Jagdterrier

History

Between the two World Wars, German game managers focused on eliminating foreign species and reintroducing extinct ones important to national mythology. Lutz Heck, curator of the Berlin Zoo, pursued this by back-breeding primitive cattle and horses to recreate the aurochs and tarpan. His interest in dogs combined a passion for hunting with nationalism and curiosity about selective breeding. At the same time, terriers were highly fashionable across Europe and the United States; the Allied Terrier Show, taken over by Charles Crufts in 1886, became the world's largest dog show before World War I, and the first breed-specific dog publication was devoted to fox terriers.

The Westminster Dog Show began in 1907, with a fox terrier winning its first seven years and again in 1915, 1916, and 1917. They were joined by Chief Forester R. Fiess and Dr. Herbert Lackner, who provided land and financial support for a decade-long breeding project. An early difficulty was that the Black and Tan Terriers chosen as core breeding stock, selected as ideal hunters based solely on colour, proved poor at hunting.

Description

The Jagdterrier typically appears black and tan, with the tan often a rust colour on the muzzle and undercarriage; chocolate or liver brown are also acceptable in the UKC/FCI breed standard. It stands 33 to 40 cm at the shoulders, with females weighing 7.5 to 8.5 kg and males 9 to 10 kg. The coat may be hairy, smooth, or broken, and all varieties shed.

The tail is normally docked at two-thirds its natural length. Developed as an all-round hunting dog, it is used for underground quarry such as badger, fox, and raccoon, as well as driving wild boar and rabbits from thickets and blood tracking wounded deer. While intelligent and adaptable, the breed has a strong prey drive and requires structured training.

Did You Know?

• The Jagdterrier is generally considered a robust and long-lived breed with a typical lifespan of approximately 12–14 years.
• Health screening is advised to monitor for inherited eye conditions such as primary lens luxation.