, he is well worth getting known as much for his pleasant character, his special appearance as for his exceptional talent for hunting. In spite of all this, it is in Sweden that you'll have to go to find out more about him.

Height 30 to 40 cm
Weight 14 to 16 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 13 years
Home country Sweden

Quick Overview of the Drever

Temperament

  • Tenacious and courageous
  • Affectionate and docile
  • Balanced
  • Sociable

Appearance

  • Fairly massive body
  • Specific look
  • Appearance of strength and robustness
  • Nice stature

Health

  • No specific pathology
  • Generally healthy
  • Long life expectancy

Temperament of the Drever

Tenacious, courageous, alert, affectionate, docile and balanced are his main personality traits.

Resistant and gifted with an exceptional sense of smell, the Drever is a solitary hunter.

Sociable and in no way aggressive, he is pleasant company.

Due to his rather obstinate temperament, he requires a firm and adequate education.

In the family, he is an extraordinary dog, but he is rarely used as such, the Swedes using him more as a hunting dog, although he does have good companion qualities.

He is docile, affectionate, never aggressive and very balanced. He is sociable with everyone and is by nature neither shy nor aggressive.

As he has a rather obstinate temperament, he must be trained early and properly.

The master should be firm and maintain his position so that the puppy learns very early to respect the prohibitions and obey orders.

Breed Appearance

drever

The Drever is higher on his legs than his Westphalian Dachsbrack ancestor, but he is still a small dog.

He is longer than tall and has a fairly massive body that, due to his ancestral characteristics, gives him a specific look with his short legs and long body.

His overall appearance leaves an impression of strength and robustness. His well-developed muscles give him a beautiful presence with a rather agile gait.

Height

Between 32 and 40 cm (12.60 to 15.75 inches) for the male
Between 30 and 38 cm (11.81 to 14.96 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 14 and 16 kg (30.86 to 35.27 pounds) for the male
Between 14 and 16 kg (30.86 to 35.27 pounds) for the female

Color

The color of his coat can vary greatly, but must be mixed with white.

White patches must be clearly visible, and are preferable at the tip of the tail, on the feet and also a white band and collar, which are highly desirable.

Hair

His thick coat should be full, flat and straight.

It is generally longer on the back, rear of the thighs and around the neck, while shorter on the lower limbs, head and top of the tail.

Morphology

His head has a slightly domed skull with a light marked stop.

His pretty eyes are very expressive and generally of a beautiful dark brown.

The medium length and width of his drooping ears with rounded tips are unfolded and close to the cheeks.

His pretty little nose is all black. His long tail is carried sabre-shaped in action and hanging at rest.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 6, section 1 and is #130

Drever puppies near me

Tips About this breed

The Drever is a renowned hunting dog that prefers to work alone rather than in a pack in front of the hunter.

His short legs often prevent him from mixing with other hounds. Difficult terrains do not attract him precisely because of his short legs.

His docile and very affectionate nature makes him the number one hunting dog in his country. His thunderous voice and exceptional flair make him the first choice of Swedish hunters.

Unlike other dogs with the same physical traits, the Drever can hunt all sizes of game. Red deer, fox, roe deer and hare are among his main categories.

Northern Norway, Finland and of course Sweden prefer him to other hounds.

The Drever being a little slower, he is preferred by deer hunters because game, being rather nervous, will not be frightened by the dog that moves slowly, which is the strength of the breed when hunting.

The Drever can live just about anywhere, but since he needs a lot of exercise for his physical and mental balance, he prefers, by far, the wide open spaces of the countryside.

City dwellers who want to own a Drever will need to ensure a minimum of daily exercise, as well as a large area where he can run around regularly.

Health of the Drever

The Drever is sturdy and despite his short legs and particular structure, he does not suffer from any specific pathology, he generally enjoys excellent health.

His long life expectancy is also very appreciable.

GROOMING

His brushing must be regular to maintain his pretty coat in good health.

It is also best to keep an eye on his ears and clean them regularly, especially after a hunting episode.

History of this breed

Originally from Sweden, the Drever is a cross between local hounds and the Westphalian Dachsbrack, which arrived in the country around 1910 from Germany.

Some claim that later, Dachshund blood was also added to the crossbreed.

The first record came around 1913, but the breed took off more rapidly from the 1930s onwards. Officially recognized in 1947 by the Swedish Kennel Club, the FCI recognized the breed in 1953.

Essentially created for hunting in Sweden, the Drever is very effective in withstanding the climate.

He is much sought after for hunting deer, but are also appreciated for hunting foxes and hares.

The Drever is a hound. He chases wounded an unwounded game by sense of smell.

It is rather rare for him to be used as a companion dog. The Swedes use him primarily for hunting and sometimes as a life companion, where he is also appreciated as he has all the necessary skills.

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