The Deutscher Wachtelhund — German quail dog, often called the German Spaniel — is a medium, powerfully built, longhaired versatile gun dog, roughly 18-25 kg (40-55 lb) and 45-54 cm at the shoulder, with a dense, wavy water-resistant coat and a working temperament that is the entire point of the breed. This is not a companion dog with hunting heritage; it is a serious hunting dog that is almost never kept as a pet, even in Germany. Any honest profile has to lead with that, because the most common mistake is acquiring one for its looks and discovering you have a high-drive working animal with no off switch. Functionally the Wachtelhund is a flusher, retriever, and — its standout trait — a blood tracker whose scenting ability is compared to a Bloodhound's, able to follow a 40-hour-old wounded-game trail and bark on the line to mark its position. It loves water and is built for it. Temperament is friendly and biddable with its handler but driven, determined, energetic, and intensely birdy. It needs a job, daily hard physical and scent work, and an owner who can channel that drive. The breed is deliberately kept rare and largely restricted to hunters, gamekeepers, and foresters; in Germany breeding is tightly controlled by the parent club, with mandatory working tests and health certification before a dog may be bred. Who the Deutscher Wachtelhund is right for: an active hunter, tracker, or serious dog-sport home that will give it 1-2 hours of real work a day and weekly ear care. Who it is wrong for: a pet home, a sedentary owner, an apartment with no hunting or tracking outlet, or anyone expecting a calm family spaniel. Choose this breed for the work it was built to do — without that outlet, its drive becomes destructiveness and noise.
Life Span
12–14 years
Weight
18–25 kg
Height
45–53 cm
moderate
Exercise
moderate
Grooming
moderate
Shedding
Yes
Good with Kids
Yes
Good with Pets
Friendly
Apartment
The Deutscher Wachtelhund was developed in Germany in the late 19th century (around the 1890s) as a deliberate reconstruction of the old German bird- and quail-flushing spaniel type, intended to give common hunters and foresters — not just the aristocracy — a single dog that could do everything: flush upland game, retrieve from land and water, and track wounded big game by blood. Its name, 'quail dog,' reflects the original upland-bird role, but …
Deutscher Wachtelhund dog breed portrait
The Deutscher Wachtelhund belongs to the Foundation Stock Service.
The average lifespan of a Deutscher Wachtelhund is 12 to 14 years.
Deutscher Wachtelhund dogs are valued for their friendly, versatile, determined nature.
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The Wachtelhund's care load is dominated by one non-negotiable: it needs a real job, not a walk. Exercise and work: budget 1-2 hours of vigorous physical AND scent/mental work daily — field work, tracking drills, retrieve work, swimming, dog sport. A 20-minute leash walk does not touch this dog's needs; under-worked Wachtelhunds become destructive, vocal, and difficult, which is the breed's primary failure mode in non-hunting homes. Ears are the single highest-probability medical cost and a weekly task. The long, low-hung, hairy ears trap moisture and debris, especially because the dog works in water and brush — a textbook recipe for recurrent otitis. Clean weekly with a vet-approved solution, dry the ears thoroughly after every swim or wet field session, and check inside for redness, odor, or head-shaking. This is routine maintenance in this breed, not an occasional chore. Coat: the dense, wavy double coat needs brushing 2-3 times a week, more during seasonal shed, with attention to feathering and the trousers where burrs and mats collect after field work. Check the whole dog for ticks, grass awns, and cuts after every outing. Weight and joints: keep the dog lean to protect hips; feed measured working-appropriate rations, scale food to workload, weigh monthly. Decision rule: persistent head-shaking, ear odor, a hot or painful ear, or sudden hind-end lameness or reluctance to rise warrants a vet visit within days — ear infections escalate fast in this water-working breed and early hip-related lameness is far cheaper to manage caught early than late.
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How Much Does a Deutscher Wachtelhund Cost?
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Deutscher Wachtelhund Care Guide
## Deutscher Wachtelhund Care Overview This Deutscher Wachtelhund care guide gives owners a...
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