Small Swiss Hound

 At the beginning of the 20^th century, hunting began to change in Switzerland. Private hunting grounds were introduced and the standard sized Swiss Hound was too fast and enthusiastic to properly hunt within these smaller hunting grounds. Hunters decided to develop a different hunting breed that would be able to hunt efficiently and effectively within the enclosed private hunting grounds. Many people think the Small Swiss Hound is simply a smaller version of the Swiss Hound. While this is partly true, they are a different breed that originated from crossing the Swiss Hound with the Basset Hound. The ultimate goal was to develop a breed that was lower to the ground and smaller in size but also had the same four rich color variants as the Swiss Hound. The resulting dogs were expected to have a strong sense of smell for nose work and a melodious voice to sound the alarm when on the hunt.  The Small Swiss Hound is an outstanding hunter and has the ability to track scents for miles over harsh terrain. The Small Swiss Hound became the go-to hunting dog for people hunting on private grounds. The United Kennel Club recognized the Small Swiss Hound in 2006. The Federal Cynologique Internationale (FCI) accepted them and adopted the official breed standard under the name Schweizer Niederlaufhund in 2015. The Small Swiss Hound is still a popular hunting companion in their native Switzerland; however, they have not gained much popularity in the United States or Canada. Since there are still so few found within the United States, they are not able to be registered by the American Kennel Club.