The Hound Group can be con-fusing. The FCI, for exam-ple, classifies sighthounds

and scenthounds separately – sighthounds in Group 10 and scenthounds in Group 6. In North Amer-ica and Great Britain, the ItalianGreyhound is classified in the ToyGroup; the FCI classifies this breedas a sighthound (Group 10). Whendiscussing hounds in Europe, I referto the FCI standards and groups.

We must remember that neutralSwitzerland did not suffer from twoWorld Wars, so that Swiss breedsdeveloped in relative peace andquiet, unlike German and Frenchbreeds.

It is said that Hounds fromSwitzerland (Laufhunde) are amongthe oldest members of the HoundGroup. According to a 15th-centuryletter to Ernst, Elector of Saxony(1441-86), Swiss working dogswere among the best. Images fromthe 17th century show packs ofhounds “with the same color andthe same size, big heads and very long ears.”

Three centuries later, German dog writer Richard

Strebel wrote in Die DeutschenHunde (German Dog Breeds, 1903-05) that Hounds living separately ina restricted area in Switzerlandtherefore developed separately.

InheritanceThe Swiss Kennel Club (Schweiz-

erische Kynologische Gesellschaft;SKG) was founded in 1883; at thattime, the Hounds did not look verypromising. After the French Revo-lution (1789-99), Liberty, Equality,Fraternity applied in Switzerland aswell and the nobility had to sharetheir hunting rights with civilians.In the 18th and 19th centuries, thisnoble pastime became the so-calledFleischjägerei – “meat hunt.”

In Enzyklopädie der Rassehunde(Encyclopedia of Pedigree Dogs,2005), Dr. Hans Räber stated: “Inthe 1890s, there were hardly anypurebred hounds available.” Mosthuntsmen didn’t care if their dogswere purebred or not, and in someparts of Switzerland, working with

Laufhunde became forbidden because their hunting be-havior damaged the fields and crops.

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HISTORY

Swiss Houndstext and illustrations by RIA HÖRTER

courtesty of KENNEL BOHEMIA HILL, DR. RADANA MENSIKOVA,

MARTINA TRAVNICKOVA AND ILKA BECKER

Development of the Swiss Hounds beganin the 1930s, but took time and effort.

LAUFHUNDE – SWISS HOUNDSSome words for “scenthounds” in Europe are Chiens courant (France), Bracke (Germany, Austria),

Laufhunde (Switzerland), Hounds (Great Britain) and Brak (Netherlands).Hounds from European countries and Great Britain share their old history but, in the 18th, 19th and 20th

centuries they developed into separate breeds. Some hounds vanished, others merged into today’s breeds.

Bernese Hound from the famous kennelBohemia Hill in the Czech Republic.

This breed always has a tri-color coat:white, black and tan.

(Photo: Martina Travnickova)

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Obviously, France managedits inheritance better. Dozensof packs of Chiens courant ex-isted in the 1880s, each packconsisting of 10 to 100 dogs.

Undisciplined DogsIn the 1890s, it seemed that

purebred Hounds were markedfor death in Switzerland, de-spite the breeding of Schwyzer,Berner and Luzerner Hounds.Some Hounds were exported toScandinavia and, thanks tocross-breeding with nativeHounds, the Stövares (Scandi-navian Hounds) were blossom-ing. But at the same time, theThurgauer Laufhund quietly disappeared in Switzer-land, and the Aargauer Laufhund gave way to theJura Laufhund (Bruno de Jura).

In 1903, J. Staub of the Swiss Kennel Clubfounded the Schweizerische Laufhunde-Club (SwissHound Club) and in 1907, an appeal was made tosave the Swiss Hounds from extinction. Then some-thing remarkable happened: the breed club boughtgood-quality Swiss Hounds and gave them to pru-dent breeders and huntsmen. Working test rules andregulations were put together, and a series of obli-gations established: a) only one dog at a time whenhunting; b) the dog had to be under control whensearching for game; c) a dog that disappeared whilehunting must return to its master within half anhour; and d) the dog must return as soon as the hornblast was sounded, regardless of whether the dogwas searching. Using these rules, the breed clubtried to exclude disobedient dogs and forced owners

to properly raise and train their hounds.

Four VarietiesDevelopment of the Swiss Hounds began in the

1930s, but took time and effort. In 1937, only fiveHounds were entered in the Swiss stud book. Dr. O.Vollenweider succeeded in gathering 11 Houndfanciers in the city of Solothurn, in northwestSwitzerland. Dogs suitable for breeding were se-lected and, in 1933, a breed standard was published.In the standard, the varieties were distinguished bycolor and coat pattern.

In 1944, 150 Swiss Hounds were entered at ahound exhibition. (As a neutral country, Switzer-land was not involved in the World War II) It wasno longer forbidden to work with dogs that gavetongue, and Hounds more than 20 inches (50 cen-

timeters) at thewithers were nolonger ruled out.

Attempts to save orrestore the AargauerLaufhund were un-successful; in 1933,the breed’s standardwas cancelled. Fourvarieties remained:the Bernese Hound,Jura Hound, Lu-cerne Hound andSchwyz Hound.Their names connectthem to Swiss citiesand areas (Bern,Lucerne, Jura), or toSwitzerland.

Excellent Nose and Strong Passion for GameIn 2008, I visited Animalia, a two-day dog show in Lausanne,

Switzerland. About 3,500 dogs were entered, so it seemed a per-fect opportunity to watch the Swiss Hounds. Unfortunately, onlyone variety was present, the Jura Hound (Bruno de Jura). In theNetherlands, dog shows without national breeds would be un-thinkable. But it was indicative of the status of Swiss Hounds:they are working dogs, not show dogs. They hunt fox, roe, hare,rabbit and sometimes wild boar.

Game laws differ among the Swiss cantons and, in most, it’snow forbidden to hunt with large Hounds. Swiss Hounds pos-sess an excellent nose and a strong passion for game. Greatstamina means the dog can follow a track over long distances.Large Hounds don’t bother about borders and hunting groundsof any kind. There is a saying that pointing dogs hunt for theirmaster, hounds hunt for themselves.

ExportsIt is said that between 1902 and 1922, about 1,200 Swiss

HISTORY

continued from page 200

Bernese Hound (male), Ch. Bandiére SyrinxBohemia from Bohemia Hill Kennel

in the Czech Republic. (Photo: Martina Travnickova)

A Swiss Hound Mother and Her Pups(Photo: Waliboo)

Small Bernese Hound (on the right) and two Basset Hounds.

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Hounds – mainly white-yellow Schwyzers – were bred in Nor-way. Some years, there were more Swiss Hounds outsideSwitzerland than in their country of origin. In 1993, around1,000 Lucerne Hounds lived in Sweden.

France is another importer. Seventy-five Jura Hounds were en-tered at a show in Lyon in 1976. Not surprisingly, the Jura isfound predominantly in France and Switzerland, and extendinginto Germany. From the 15th century, Swiss hounds were alsoexported to Italy. According to Räber, they were frequentlycrossbred with their Italian cousin, the Segugio Italiano.

Schweizerischer Niederlaufhunde – Small Swiss Hound

The Small Swiss Hounds are like smaller versions of the largeSwiss Hounds. They are lower on leg, an inheritance of theFrench Bassets. A characteristic of low-legged dogs is that theforefeet may point straight ahead or turn slightly outwards.

Now and then a Small Swiss Hound will have a Dachshund-type head instead of a typical hound head. Like the large SwissHounds, the small ones must be of true hound type.

In 1895, the Swiss canton St. Anton banned hunting with largeHounds. The canton of Graubünden followed suit, and ruled thatthe maximum height for Hounds should be 16 inches (40 cen-timeters). In 1898, a group of hunters came together with a viewto forbidding hounds over 15 inches (38 centimeters) at theshoulder. Voices were heard that the Alpine Dachsbracke couldbe used to keep down the height at the withers. Opponentsprotested against the plan, saying, “… a purebred Hound is asfar away from a Dachsbracke as a sighthound is from a spaniel.”

Nice Colors and Typical HeadsDr. Frank B. Laska, an au-

thority on Hounds who was op-posed to the idea of using theDachsbracke, fanned the flameswhen he advised the Swiss dogworld to breed “a small editionof the old, beautiful SwissHound.” Otherwise, the beauti-ful colors and typical headswould disappear. Laska’s ideawas well-received by a large

number of breedersand hunters, but thequarrelling about theDachsbracke went onfor several years.

However, in 1906,the Dachsbracke breedclub was renamedSchweizer Nieder-laufhunde-Club (SwissSmall Hound Club).Once again the breedstandard was re-writ-ten; the maximumheight became 15inches (38 centimeters).The club agreed on thecolor: Laufhunde color.

However, a breedstandard and breed club were no guarantee of purebred dogs.Dachsbrackes from Switzerland, French Bassets, Fox Terriersand many mixed breeds contributed to the development of themodern Small Swiss Hound. At first, exhibitions showed amixed lot. Dogs of the right height had crooked front legs or awrong color. Dogs with straight front legs had wrong colors orwere too high on leg. It was quite difficult for judges, and oneof them stated that, “If breeding dogs with crooked legs be-comes forbidden, the SmallSwiss Hounds will becomeextinct.”

Nevertheless, develop-ment progressed quickly be-cause in 1903, at a dog showin Lucerne, it was possibleto divide the Small SwissHounds on the basis of theircolor. It is estimated thatthere were 150 Hounds en-tered at this show.

Rules and regulations forworking tests were drawnup, and the first test forscenthounds was organized

in 1916. The SwissHounds, large andsmall, were not outof danger, how-ever; annually,only a few dozenwere entered in theSwiss stud book.

A Keen Nose and Melodious BarkSwiss Hounds share three Hound characteristics: a

keen nose, a desire to track down quarry, and a melodiousbark when working. These traits are thoroughly described

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Large Swiss Hounds (Laufhunde)• Berner Hound• Jura Hound• Lucerne Hound• Schwyz Hound

Small Swiss Hounds(Schweizerischer Niederlaufhunde)• Small Bernese Hound (smooth coat and rough coat)• Small Jura Hound• Small Lucerne Hound• Small Schwyz Hound

Hounds in EuropeBalkan countries: GonicGermany and Autria: Brack(e)Great Britain: HoundFrance: Chien courantGreece: IgnilatisHungary: KopóPoland: OgarSlovenia: KopovSweden: StövareSwitzerland: Laufhund

Head of a Small Bernese Hound Bitch(Photo: Ilka Becker)

Puppies from Kennel Clairjoie, France.

(Photographer unknown)

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in hunting literature.In general, the need for small Swiss Hounds came about be-

cause they don’t have the speed and range of the large SwissHounds, enablinghuntsmen to fol-low the dogs onfoot and shootthe game. Work-ing with smallSwiss Houndsavoided the prob-lem of dogs rac-ing from onehunting groundto another, one ofthe reasons hunt-ing with largeHounds had beenforbidden.

Breed standardsThe breed standards of the Swiss Hounds and the Small Swiss

Hounds are almost identical, with the exception of skin, color andheight. The height at the withers of male Swiss Hounds is 19 to23 inches (49 to 59 centimeters); bitches are 18-1/2 to 22-1/2inches (47 to 57 centimeters). Small Swiss Hounds are 14 to 17inches (35 to 43 centimeters), and 13 to 16 inches (33 to 40 cen-timeters) respectively.

Apart from the Small Bernese Hound, which comes in smoothand rough-coated varieties, Swiss Hounds are smooth. In thebreed standard, the temperament of the Swiss Hound is describedas “Lively and passionately keen on hunting, sensitive, docile,and very attached to his master.” The Small Swiss Hound is“Deft, untiring and keen... with excellent nose. Steady on the trailand hunting with melodious cry. Friendly character, not nervousand never aggressive. Temperament calm to lively.”

A table is useful for understanding the differences and charac-teristics of the large and small Swiss Hounds. The FCI standardsdate from 2001 and can be found on the FCI site: fci.be

Large Swiss Hounds – Four VarietiesThe skin of all varieties is “Fine, supple, well fitting to the

body.” Faults for all varieties include weak general structure.Skull too broad, too rounded or too flat. Stop too distinct. Muzzletoo short or too long, too square or too snippy. Eyes light; piercingexpression. Neck too short. Saddle back or roach back.

Small Swiss Hounds – Four VarietiesThe skin of all varieties is “Well fitting and taut, no folds.” The

faults for all varieties include: coarse head lacking in refinement.Nose partially flesh-colored. Leathers set on high, too short, thick,flat. Swayback or roach back. Chest lacking in depth; ribs too flator barrel-shaped; ribcage not smooth (e.g., flange ribs). Tail car-ried too high, distinctly bent. Shoulder blade steep, upper arm tooshort, angulation too wide. Weak carpal joints, down on pastern.Spread toes, hare feet. Insufficient angulations of hindquarters;cow-hocked or bow-legged.

Ria Hörter is a dog writer from The Netherlands. She is thecontributing editor of various Dutch dog magazines. She was afinalist twice in the annual Dog Writers Association of Americawriting competition for her articles in Dogs in Canada. On April12, 2014, she was awarded the Dutch Cynology Gold Emblem ofHonour presented by the Dutch Kennel Club. For more informa-tion visit: riahorter.com

We have tried to find the names of all photographers, etc. Un-fortunately, we did not always succeed. Please send a messageto the author (riahorter.com) if you think you are the owner of acopyright.

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Lucerne Hound by Piero Cozzaglio, circa 1973

The breed standards of the Swiss Hound and the Small Swiss Houndare almost the same, with the exception of the skin, color and height.

Small Lucerne Hound(Photographer unknown)

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HISTORY

continued from page 206

Name of varietyin English

In German and French Color Skin

Bernese Hound Berner Laufhund

Chien Courant Bernois

White with black patches or black saddle; withlight to dark tan markings over the eyes, on thecheeks, the inside of the leathers and around thevent; the white sometimes with very slight blackticking.

Black skin under blackcoat, slightly white andblack marbled under thewhite coat.

Jura Hound Jura Laufhund

Chien Courant du Jura (Brunode Jura)

Tan with black blanket, sometimes with blackover-lay; or black with tan markings over theeyes, on the cheeks, around the vent and on thelegs; sometimes with a small white patch on thechest which may be slightly speckled (black orgrey ticking).

Black skin under blackcoat but lighter under tancoat.

Lucerne Hound Luzerner Laufhund

Chien Courant Lucernois

“Blue” resulting from a combination of blackhairs and white hairs, very heavily speckled;with black patches or black saddle; with light todark tan markings above the eyes, on thecheeks, on the chest, around the vent and on thelegs; a black blanket is admitted.

Black skin under blackcoat and lighter underblue speckling.

Schwyz Hound Schweizer Laufhund

Chien Courant Suisse

White with orange patches or orange saddle; thewhite sometimes with very slight orange tick-ing; an orange blanket is admitted.

Dark grey skin under or-ange coat and white andblack marbled under thewhite coat.

Name of varietyin English

In German and French Color Skin

Small Bernese Hound Berner Niederlaufhund

Petit Courant Bernois

This variety is bred with a smooth and a roughcoat. Always tricolor: white, black and tan.Basic color white with large black patches. Afew black mottles permitted. Tan markings(“Brand”) above eyes, on cheeks, on inside andupper part of leathers and around the vent.Black mantle permitted.

Black under black coat, slightly black-and-whitemarbled under whitecoat.

Small Jura Hound Jura Laufhund

Petit Chien Courant Bernois

This variety is usually smooth haired, seldomshows a “double coat” (Stockhaar). Preferablydeep black with tan markings (“Brand”) aboveeyes, on cheeks, on chest and/or on legs. Or al-ternatively tan with black mantle or saddle.White patch on chest, not too large, tolerated.

Black under black coat,lighter under tan mark-ings.

Small Lucerne Hound Luzerner Laufhund

Petit Chien Courant Lucernois

This variety is smooth-haired. Basic color whitedensely grey-white or black-white speckled(giving a “blue” expression), with large dark orblack patches. Tan markings (“Brand”) aboveeyes, on cheeks, on the inside and upper part ofleathers and around the vent. Black mantle per-mitted.

Black under black coat,lighter under blue speck-ling.

Small Schwyz Hound Schwyzer Laufhund

Petit Chien Courant deSchwyz

This variety is smooth-haired. Basic color whitewith larger or smaller yellowish-red to orange-red patches. A few orange mottles permitted; or-ange mantle permitted.

Dark grey under orangecoat, white-black mar-bled under white coat.

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