Drever Dog Breed: Info, Pictures, Care Guide & More

The Drever is a Swedish working dog. It is known for being alert and energetic but, despite this, as long as they do get enough exercise, they can be perfectly suited to life in an apartment. This combination makes them suitable for any owner that is capable of getting out and giving them approximately one hour of exercise each day. They do not require much maintenance, are generally hardy dogs, and they will usually get along with people of all ages as well as other dogs.

Breed Overview

They may be a little shy around strangers, but they will usually mix well with other dogs, and they can live amiably with cats and some other household pets`, as long as they are introduced at a young age and given time to mix.

Read on to find out more about this breed and to determine whether it is the right choice of dog for your family, your house, and your way of life.

Drever Characteristics

Drever Dog Puppies

The Drever is popular in its homeland of Sweden, as well as in nearby Finland and Norway. The breed also gained some popularity in Canada, where it suits the harsh winter months. However, the Drever’s popularity has not spread to the US. This means that it can be difficult to find a decent breeder, but it also means that the demand for this breed remains low.

Ensure that you vet any potential breeders before you agree to purchase a dog. Ask questions about the breed, as well as questions specific to the puppy and its parents and siblings. You can use this information to determine the likely temperament and characteristics of your dog. You can also ensure that the puppy is genuine while asking to see evidence of health screening and other necessary checks that have been completed.

Although the breed is rare in the US, you may be able to find them in local shelters. In a lot of cases, energetic dogs like this are given up because the previous owner was unable to meet their exercise requirements and the dog became destructive and antisocial as a result.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Drever

The Drever is a scent hound and shares a lot of its characteristics and temperaments with other dogs of this type. It is considered sweet and loving with its family, and it can be equally friendly with other people. However, it does not make the best watchdog, despite its propensity to bark warnings. Although it is slow-moving, it is resolute, and if a Drever has a job to do, it will work and work until it believes it has fully finished that job.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

Like all dogs, the Drever will benefit from early socialization, but it is considered an amiable breed. It will get along with people of all ages, so it does well with families as well as with individuals and seniors. It can live with young children, as well as older because despite requiring a lot of exercise, it is not prone to charging around and jumping up. However, as with any breed, you should not allow very young and small children to be left alone with the dog.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶 😽

As well as being good with people, the breed usually gets along with other dogs. In fact, it is considered a pack dog, having been bred to live with and work with other dogs of a similar nature. Therefore, your Drever may benefit from having a canine playmate around the house to interact with.

Although early socialization and introducing them when they are young will help, the Drever’s prey drive means that it might not be a suitable dog for living with or interacting with cats and other small animals. It does retain some prey drive, which means that it is prone to giving chase if it sees something dart away.

Regardless of breed, never leave any dog alone with small animals like rats and hamsters, if they are out of their cage. Any dog will want to investigate, at the very least.

Things to Know When Owning a Drever

The Drever can make a good family pet with children of almost all ages because it loves to play and is affectionate and loving. It can also live well with other animals, but there are a lot of other factors to take into account when considering the adoption or purchase of one of this breed. Below are the most important characteristics and factors to consider when thinking of taking on one of this breed.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Your Swedish scent hound will eat between two and three cups of good quality dry kibble every day. Feed this within two or three equal meals each day to avoid bloat and ensure that your dog has regular and ongoing access to clean water so that it can remain hydrated.

You should base the amount you feed on your dog’s age, weight, condition, and the amount of exercise it gets each day and feed according to the weight you want to achieve and not the current weight of your dog.

Using treats as a training aid is common, but if you use high-calorie treats, you will need to take this into account when calculating your dog’s daily food intake. Otherwise, it could lead to your Drever becoming overweight or obese. And it is much harder for your dog to lose weight than it was to put it on in the first place.

Exercise 🐕

The small stature of the Drever, when compared to a lot of other scent hounds, does not mean that this breed requires less exercise. It is a lively and energetic dog and needs to get out for walks and other exercises often to ensure that it remains healthy and happy. Provide a minimum of one hour of exercise per day. As well as walking and hiking, this breed will enjoy taking part in agility classes and competing in canine sports.

Training 🦮

The Drever is a dog of two training regimens. Field and hunting training will be easy. The dog loves to hunt and can be easily taught what is required of it. However, it is less interested in obedience training, which means that teaching him not to jump up at people or even to use the back garden as a potty can prove more difficult. The dog loses interest quickly, so ensure that training is fun, and don’t be afraid of using healthy but appealing treats as a way of facilitating more effective and efficient training.

Socialization is important for all dogs. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety in the dog and makes for a more enjoyable life for the dog and owner. Take your Drever to socialization and puppy classes when it is young because this will help introduce it to new and unexpected situations so that it will be better equipped to deal with things in the future.

Grooming ✂️

While training can be a challenge and the breed requires plenty of regular exercise, grooming is thankfully quite easy. The smooth coat is easily brushed down and a weekly brush should be ample to ensure that dead hairs, knots, and mats are removed from the dog.

You will need to brush the dog’s teeth three times a week and ideally daily. You should start this, as well as clipping the nails, when your dog is young so that it will be easier when they get older. How often you trim nails will depend on how often and where the dog walks, but it will usually be required every two months or so.

Health and Conditions ❤️

The Drever is considered a hardy dog. It can survive well in cold conditions. With that said, it can be prone to back, eye, ear, and weight problems. Look for signs of the following and if any symptoms do present, consult with a veterinarian to get the required help.

Male vs Female

There is little notable difference in temperament between the male and female Drever, but the male can grow an inch taller and weigh a few pounds heavier than the female. Differences between the sexes will be negligible as long as you spay or neuter your Drever.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Drever

1. The Drever Needs a Lot of Daily Activity

One factor to consider when choosing which breed of dog is right for you is the level of exercise that one requires. The Drever may be a relatively short dog, only reaching a height of approximately 16 inches, but don’t let this fool you because it will require a lot of daily exercise to ensure that it stays healthy and happy.

Expect to provide a minimum of an hour a day, and if you can offer more, your new pup will appreciate it. What’s more, while the Swedish breed will enjoy walking and hiking, it also enjoys more vigorous exercise and it can be enrolled in agility and canine sports classes. Not only will these activities help burn off energy but they will keep your dog’s brain active and can also help with socialization and other aspects of training.

2. They Can Be Noisy

The Drever is considered a somewhat noisy breed and they are prone to barking. When used for hunting, the breed needed a loud bark so that it could get the attention of the hunter quickly and easily.

Even when kept as a household pet, the breed does not lose the ability to bark and bay loudly. Whether bored and demanding attention, hungry, or letting you know of expected visitors, the Drever is likely to bark. Training and socialization can help to reduce the amount of barking, but this may never happen. If loud and regular barking is likely to be a problem for you, your family, or even your neighbors, you may want to consider a different breed.

3. Drevers are Swedish Hounds

The Drever is a relatively new breed. It emerged in the early 1900s and was bred from small German dogs including the Westphalian Dachsbracke. This breed was preferred for its ability to tackle challenging terrain and to deal with the cold climate. It excelled in both of these factors and quickly became a popular working dog.

The name Drever is derived from the way that the dog hunts its prey because it effectively drives animals towards the hunter, who will then step in to catch it. Although the breed was only recently introduced and developed, it has become the dominant breed in Sweden, where it is kept as a pet as well as a working dog.

Its popularity has spread so that the breed is also found in Finland and Norway, as well as there being a small concentration in Canada, but it has yet to really see popularity throughout the rest of the world. The AKC does not yet fully recognize the breed.

Final Thoughts

The Drever is a Swedish scent hound and while it might be a relatively small breed, it is a very active one that requires plenty of daily exercise and a decent diet to ensure that it remains healthy and happy.

It is a friendly and loyal breed that makes a good companion and a great family pet, as well as an efficient working dog, but it has not yet become a popular breed in the US, remaining popular only in Sweden and neighboring countries. However, if you do buy or adopt one and can meet its daily exercise requirements, it makes an excellent pet that will fit right into your family.

• See also: Westphalian Dachsbracke Dog Breed: Info, Pictures, Care & More!

Featured Image Credit: Popova Valeriya, Shutterstock