Drever

The Drever is notably long-lived for its size, commonly reaching about 15 years, because it is a hardy working landrace bred for function rather than exaggerated looks and carries no high-incidence fatal genetic disease. The realistic threats to that lifespan are conformation-driven: an unmanaged IVDD episode, obesity, and chronic ear disease. A lean Drever with protected-spine habits and routine ear care typically lives its full span.

Yes, generally — the breed standard explicitly calls for an even temperament that is never aggressive, nervous, or shy, and Drevers are affectionate, playful, and sociable with people and other dogs, which suits family life. Supervise young children as with any dog and teach them to respect the dog's long back (no riding, no rough lifting), since spinal protection is this breed's specific vulnerability rather than temperament.

Moderate to substantial: roughly 45-60 minutes of real daily activity plus scent-based enrichment, reflecting its working-hound stamina. It is not a low-energy dog despite the short legs. Crucially, exercise it on-lead or in securely fenced areas — once a Drever picks up a scent its recall becomes unreliable by design, so off-lead freedom in open ground is a common and avoidable mistake with this breed.

Moderately. The Drever is intelligent and even-tempered and responds well to consistent, positive, reward-based training, but it is an independent scenthound with a strong nose and a tendency to bay, so recall and quiet are the genuinely hard parts. Train with patience and scent-appropriate motivation, accept that some baying is breed-normal, and manage rather than expect to eliminate the nose-following instinct.

Because the breed is rare outside Scandinavia, expect to pay roughly $800-$1,500 for a well-bred Drever and likely to import or join a waitlist outside Sweden. The cost that matters more is the hidden one: an IVDD episode requiring imaging and possible spinal surgery can run $3,000-$8,000+. Buying from health-aware lines and committing to lifelong weight and spine management is far cheaper than treating the consequences of neglecting them.

Because the Drever is a purpose-bred scenthound — vocalization while tracking, alerting, or excited is a working feature deliberately selected into the breed, not a behavior problem. You can reduce nuisance baying with training, enrichment, and adequate exercise that prevents boredom-driven noise, but you cannot fully train it out, and you should not expect to. If a quiet dog is a hard requirement (apartment, thin walls), the Drever is the wrong breed.