Småland Hound

Many varieties of scent hounds existed in Småland County in the 19th century. Some of these dogs are believed to have been brought back from Germany, Poland and the Baltic by soldiers returning to Småland after 17th-century wars. These hunting dogs were crossed with farm dogs of Spitz type and with British hunting dogs. The morphology of these Småland dogs varied enormously: naturally short or long tail, black and tan, red, or yellow coloring. In the early 20th century, efforts were undertaken to reconstruct the breed, particularly the short-tailed variety. The first standard was drafted in 1921 and is quite flexible: it admits both long and short tails and allows colors other than black and tan. Breed selection was marked by significant and regular infusions of new blood, sometimes from other breeds. The last infusion came from pedigree-less Småland dogs used in the 1950s.

The FCI standard describes the Hamilton Hound as calm, gentle, loyal and attentive.

The Småland Hound is a medium-sized dog, robust and elegant in appearance. The body can be inscribed in a square. There are two tail lengths: the long tail, which barely reaches the hock, and the short tail, in a stump. The eyes are dark brown. Set quite high, the drooping ears have a rounded tip. They are slightly raised when the dog is alert. Pulled forward, the ears do not reach the middle of the muzzle. Of medium length, the coat is harsh and well laid against the body, with short, dense and soft undercoat. It is coarser on the back and neck. The coat is short and smooth on the head, ears and on the front faces of the limbs. It is longer under the tail and on the rear of the thighs. The coat color is black and tan. The intensity of the tan can vary from amber to mahogany. Small white markings on the chest and on the toes are allowed.