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The Drever Temperament
Loyal
This breed forms very close bonds with his people. He loves people and wants to be near them all the time.
Even-tempered
The Drever temperament is calm and easygoing. He is content to lie around the house if he gets enough exercise.
Drever Temperament is Stubborn
The One Thing You Must Know
The
If you are going to bring a
See our recommended guidelines for training the Drever
Gentle
He gets along well with people, other dogs, strangers, and kids. He needs early socialization for other pets, though, because of his strong prey drive.
Affectionate
He loves to show affection to those he loves.
Playful
The Drever temperament is great for children when he’s socialized early. It also helps if they are raised together. He will play for as long as they care to join him.
Sweet
He has a very kind, gentle disposition.
Tenacious
The Drever temperament is hard-working and determined. This works great in the field, but it can make him stubborn at home.
Brave
The Drever temperament is courageous. He has no problem facing up to large game like deer and wild boar.
Good with other dogs
He enjoys the company of other dogs and is never aggressive.
Athletic
The Drever is a sturdy, agile dog. He loves physical activity and is good at it.
Strong
He has great endurance when hunting and can cover long distances. He is willing to work long after the hunter is done.
Confident
The Drever temperament is never anxious, aggressive, or shy.
Vocal
They do bark sometimes, particularly when they’re playing or as an alert. They Drever temperament is too gentle to make a good watchdog, however.
Stranger-wary
He is not immediately accepting of strangers and will sound the alarm when one is nearby. If he is socialized to them when he is young, he will be more confident with them.
Drever History
The Drever is a short-legged, long-bodied scent hound from Germany. He is descended from a German hound, the Westphalian Dachsbracke (or simply Bracke).
The name Drever comes from the word “drev,” Swedish for hunt.
Their history in Sweden began when hunters were looking for a dog that could handle their tough terrain. In 1910, they began crossing the German Westphalian Dachsbracke with the native Swedish hounds.
The result was a crossbreed that was a little larger than the original Dachsbracke. His short legs and long body turned out to be perfect for the terrain he was to cover.
The Swedes then held a contest to name the new breed of hound. They held a newspaper competition in 1947, and the name Drever was chosen.
The Drever was recognized as its own breed in Sweden in 1953.
Drever Appearance
General Appearance
The Drever is a medium-sized dog with a compact, muscular build. He has short legs and a long body. His coat is short and coarse.
He has a fairly large head and hanging ears. The nose is usually black with wide nostrils.
He has a long tail that is thick at the base and hangs downward. It may curl upward a bit when he is active.
Drever Size
Drever weight is 35-40 pounds. Height is from 13-15 inches.
Drever Colors
Drevers come in several colors. They can be
- Black and white;
- Red;
- Brindle;
- Black, red and tan.
They have white on their feet, chest, neck, face, and tail.
Drever Training
Here is where the Drever can be challenging. The Drever temperament is not well suited to a beginning dog owner.
The truth is, he can be difficult to train. Obedience doesn’t come naturally to him, and he can be stubborn.
The Drever needs very strong, consistent leadership and firm rules.
He will “walk all” over a passive owner, and his stubborn Drever behaviors will become a problem.
He needs continual training throughout his life and will keep trying to break the rules. If you let one lapse, he will act as though he never learned it.
The key is that you must be consistent and more stubborn than he is.
Another training challenge with this breed is that he loves to dig. This can be a tough behavior to correct.
Because of his strong hunting drive, you won’t want to let this dog off leash. He will run as soon as he catches a scent, and he will be very hard to coax back.
We can’t stress enough that this breed needs early and strict obedience and socialization training. The Drever is very likely to refuse to obey and will need more time and commitment than most dogs.
Training your Drevel to hunt is a different story. Hunting comes so naturally to it that it needs almost no training at all to be excellent at what he does best.
Hunting with the Drever
The Drever is an eager hunter with an excellent nose. He is used to track small game such as rabbits and foxes but also larger game like deer.
Their short legs and long bodies are perfectly adapted to hunting deer. Because deer are nervous and wary of hunters, they need to be approached quietly.
With their short legs, Drevers are slow-moving and are perfect for this use.
His job is to trail the game, then call to the hunter with continual barking while he holds the animal by circling around it. He is also skilled at driving the game to the hunter’s guns.
In Sweden, the Drever is almost always a hunting dog, rarely a pet.
He is one of the most popular dogs in Sweden, where he has earned the nickname “hunting machine.” They are also popular in Finland and Norway.
Outside of Scandinavia, the Drever is rare.
Other Drever Information
Drever Lifespan
The Drever life expectancy is 12-15 years.
Other Names
Swedish Drever, Svensk Drever, Swedish Dachsbracke, Svensk Dachsbracke, and Dachsbracke.
Drever Health Issues
The Drever is a robust, healthy dog with no breed-specific health issues. Low-risk conditions can include back problems, obesity, eye conditions, mange, and ear infections.
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Caring for the Drever
Drever Grooming
This breed has short, coarse hair that is easy to take care of. They do shed, and the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) recommends a weekly brushing with a hound mitt.
You should bathe your Drever often. It will remove the natural oils from his skin. Instead, a weekly rubdown with a damp cloth should be enough to keep him clean.
Like all dogs, he will need his eyes and ears checked regularly, his toenails clipped, and his teeth brushed.
Drever Diet
The Drever should do well on any high-quality dry food. If you hunt with him, though, you may want to consider a high-performance or working dog formula.
You will want to watch his weight carefully, though, as the Drever is prone to obesity.
Drever Exercise
The Drever needs moderate exercise for physical and mental stimulation. They are very playful and love interactive activities with their humans.
If they get enough exercise, they will be very content to lounge around at home with their people.
Without that exercise, the
Some Drevers will be content to be couch potatoes as long as he gets enough mental stimulation during the day. He may rely on you to see that he gets the exercise he needs to stay fit and not become obese.
Drevers do best with a daily routine with exercise built in. They like walking, hiking, running alongside for bike rides. They especially enjoy activities that use their hunting abilities.
Scent work is a great example. Try hiding treats all over the house and yard. He will love sniffing them out. This is great mental stimulation for him.
Once you get him involved in a physical activity, his stamina will probably outlast yours.
The Drever Association of America (DAA) recommends the following activities for the Drever: “barn hunting, wounded animal recon, scent work, shed hunting, lure coursing, rally, agility, therapy dog, hunting/tracking trials, and conformation.”
Finding a Drever
Finding a Drever for sale may be challenging. The breed is rare outside of Scandinavia. Your best bet would be to try the Drever Association of America web site. They keep a list of American and Canadian breeders and may be able to help you find a Drever puppy.
The Canadian Kennel Club is another possible source of breeder information.
Site Visits
Once you find a breeder, expect to be put on a waiting list. In the meantime, if at all possible, you should pay a visit to the breeder site. You want to be sure you’re buying from a responsible breeder and not a puppy mill or “backyard breeder.”
You will want to be sure the facilities are clean and that the dogs look healthy. Ask if the parent dogs are on site and if you can see them.
You should also ask about the health of the parents and about what healthcare the puppies will receive before they are sold.
You should expect the breeder to offer a health guarantee with your pup. All responsible breeders will offer this.
A reputable breeder will also offer to take the dog back at any time if for some reason you need to surrender it.
You can also expect a good breeder to ask you questions. Their first concern will be the welfare of their dogs. They will want to be sure they are putting puppies in the right homes.
In the case of the Drever, you can expect to be asked if your family is an active one. A good breeder will probably not place active, high-energy Drever puppies in homes where they may not get the exercise they need.
Drever price from a reputable breeder should be between $600 and $800.
Online Breeders
If you find a breeder online, you should be especially cautious. Never buy a puppy online unless you have a trustworthy reference for that breeder.
Rare dogs are very profitable business for puppy mills. The dogs in these operations are kept in inhumane conditions. The females are forced to have litter after litter until their health gives out.
The “breeders” in these facilities have no concern for the health of the mothers or the puppies. They will not be vetted, and they will not be immunized. You will get no health guarantees.
To get trustworthy recommendations, you can check with the breed clubs mentioned above. You can also do an Internet search for online dog owner forums. There are online groups for nearly every breed.
In addition to getting recommendations, you can talk with other owners about Drever traits and what is like to live with one.
Drever Adoption – Shelter or Rescue
Finding a Drever for adoption can be a great idea. Again, because they’re rare, you may need patience. It won’t hurt to let any local shelters know that you’re looking for one.
But you may have a better chance of finding a rescue. Again, you might check with the DAA and CKC above. They would know of any Drever rescue groups and would be able to direct you to them.
Adopting a shelter or rescue dog could be a great idea. Chances are it would be an adult dog. Adopting an adult dog has a lot of advantages.
An adopted dog would already be spayed or neutered. It would be up to date on its immunizations.
In addition to all of that, you will have the joy of giving a loving home to a dog that needs one.
Is the Drever the Right Breed for You?
Now that you have a good understanding of the Drever temperament, you’ll be better able to decide if the Drever is the right dog for you.
The Drever has a wonderful disposition—gentle, loyal, playful, and affectionate. He makes a happy, loving family dog.
But you need to keep in mind that he is fairly difficult to train and needs continual reinforcement. He can be stubborn, and he can’t be let off leash.
He is definitely not a good choice for an inactive family or a first-time dog owner.
But if your family is active (maybe even a hunting family?) and you can commit to the tough love this breed needs, his sweet, lovable nature will reward you for years to come.
Paula is an experienced writer who loves dogs and had many of them through the years. Her family always had large dogs—Border Collies, Labs, and Golden Retrievers. When her beloved Golden died of cancer, she decided to practice what she preached and do some research before choosing her next breed. She now shares this knowledge with thousands of dogtemperament.com readers worldwide.