Last Updated on November 4, 2022 by Pets Feed
The seemingly inconspicuous German Hunting Terrier (Jagdterrier) comes with a surprisingly wide range of abilities. He is a little dog worthy of respect. He does not need popular love; his audience is exclusively hunters.
The Jagdterrier is a close relative of the fox terrier and a versatile hunter, working professionally with burrowing animals, birds and other types of game.
| Breed name | Jagdterrier |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Weight | 9-10 kg |
| Height (at the withers) | 33 – 40 cm |
| Life expectancy | 13 – 15 years |
| Size | Small |
Jagdterrier photos
Physical characteristics of the Jagdterrier
A real hard worker, not accustomed to lying on the sofa and posing in front of the camera, the Jagdterrier can boast neither an elegant satin “fur coat” nor a special touching appearance.
The standard height of the Jagdterrier varies from 33 to 40 cm, and these figures apply to females and males. But the weight categories for dogs of different sexes are different. Female Jagdterrier females weigh between 7-8 kg, while males are able to build bulkier muscle mass, keeping the weight between 9-10 kg.
Distinctive features
- Head: The head is wedge-shaped, tapering towards the nose. The stop and the occiput are poorly expressed.
- Jaws: Scissor bite. Strong and solid teeth.
- Ears: The ears are small and triangular in shape. Tight against each other and high enough.
- Eyes: The eyes are oval, set moderately deep, but not swollen. Color yellow-brown to dark brown.
- Body: The chest is broad, reaching down to the elbows. The back is straight, muscular. The belly is turned up.
- Limbs: The dog’s legs are straight and parallel. The hocks are pronounced. The legs are oval, the fingers are well compressed.
- Coat: The coat is dense, the undercoat is insignificant. Wool can be in two variants – hard or smooth. The brown color becomes black.
Behavior and character
The Jagdterrier is a very active dog, with great potential to hunt a wide variety of game and a huge amount of energy. If you don’t like hunting, be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors, walking your pet and participating in training and various games with him.
In the circle of their family, they are very kind and friendly dogs, distinguished by great devotion to the owner and family members. They are well suited for keeping in an apartment in the city if, as we said above, you are ready to provide the animal with the right level of activity.
With the children
Representatives of this breed get along well with children, the dog is full of energy, so it will be happy to play with schoolchildren. It is better not to leave children alone with the Jagdterrier.
With other animals
With other animals, the Jagdterrier has a strained relationship. The dog will gladly chase the cat and the birds. During a walk, the dog can become the initiator of a fight with other dogs.
Health
Jagdterriers are distinguished by good health. Most often they do not suffer from illnesses, but from injuries. Representatives of this breed have a high pain threshold, when fighting with wild or domestic animals, dogs can be seriously injured.
To protect a dog from viral diseases, it must be vaccinated. The first vaccines are given at 6 weeks of age. After vaccination, the dog is quarantined for two weeks so that the weakened body is not attacked by viruses.
Life expectancy
With the right care, the Jagdterrier can live up to 13-15 years.
Basic care
Regardless of the length and structure of the coat, the Jagdterrier does not require special care – it is enough to comb the dog once a week.
Be sure to keep his ears clean, check them after a walk in the forest or in a park, especially in the spring when there are a lot of ticks on the trees.
Bathe the dog when he gets dirty; in hot weather, you can wipe the animal with a damp towel.
Trim the claws about once a week and clean the eyes of deposits if necessary.
History of the breed
The official name of the breed leaves no doubt about the origin of this terrier. Another masterpiece of German cynology belongs to the new times, its history is surprising – what are the possibilities for selection, if you set to work with a clear mind and purpose.
The idea of getting a more practical and improved version of the Fox Terrier for hunting originated in Germany even before WWI. As soon as the post-war difficulties were overcome, work proceeded at an accelerated pace.
Enthusiasts of the southern states of Germany deliberately selected and knitted terriers with given characteristics:
- Dark color without spots,
- Great anger,
- Excellent versatile working qualities.
As soon as Dr. Lackner, a renowned hunter and dog breeder, joined the movement, the work clearly began and in 1926 the German Hunting Terrier Club began its work in Munich. As such, there was no breed yet, but breeders were already developing a common type of new dogs.
The use of fox terriers, both smooth-haired and wire-haired, is reliably known. The blood of other English terriers has also been shed: Manchester, Welsh terrier, Old English, and several combinations have been tried.
In 1934, the main provisions of the new breed standard were formalized. Cattle with a distinct breed type reached the required level of 200 heads, after which the club received permission from the German Kennel Service to keep its own herd book.
Thanks to the joint efforts of several breeders, already 15 years after its foundation, the club considered the work of breeding a new breed completed. But they had to come back to it – World War II has started.
It took well over 15 years to restore the herd and general type of the Jagdterrier. Certainly, modern German breeders have approached the issue with the utmost rigor and thoroughness. They considered that it was possible to register the breed with the FCI only in 1954.
The club’s work deliberately continued in the western part of Germany. Dogs of various types, but very useful for hunting, also spread in the eastern sector – in the GDR – and in Czechoslovakia.
A qualitative leap in breed has taken place since the 1980s, when the consolidation of the exterior type of NOT was completed, unwanted character traits were eliminated and a system of complex working tests was developed. Shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain, a variety of breeding material became available in the CIS countries, and the Jagdterrier entered the list of the most numerous hunting breeds.
