Small Swiss Hound

		Small Swiss Hound
		FCI standard Nº 60

Origin		Switzerland
Translation		Christina Bailey Original version: (DE)
Group		Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds
Section		Section 1.3 Small-sized Hounds
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Friday 27 August 1954
Publication of the official valid standard		Tuesday 13 October 2015
Last update		Tuesday 13 October 2015
En français, cette race se dit		Petit chien courant suisse
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Schweizer Niederlaufhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Sabueso suizo pequeño
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Schwyzer Niederlaufhund

Usage

Scenthound hunting the game by giving tongue. He hunts on his own. He searches and drives the game with great determination, even on difficult terrain. He also excels in tracking wounded game.

Brief historical summary

At the turn of the century, the system of shoots (hunting grounds) was introduced into several Swiss Cantons. As the opinion was that the generally popular medium-sized Swiss Hounds (Schweizer Laufhunde) were too fast for enclosed shoots, it was decided to replace them with smaller short-legged scenthounds. The new smaller breed, bred through planned selection of stock and suitable crossing, was called “Niederlaufhund (“short-legged Scenthound”). It distinguished itself by the following qualities : relatively low on leg, with attractive coat colours similar to those of the medium-sized Swiss Hounds (Schweizer Laufhunde), with a melodious cry when hunting and searching and with a very passionate determaination to find game and to do track work.
The Schweizer Niederlaufhund Club, first known by the name “Schweizerischer Dachsbracken Club”, was founded on June 1st 1905.

General appearance

“Swiss Hound” type, smaller in proportion than the Schweizer Laufhund, with height at withers from 35-43 cm for dogs and 33-40 cm for bitches; rectangular in shape, moderately long, well built. Medium-sized, clean, noble head with friendly alert facial expression.
Leathers very long, set on low and carried folded. Chest and ribcage broad and deep, giving plenty of heart and lung room. Limbs lean and robust. When moving slowly, the tail is carried hanging down; in action it is curved slightly upwards.

Behaviour / temperament

Passionate small Scenthound, with excellent nose, deft, untiring and keen scenthound with excellent nose. Steady on the trail and hunting with melodious cry. He reliably searches and drives the game with great determination, even on difficult terrain. He also excels in tracking wounded game. Friendly character, not nervous and never aggressive. Temperament calm to lively.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Noble, clean. Seen from front, rather long and slender, gradually getting broader towards the cheeks.
Skull		Lightly arched, no wrinkle or furrow on forehead. Occiput only slightly prominent. Line from occiput to stop of approximately same length and as nearly parallel as possible to the line from stop to nose.
Stop		Moderately developed.

Facial region
Nose		Truffle dark. Nostrils wide open.
Muzzle		Strong, fairly long, medium depth, never pointed. Bridge of nose preferably straight or very slightly convex, rather slender.
Lips		Upper flews moderately overlapping, lightly rounded off in front, never pointed. Corner of mouth not visible.
Jaws and teeth		Very strong, regular and complete scissor bite, the upper row of incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors and teeth set square to the strong jaws. Pincer bite allowed. Absence of two premolars ( PM1 or PM2) tolerated. Absence of M3 (molars 3) not taken in consideration.
Cheeks		Only slightly developed.
Eyes		Dark, clear, slightly oval, friendly in expression. Neither deep set nor protruding. Lid aperture taut with close fitting lids. Lid rims well pigmented.
Ears		Set on low, not above eye level, and attached narrow; reaching in length at least to tip of nose. Nicely folded, pendulous and close to cheeks; supple, with fine hair. Auricle not protruding.

Neck

Moderately long, light and elegant, yet well muscled. Skin of throat may be loose, but dewlap not desirable.

Body
Topline		Harmonious from set-on of neck to the gently sloping croup.
Back		Straight, firm, medium length.
Loin		Broad, strong and supple.
Croup		Sloping gently towards the tail. Hip bones should not be visible .
Chest		Broad and deep, reaching at least to the elbows. Point of sternum visible, but not too prominent. Ribs long, moderately rounded. Ribcage reaching well back.
Underline and belly		Belly line slightly tucked up towards hindquarters. Flanks moderately filled in.

Tail

Set on low in harmonious continuation of croup. Medium length, reaching at least to the hock joint, ending in an elegant point. Well covered with hair, but without plume. In relaxed situations and movement it is carried hanging down with barely any curve. In action and when agitated it is carried slightly upwards, never tilted over the back.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Strongly muscled, but not giving a heavy appearance. Seen from the front, forelegs rather lean, straight and vertically placed, with strong bone. Tight feet pointing straight forward.
Shoulders		Strongly muscled. Shoulder blade relatively long and well laid back, flat and firmly attached to the ribcage. The shoulderblade-upper arm joint is almost 90 degrees.
Upper arm		About same length as shoulder blade, sloping.
Elbows		Naturally placed against the body.
Forearm		Strong, lean, quite straight, barely shorter than upper arm.
Carpal		Strong.
Pastern		Short. Seen from front in vertical line of the forearm, never turned outwards. Seen from side never quite upright, but slightly oblique to the ground.
Forefeet		Roundish, firm. Toes short, tight and well knuckled. Pads rough and hard. Strong nails. Fine hair between toes.

Hindquarters
Generality		Very muscular, in good proportion to forequarters. Stifle and hock joints well angulated. Hindlegs parallel, standing neither close nor too wide apart. In natural stance they should be placed slightly backwards. Bone of hindquarters slightly less strong than in forequarters.
Upper thigh		Of good length and width, strong, well muscled.
Lower thigh		Relatively long, sloping.
Stifle		Well bent, neither turned in nor out.
Metatarsus		Short. Seen from behind straight and parallel.
Hock		Strong, well angulated, set low.
Hind feet		Fairly round, firm. Short, tight toes. Pads rough and hard. Strong nails. Fine hair between toes. No dewclaws, except in those countries where their removal is prohibited by law.

Gait and movement

Preferred natural gait : ground covering trot or gallop. Movement when trotting should be free and easy, striding out well in front and with good strong drive behind. Legs move along straight parallel lines.
Front action: Neither moving close nor paddling; neither toeing in nor out.
Hind action : Practically parallel with definite drive, neither too close nor too wide. Neither cow-hocked nor bow-legged.

Skin

Well fitting and taut, no folds.

Coat
Hair		Smooth coat : Short, smooth, close fitting, finer on head and leathers. Rough coat : Harsh, elastic, close fitting, barely any undercoat, with slight beard. Double coat : Top coat very dense, straight, close fitting, short on feet and toes, dense undercoat.
Colour		Allowed are all types of coloursas follows : White and black with tan markings (Small Bernese Hound) Black with tan markings (Small Jura Hound) Blue speckled with black mantle (Small Lucerne Hound) White with orange-red mantle (Small Schwyz Hound) as well as all mixed colours of those.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Dogs 35 – 43 cm, bitches 33 – 40 cm. Tolerance +/- 2 cm.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Uncertainorslightly sharptemperament.

Bone too fine or too coarse, lack of substance.

Coarse head lacking in refinement.

Nose partially flesh-coloured.

Eyes too light, hard expression.

Leathers set on high, too short, thick, flat.

Distinct dewlap.

Swayback or roach back.

Croup short, falling away.

Chest lacking in depth; ribs too flat or barrel-shaped; ribcage not smooth (flange ribs).

Tail carried too high, severely bent.

Forelegs crooked, turned in or out.

Shoulder blade steep, upper arm too short, angulation too wide.

Weak carpal joints, down on pastern.

Spread toes, harefeet.

Insufficient angulations of hindquarters; cow-hocked or bow-legged.
Faults of colour and markings :

Small Bernese Hound : too many black ticks.

Small Schwyz Hound : too many orange ticks in the white.

Black overlay (“soot”) at leathers, set-on of tail and/or in orange patches.

Apprehensive or slightly sharp behaviour.

Disqualifying faults

Overly shy or aggressive.

Lack of breed type in general appearance.

Nose completely flesh-coloured.

Undershot or overshot mouth, wry mouth.

Absence of incisors or canines; faulty position of canines; absence of more than 3 premolars and/or molars.

Entropion, ectropion.

Sternum too short, abrupt tuck-up at end of sternum.

Tail rolled in or kinky.

Colour combinations not according to the standard.

Height at withers for males : under 33 cm or over 45 cm, for bitches under 31 cm or over 42 cm.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

The Swiss Running Dogs are very likely the direct descendants of the black and brown Ardennes dog, the Saint-Hubert, which was established in the abbey founded in the 7th century by the famous patron of the huntsmen from whom it takes its name.

The kings of France received every year six beautiful subjects of the race, and, as it is almost certain that the famous Souillard, a white dog of Saint-Hubert belonging to Louis XI, was the ancestor of the Griffon dogs, the kinship between French running dogs and Swiss Running Dogs does not seem to be in doubt. Subsequently, the Saint-Hubert was neglected by the French nobility, yet very passionate about hunting; Did not Charles IX himself say of this dog "that it is only good for the gouty, and not for those who are in the business of taking deer".

Visibly more cynical, the English created the famous Bloodhound from St. Hubert, and the Swiss pulled out their average-sized dogs. The Swiss Running Dogs have inherited all the qualities of the Saint-Hubert, that is to say that they are able to hunt on the most difficult terrain, hilly or rocky. However, it was only around 1930 that the four varieties of Swiss Common Dogs were defined: the current dog of Schwyz, that of the Jura, Bernese and Lucerne. The current dog of Jura is differentiated in type Bruno and Saint-Hubert type, the latter being distinguished from the other four because it evokes the Bloodhound more by its much more wrinkled forehead as well as by its size and weight. (The current dog of the Jura type Saint-Hubert is described in the monograph devoted to the Dog of Saint-Hubert.)

Today, in fact, Swiss Running Dogs differ essentially from Saint-Hubert in size. They are considered lighters; insofar as it is admitted that this term designates only dogs of average size and is not therefore a diminutive of "Braque"; while St. Hubert is a large animal. On the other hand, if the Saint-Hubert is a dog with a very fine but relatively slow blood, medium-sized Swiss Dogs, on the contrary, are light and fast, while keeping their sleuth quality. As for the four Swiss varieties, they can only be recognized by their dress: white and orange for the schwitzzois, white, speckled with gray or blue with fire or brown spots for the lucernois, tricolor for the bernois, finally brown with a saddle black or black with fire on the head and on the lower parts of the body (characteristics quite similar to that of the Saint-Hubert) for the dog of Jura (the name of the type Bruno, even if its origin is not specified in any treatise on cynology, it certainly comes from the color of her dress).

France will be interested only very late in current Swiss Dogs, since the Club of Bruno Jura and Swiss Running Dogs has only twenty years of existence. However, in the opinion of its president, Mr Poirier, the French breeders have now overtaken their Swiss counterparts in terms of the quality of their dogs. And if the club still has only 200 members, it is estimated that the number of owners raising Swiss Running Dogs is in the range of 2,500 to 3,000.

The Swiss Running Dogs are primarily animals that had to learn to hunt in very hilly terrain, in places where the man often had difficulty to reach. They can only rely on themselves when the game is engaging in some trick. They are very fine dogs of the nose, which the breeders managed to form by a severe selection. Their ancestors, the dogs of Saint-Hubert, were besides, according to the count the Couteulx de Canteleu, excellent bloodhounds.

Medium-sized Swiss Running Dogs must be between 45 and 54 cm (56 cm for very good animals), which means they can hunt hares very effectively. According to the Club President, Mr. Poirier, "their general appearance must be that of medium-sized dogs, fairly elongated, selected in force, endurance, nobility, of good conformation and having an exterior indicating vivacity". Words that perfectly underline what is expected of such a dog: that he can throw a game on the most difficult terrain, that he knows how to find his way in each of his doubles without the help of the hunter (in the term "double" is the case where the hunting animal suddenly turns around and takes the path it has already taken: the dog falls "at the end of the road" and then often finds it hard to find the exit) and, in this case, that he be able to take initiatives without falling into the exchange.

Presumably, today there are no more crews chasing hares to hunt with Brunos from the Jura, Bernese, Lucerne or Schwitzer. Most of those who raise them practice shooting hunting, a hunt that must respect a certain number of rules. To quote the Marquis de Cherville, "with a dog, one pulls the hares, but it is only with current dogs that one hunts". Hunters must avoid pulling hares raised too fast by these dogs; they must learn to fend for themselves every time the animal makes a double. And God knows that the hare often makes.

It is often said that it is the task of the hounds to hunt, and that the men actually only conclude. This is particularly true for Swiss Dogs. And yet, it is required of them that they be "under orders". If the horn is not practiced in the Helvetic Confederation, it is sometimes replaced by the shooting horn, but especially by the pibolle, which is nothing other than a hunting horn, which can only be extracted. one note. The good hunters with the current dogs require besides that their auxiliaries know how to recognize the sound of each pibolle and "rally" only that of the horn of the boss. It is therefore necessary to familiarize the dog from a very young age with the sound of the horn, which, sometimes, is not without causing a problem to the boatswains: if, unfortunately, they come to fall and to crush their pibolle, they will have to rewrite their dogs to the sound of the new instrument.

The Brunos du Jura and their cousins have also proved to be excellent blood dogs, that is to say, dogs able to search for game that has been wounded by a firearm but is still capable of traveling several kilometers. . The role of any responsible hunter is to complete the animal as quickly as possible, to avoid suffering: in this case, the help of a good blood dog is essential. The Brunos du Jura are incomparable in these circumstances, so much so that the Swiss hope in the near future to convert them into real "dogs of red", an expression that corresponds to the English name of "Bloodhound".

The tasks that are required to ensure Swiss Medium-sized Dogs are therefore multiple, and Swiss dogs have not failed to emphasize this in the drafting of the standard. So the feet must be equipped with a rough and hard sole, with strong nails, which guarantees a dog all terrain. The standard further advises the lugs to the hind limbs, these "fingers" additional often being a source of injury. Regarding the other criteria of the standard, the judges are now very strict on the size since the Small Swiss Currents, whose height at the withers must be less than 42 cm, have been defined. These dogs are not yet homologated by the Society of venery, and force is to recognize that they are even rather despised of the hunters with the current dogs, insofar as they are slower than their cousins, in particular the Brunos.

Like all common dogs, Bruno du Jura is more likely to live in the kennel than to be a pet dog. The fact remains that he must be "under the whip," in other words he must be submissive, without disdaining the caress of his boatswain or pack, since it is also used good for hunting shooting at common dogs as for hunting proper. And the more respectful it is when it is "roughed" (that is, when the whip is slammed without hitting the dog), the more affectionate it is when it is stroked. Of course, however, the Bruno du Jura, like all Swiss Dogs, has nothing of the house dog; he is only happy in the pack at the kennel.

Details: Also available:; Last Updated: 23 January 2024; Hits: 1266

Small Swiss Hound