GROUP 2 - TERRIERS

Brief History
After the first World War a group of German hunters separated from the numerically strong Fox Terrier Club. Their aim was to create a breed with the sole purpose of hunting performance. The hunters Rudolf Frieb, Walter Zangenberg and Carl-Erich Grunewald decided to select a black and tan hunting dog to work under the ground. Zoo director, Lutz Heck from Hagenberg in Germany presented Walter Zangenberg with four Old English black and tan terriers.  These dogs became the foundation stock of the German Hunting Terrier. Dr Herbert Lackner joined the founders. Great emphasis was put on breeding a multi-talented, trainable, hard and water happy dog with an explicit hunting instinct. The German Hunting Terrier Club (Deutscher Jadgterrier-Club e.V.) was founded in 1926.

Average Life Span
When considering a dog, please realise that you are taking it on for its lifetime. The average life span is 16 years of age. Some live much longer.

Temperament
German Hunting Terrier is a versatile hunting dog suitable to hunt under the ground or as a flushing dog. He is courageous and loves to work. So, his temperament is “full on”, but at the same time he should be reliable, sociable and trainable, neither shy nor aggressive.

General Breed Description
The GHT is a smallish, generally black and tan, compact, well-proportioned hunting dog. The head is wedge shaped with an extremely strong jaw with large teeth. His body is significantly longer than his height at the withers and he is light enough to be spanned around the body with an average sized man’s hand. His tail is carried slightly raised, not vertical. His coat varies from hard rough hair through to smooth coarse hair. His body coat is usually black with tan markings on the eyebrows, muzzle, chest and legs, but dark brown and fawn body coats with the usual tan markings are also acceptable.

Coat and Care Requirements
It is only necessary to keep the coat tidy and comfortable for the dog with brushing and the occasional bath. These dogs are rarely stripped and trimmed like other typical broken coated terriers. As a breed with a strong hunting instinct, training needs to be consistent and firm and the yard well fenced. Being particularly sound and energetic, once they get the idea, with patience, they make superb Agility and Flyball competitors.

Size
Height: Males 33 to 40cms, Females 33 to 40cms

Weight in males and females should be according to build, not too light nor too heavy.

Health
All breeds have individual health issues. When speaking to breeders it is recommended you enquire about breed health and what health testing the breeder does.

Suitability
As he is full of energy, loves to bark and requires lots of exercise and the GHT is not ideally suited to being locked up all day in a small suburban back yard.  This dog really does want to hunt and cats, rabbits and chickens will seem fair game.  Owners prepared to put in time and training will be rewarded with a dog both reliable and social with people.

In Conclusion
Now you know a little more about this breed. If you have decided this is the dog for you and wish to investigate further, please contact the Breed Club or Dogs Victoria. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog events where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the breed and its needs. With any breed of dog, it is important to research and determine suitability for your lifestyle before committing to a puppy which will be a part of your family for many years to come.

Whilst many breeds are recommended for families, it is imperative that when children are with dogs they are supervised at all times. Basic obedience training is a vital part of dog ownership.

Dogs Victoria is about the responsible ownership of all dogs and in particular the preservation of pure breeds.

Link to Dogs Australia Breed Standard: https://dogsaustralia.org.au/breed/detail/111