The FCI standard is direct: the Drever is kept exclusively as a working hunting dog, and one living solely as a companion is almost unheard of. Anyone interested in this short-legged Swedish hound should take that sentence seriously.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.3 Small-sized scent hounds, Standard No. 130, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Sweden |
| Size (height at the withers) | Males ideally 35 cm (permitted 32 to 38 cm), females ideally 33 cm (permitted 30 to 36 cm) |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | harsh, straight and close-fitting; longer on neck, back and backs of thighs |
| Colours in the standard | all colours with clearly visible white markings (preferably blaze, neck ring, feet and tail tip); predominantly white, merle and liver not permitted |
From Westphalia to Sweden
The Westphalian Dachsbracke (Westfälische Dachsbracke), a small German scent hound, arrived in Sweden in 1910. Red deer numbers increased from 1930, and hunters came to value this short-legged tracker for deer. In 1947, the Swedish variety, around 2 cm taller at the withers, received the name Drever; it was recognised as a Swedish breed in 1953. The standard calls it the best choice for roe deer and red deer, equally reliable on hare and fox.
Long body, short legs
A rather long body on fairly short legs, robust and strong rather than elegant: that is the standard’s picture. The distance from ground to lower chest should be 40 per cent of height at the withers. At the same time, excessive lowness is a serious fault, as are swayback, roach back and crooked forelegs. The requirement is a short-legged working dog without exaggerated lowness. A related build appears in the Alpine Dachsbracke (Alpenländische Dachsbracke).
Alert, balanced and all nose
The dog should be alert and balanced, never aggressive, nervous or shy. Outdoors, it works independently on the trail. Without hunting, it needs long daily outings in terrain, tracking on a long line and search games where the nose decides. A garden does not replace that.
Harsh coat, short grooming routine
Weekly brushing maintains the harsh coat; check the ears regularly. Keep the dog lean, because a long back carries every extra kilo.
Accidents and breathlessness after hunting
McMillan and colleagues did not analyse the Drever. Swedish insurance data from 1995 to 2000 for dogs under ten are informative: 552 Drevers died per 10.000 insured dog-years, against 393 across all breeds. Accidents and injuries caused 49 per cent of these deaths. Drevers represented 3 per cent of insured dogs but 11 per cent of accident deaths (Bonnett et al. 2005). Acute pulmonary oedema after hunting also occurs almost exclusively in this breed (Viitanen et al. 2024). Among 266 offspring, the odds ratio was 4,4 if the mother was affected, with heritability of 0,28 to 0,34 (Egenvall et al. 2004). We found no reliable disc-disease figures for Drevers. Ask the breeder whether the parents experienced breathing difficulties after hunting.
Is a Drever right for you?
Yes, if you hunt or have plenty of time for outdoor scent work and regard a long line as normal. Less likely if you want a reliably recalled family dog for city life. A Drever lives best where it can follow its trail and someone watches it once it picks one up.
Our breed quiz checks how well a hunting scent hound fits your life; our book provides more background: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). When a puppy arrives, the free Puppy Starter Pack helps. Capture your Drever with its white markings as a poster in a wooden frame or a digital artwork to download.
Further reading
- Dachshund: the back shapes its whole life
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- Is my dog overweight? How to check body shape and ideal weight
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 130 Drever (Schwedische Dachsbracke) (fci.be, German version dated 01.10.2021, valid standard published 27.07.2021, original language English) and FCI breed page No. 130; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024; Bonnett BN et al., Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2005; Viitanen SJ et al., Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2024; Egenvall A et al., Veterinary Record 2004; Egenvall A et al., Journal of Small Animal Practice 2003.
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