Hamiltonstovare

The Hamiltonstovare is a breed of versatile, medium-sized dogs that aside from making a loyal family pet, hunt foxes and hares, also participating in the show ring. It comes with a rectangular body, long head, strong muzzle, almond-shaped eyes, soft, hanging flat ears, long, powerful neck, deep, well-developed chest, well-defined withers, and a tail that tapers toward the tip. Despite the similarities in appearance between the Hamiltonstovare and an English Foxhound, the former can be distinguished by its lighter structure.

Hamiltonstovare Pictures

History

During the late 1800s, the Hamiltonstovare was developed in Sweden by Count Adolf Hamilton, the creator of the Swedish Kennel Club, who was on the lookout for a powerful, robust hound that could help kill both foxes and hares in a harsh climate and rough, mountainous terrain.

He used Harriers, English Foxhounds, and three extinct German breeds including the Heiderbracke, Holsteiner Hound, and Curlandish Hound. Today’s Hamiltonstovare dogs are considered the descendants of Pang and Stella, two hounds owned by the count. First shown in its native country in 1921, the breed was known as the Swedish Hound, but the name was later changed to Hamilton Hound after the founder.

Unlike the English Foxhounds, it was developed to hunt as a solitary animal or as a pair. It is still a famed hunting breed in Sweden and is recently gaining acceptance outside its native country. However, in the United States it is a rare breed.

Temperament and Behavior

The Hamiltonstovare is a typical hound in disposition, a tireless hunter, having a high prey drive with an excellent sense of sight and smell. Being driven by scent, the Hamilton Hound loves to follow its nose wherever it leads. It is an adaptable breed but may show some hound-like stubbornness.

However, hand home there is a transition in its personality as it becomes a lazy dog yearning for attention of its family. As an even-tempered, affectionate pet it loves to spend time with its people. Although it usually gets along with humans and other dogs, it may not be suited for homes with small pets like cats and rodents. Being a highly sensitive breed, it can be used as a service dog, specifically for medical alerts.

Training

Since the Hamilton is food motivated, training it can be easy.

Leash Training
Introduce your Hamilton puppy to the collar and leash by letting it wear them for a short period of time. You may play with your pup or give it treats so that it can associate wearing collar and leash with something fun. Make it come toward you by making a sound cue and giving treats. Practice walking some steps with its leash on, and make sure to test your Hamilton’s walking skills inside before taking it outside.

Obedience Training
Because of its occasional stubbornness, higher level obedience training could be tricky. You can try teaching your Swedish Foxhound to respond to some basic obedience commands including come, sit, stay, down, and leave it.

Feeding

Give your Hamilton a quality dry food that is free of grain sources. Your dog should have access to clean, fresh water at all times.

Interesting Facts

• Over the years, Hamiltons have been bred to refuse the scent of deer, and so it does not hunt a deer.
• A Hamiltonstovare was used for hunting hares by Mikael Blomkvist, a character in the Swedish novel “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”
• A Hamiltonstovare called Karo is famous in Swedish folklore, who along with an elf named Tomtem was known for helping homemakers.