Hamiltonstövare Standards
- AKC (FSS)
- FCI (Group 6)
- KC (Hound)
- UKC (Scenthound)
- 19-24"
- 50-60 lbs
- medium-sized scenthound
- hanging ears, set high
- medium-length tail
- harsh, short coat lays close to body
- tricolor
History of the Hamiltonstövare
The Hamiltonstövare was developed in Sweden by the founder of the Swedish Kennel Club, Count Adolf Hamilton in the late 1800s. The hounds in their ancestry have been debated, but there are two main theories. The first begins with eastern European hounds brought to Sweden in the 15th or 16th century. These dogs were crossed with native Swiss hounds and English Foxhounds to begin the breeding pool. Secondly they may descend from a complex mixture of the extinct Holstein, Curland and Heiderbracke Hounds, along with the Hanover Hound and English Foxhound. Before 1921 it was known as the Swedish Hound, but it was decided that the breed required a more precise name to distinguish it from the other Swedish scenthounds.