German Spaniel, also known as the Deutscher Wachtelhund, is a breed of dog that was developed in Germany around 1890, and is used as a hunting dog. Descended from the old German breed, the Stoeberer, which became popular with commoners following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, who required a versatile hunting dog.
The Deutscher Wachtelhund is an exceptional versatile gun dog. They are used to hunt upland game, will match the retrieving ability of any other breed, excel at tracking and blood trailing large game. They are all round bird dogs and will hunt all other types of game. They also have a vibrant friendly personality, are intelligent, aggressive hunters, and love water work. This is a dog that needs to be activated with a firm but gentle hand as it may over do or under-ride orders given by an “unworthy” master. A German saying runs along the lines of “a wachtelhund will abuse any weakness you provide”.
Given the right owner a wachtelhund will give you anything you could ever desire in a hunting or family dog, especially in a small hunting area as they are bred to chase in fairly small areas. The Deutscher Wachtelhund dog breed has gained numbers in Sweden along with the increase of the wild boar population in the south of the country, as well as the creation of crossbreeds with native spitzhounds to produce tough and brave dogs that will both give chase and “stop” or “stand down” the boar giving the hunter the chance to sneak in to kill the prey. They will also give a death bark or take down wounded game if trained to.
German Spaniel (Deutscher Wachtelhund) Videos