Dunker

The Dunker, also called the Norwegian Hound, is a medium-sized scent hound from Norway, bred to hunt hare. It is a very rare breed. Most Dunkers live in Norway and Sweden, and only about 150 puppies are born each year.

History

The breed is named for Wilhelm Dunker, a Norwegian who developed it at the beginning of the 19th century. He crossed a Russian Harlequin Hound with reliable Norwegian scent hounds to produce a dog that would hunt by scent and not by sight. The Dunker has not yet become popular outside its homeland.

Appearance

Males stand 50–55 cm (19.5–21.5 in) at the withers and females 47–52 cm (18.5–20.5 in); the weight is around 16–18 kg (35–39 lb).

The head is long and clean, with a slightly domed skull, a defined stop and a long, square-cut muzzle. The nose is black with wide nostrils, and the eyes are large, round and dark. The ears are set low, wide and flat, hanging close to the head and reaching the middle of the muzzle. The neck is long, the back straight and strong with broad, muscular loins, and the forelegs are straight. The tail is strong at the root, tapers toward the tip, reaches the hock and is carried in a slight upward curve.

The coat is straight, hard and dense, and not too short. The preferred colors are black or blue marbled with pale fawn and white markings. Warm brown, a lot of black, a black mask or heavy white marking are less wanted, and a dog that is more than half white is disqualified.

Temperament

The Dunker is a robust dog and a capable hunter. It covers a great deal of ground when working and is one of the few hare hounds that can hunt in deep snow. It is considered easy to train with positive reinforcement such as clicker training. Given enough exercise it rarely barks outside the hunt, and it is regarded as a good family dog when it is also used for hunting.

Care and health

A Dunker needs a lot of exercise, along with activities that make it use its intelligence.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.