Breeds / Large
Hamiltonstovare puppies
The Hamiltonstovare is a Swedish tricolour scenthound that hunts alone rather than in a pack, friendly and level headed at home but strongly nose driven outdoors.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Sweden
- Adult weight 18.1 to 34 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 40 to 75 lb
- Adult height 48 to 61 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 14 to 17 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
About the Hamiltonstovare
The Hamiltonstovare was put together in Sweden in the late nineteenth century by Adolf Hamilton, who crossed English foxhound with German scenthound stock to make a hound that hunts hare and fox alone rather than in a pack. It is a handsome tricolour dog of 48 to 61 cm with a short, easy, weather resistant coat. The character is a good deal softer than the working history suggests: friendly, level headed, keen to be with its people, and rated 5 out of 5 with children given supervision and early socialisation.
It has an off switch indoors, but the switch only works if the dog has had a proper free run and something to think about that day. Fence the garden securely, because the nose takes precedence over recall. Grooming is close to nothing beyond seasonal shedding, nails and teeth. Puppies should not be over exercised before their growth plates close, and adults struggle in real heat. The mistake is treating the calm house manner as proof that a couple of lead walks will do.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Hamiltonstovare puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Epilepsy, which is uncommon in the breed and diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
- Growth plate strain in puppies, avoided by limiting hard exercise until the plates close
- Heat intolerance, which means limiting time outdoors in hot weather
- Ear infections in the drop ears, found by checking and cleaning them weekly
From Hamiltonstovare breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/hamiltonstovare/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Hamiltonstovare puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Hamiltonstovare.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 34 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.