Breed library

Drever

Also known as Swedish Beagle, Swedish Dachsbracke.

Drever photograph.
Drever NUCh Tanjo.jpg - Per Killingmo. Norway (dog owner). CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drever_NUCh_Tanjo.jpg. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Drever is a breed of dog, a short-legged scenthound from Sweden used for hunting deer and other game. The Drever is descended from the Westphalian Dachsbracke, a type of German hound called Bracke. The breed name Drever was chosen through a contest in 1947.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: SwedenBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The Drever was then recognised by the Swedish Kennel Club as a separate breed in 1947.
  • The breed is recognised internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, in Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds, Section 1.3, Small-sized Hounds.
  • The Drever was recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1956 in the Hound Group, and in 1996 by the United Kennel Club (UKC, USA) in its Scenthound Group.
  • The breed is also recognized by a long list of minor registries, rare breed groups, hunting clubs, and internet registry businesses, and is promoted in North America as a rare breed pet.
  • The American Kennel Club currently recognizes Drever in its Foundation Stock Service program.

Size and appearance

The Drever's most noticeable characteristics are its long body and short legs, inherited from the Westphalian Dachsbracke, but as a working dog, these features are not exaggerated. It has short fur, and is of any color with white markings (but not all white, which has been linked to deafness.) The breed has the typical drop (hanging) ears of a hound, and a long tail. The maximum height of a Drever is 38 cm (15 ins) at the withers, which is about 15 cm (approx. 6 ins) shorter than a long legged hunting hound with the same size body. The Westphalian Dachsbracke is about 2 cm (less than an inch) shorter than the Drever.

  • Height reference: 33 cmBreed reference height. female.
  • Height reference: 35 cmBreed reference height. male.
  • Height category: medium
  • Height category: short

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

The Drever was then recognised by the Swedish Kennel Club as a separate breed in 1947. The breed is recognised internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, in Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds, Section 1.3, Small-sized Hounds.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. File:Drever NUCh Tanjo.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Drever NUCh Tanjo.jpg - Per Killingmo. Norway (dog owner). CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drever_NUCh_Tanjo.jpg. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
  4. Drever - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Drever, revision 1370132487. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drever&action=history
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.