The Drever is Sweden's short-legged deer hound — a working scenthound built long and low to push deer over rough terrain at a steady, relentless pace rather than to chase them down. It is one of the most popular dogs in Sweden, roughly the everyday national favorite the way the Labrador is in the United States, but it is almost unknown elsewhere, which is the first practical thing to know: outside Scandinavia you are choosing a rare working breed with a small gene pool, not a common companion dog. Physically the Drever is a compact, muscular, dwarf-proportioned hound — about 30-38 cm at the shoulder and 14-16 kg, with a long body, short legs, and pendulous hound ears (note: any source listing this breed at 7-8 kg is wrong; the Drever is a sturdy mid-teens-kilogram dog). It is robust and strong rather than elegant or fast, with a proud carriage and the deep chest of an endurance tracker. Temperament is its strongest feature. The Drever is even-tempered, never aggressive, nervous, or shy by standard, affectionate and playful at home, and unusually sociable with other dogs and people — it works in groups and lives well in groups. The trade-off is the working-hound package: a powerful nose that overrides recall once a scent is found, real vocalization (it bays and alerts), and a need for genuine daily activity. This is a calm house dog only if it is a worked or well-exercised dog. Who the Drever is right for: an active owner who wants a friendly, sturdy, longer-lived hound, can secure a yard against a nose-driven escape artist, and tolerates baying. Who it is wrong for: someone wanting an off-leash reliable dog, a quiet apartment with thin walls, or a low-exercise lapdog despite the small size.
Life Span
15–15 years
Weight
14–16 kg
Height
30–38 cm
moderate
Exercise
moderate
Grooming
moderate
Shedding
Yes
Good with Kids
Yes
Good with Pets
Friendly
Apartment
The Drever was developed in early-twentieth-century Sweden from the German Westphalian Dachsbracke — essentially a Dachsbracke adapted to Swedish terrain and game — and was officially recognized under the name Drever in 1947 after a naming competition. Swedish hunters needed a short-legged, long-bodied hound that could work dense cover and rough ground and drive deer slowly and steadily toward standing guns rather than running them off, and the D…
Drever dog breed portrait
The Drever belongs to the Foundation Stock Service.
With proper care, Drever dogs can live up to 15 years or more.
Drever dogs are valued for their loyal, even-tempered, determined nature.
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The Drever is a fundamentally healthy landrace working hound, so day-to-day care is about protecting the long back, managing the hound ears and nose, and not letting it get fat. The back: the Drever's dwarf, long-bodied conformation predisposes it to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), the same mechanical risk dachshunds and other short-legged hounds carry. Keep it lean, discourage repetitive jumping on and off furniture and stair-pounding, support the body when lifting (one hand under the chest, one under the rear — never lift by the front legs), and use ramps where practical. This single set of habits is the highest-yield preventive care for the breed. Ears: the long pendulous ears trap moisture and predispose to otitis externa. Check and wipe the ears weekly; act on head-shaking, odor, redness, or scratching early — ear infections in drop-eared hounds escalate fast and recur. Weight: portion-control deliberately. A working hound's appetite plus a low-slung frame means obesity is common and uniquely damaging here, because every excess kilo loads the vulnerable spine and joints. Two measured meals (roughly 1.5-2 cups dry food split daily for a typical adult, adjusted to body condition), monthly weigh-in, ribs easily felt. Exercise and nose: 45-60 minutes of real daily activity plus scent enrichment. Exercise on-lead or in secure areas — once a Drever locks onto a scent, recall is unreliable by design. Coat: short, dense, weather-resistant; a weekly brush is enough, more during seasonal sheds. Decision rule: a Drever that suddenly yelps when moving, refuses stairs or jumps, shows a hunched back, wobbly or dragging hind legs, or weakness is a possible IVDD episode — treat it as a same-day veterinary emergency and restrict all movement on the way; early intervention is the difference between conservative recovery and costly spinal surgery.
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Drever Care Guide
## Drever Care Overview This Drever care guide gives owners a practical plan for daily life with...
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