Hamiltonstovare puppies

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. The result 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 their people, and rated 5 out of 5 with children given supervision and early socialisation.

They have 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. Calm in the house does not mean 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 they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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

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.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 34 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Hamiltonstovare

Previous: Griffon Fauve de Bretagne · Next: Hanoverian Scenthound

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Hamiltonstovare breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/hamiltonstovare/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Canarian, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.