Everything about your Hamilton Hound

  The Hamilton Hound (the Hamiltonstövare or the Swedish Foxhound) is one of the most numerous breeds in Sweden although is remains very rare in other countries except for Great Britain where it becomes more and more popular as a show and working dog. It is an elegant, gentle and even-tempered hunting breed. The Hamilton Hound will be a great companion for a family with children and an excellent pack hunter for tracking and flushing the small game. 

Overview

  Rectangular, well proportioned, giving impression of great strength and stamina. Tricoloured.
  Hamilton Hounds are very easy going, but can be stubborn. They are very patient with children. This breed makes a fantastic hunter as it has a very high prey drive, so caution needs to be taken with small animals. Owners must provide plenty of daily exercise, and be the dog’s firm, but calm, confident, consistent pack leader to avoid behavior issues.

Breed standards
AKC group: not yet eligible for AKC registration
UKC group: Scenthound
Average lifespan: 10 – 13 years
Average size: 50 – 60 pounds
Coat appearance: Undercoat short, close and soft, especially thick during winter. Upper coat strongly weather resistant lying close to body.
Coloration: tricolor: black, tan & white
Hypoallergenic: No
Best Suited For: active singles, house with a yard, experienced dog owners, hunters
Temperament: noble, active, even-tempered, affectionate
Comparable Breeds: Harrier, Ariegeois

History

  The Hamiltonstövare is a breed of dog, bred as a hunting hound. The breed was developed in Sweden by the founder of the Swedish Kennel Club, Count Adolf Hamilton. Its ancestry includes several German hounds as well as English Foxhounds and Harriers.
  The Hamilton Hound originated in was created in Sweden in the late XIX century by Adolf Patrick Hamilton, who also was among the founders of the Swedish Kennel Club. Count Hamilton crossed different German Beagles with English Foxhounds and now extinct German hounds . This experiment resulted the breed that was named in honor of its creator – the Hamiltonstövare. 
  Although the similar hounds existed in Sweden already in the Middle Ages, the first breed member was shown only in 1886. The Hamilton Hound was used for hunting the small game and vermin. It was also good in tracking and retrieving and was able to work in a very rough terrain and severe climate. 
  Today, the Hamilton Hound is still very rare outside Scandinavia and Great Britain where it is widely used as a companion animal and for hunting. This breed is currently recognized by the Kennel Club (England) and FCI. 


Temperament
  A typical hound in temperament—sweet and friendly to all—the Hamiltonstövare is also a hardworking hunter. It is happy to be with its family, but it is also happy to be out hunting.
The Hamiltonstövare is its “own hound,” and although it is friendly and gregarious, it naturally defers to doing what it wants rather than what might be requested of it. It takes enthusiasm and praise to persuade the Hamiltonstovare to comply with its owner’s requests, but it’ll do it if it’s inspired.

Health 

  When it comes to the health of this dog, he is susceptible to conditions such as hip dysplasia and epilepsy. Nonetheless, his chances of contracting these conditions are very low. He is full of health generally.

Care
  The Hamiltonstovare is easy to maintain. He requires at least weekly brushing with a slicker brush or a natural bristle brush. A hound mitt can also be used. Weekly brushing keeps any dead hairs from collecting on carpets, furniture or clothing.  Since the Hamiltonstovare loves to play outside, he can have a dog smell. However, constant bathing can cause dry skin so he should be bathed a maximum of once a month using a mild dog shampoo. 
  Trim his nails as needed, generally every two to three weeks. Most hounds do better with a nail grinder rather than nail clippers as they do not like the sound of the nail clippers. His ears should be checked weekly for dirt or moisture to keep infection at bay. A routine dental plan should be put in place. His teeth should be brushed weekly using dog safe toothpaste. A yearly deep cleaning should also be scheduled.

Living Conditions
  They are very adaptable and will suit any environment, given they have enough exercise.

Training 
  The Hamilton Hound is an intelligent, docile and obedient dog that is willing to learn and is quite easy to train. However, this breed is also independent, can be stubborn and without proper training methods there won’t be any success. 
  Obedience training is very important for this breed, as it prefers to do what it likes rather than what it is asked for. If your dog trusts and respects you it will learn quickly all the basic commands. The sensitive Hamilton Hound needs to be trained only with positive methods like treats, reward and praise. 
  With a competent trainer this dog will be able to learn and perform almost any task or a trick. Socialization must start from the very young age as in case with any other dog. 

Exercise
  The Hamilton Hound is a very energetic breed with a great stamina that needs to be exercised a lot and daily. Your dog will need both physical and mental stimulation. A long, brisk walk on a leash every day is a must. This breed makes an excellent jogging and cycling companion. 
  The Hamilton Hound loves to hunt, run and play. But you can let your dog off the leash only in a fully secured area as if it starts following the scent it can run away and never come back. This breed is definitely suited only for an individual or a family with an active lifestyle. It also needs a lot of space to run , therefore the Hamilton Hound is not for an apartment living.

Grooming

  The Hamiltonstövare boasts having a double coat which consists of a soft, dense undercoat and a harsher, extremely weather resistant topcoat and their undercoat tends to grow a lot thicker during the colder winter months than the rest of the year. However, these handsome dogs are low maintenance on the grooming front and only really need to be brushed on a weekly basis to remove dead and loose hair. Wiping a dog’s coat over with a chamois leather helps keep a nice sheen on it too.

  It’s also important to check a dog’s ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog’s ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.

Children and Other Pets

  Hamiltons are known to love people and they thrive in a family environment. They are gentle characters by nature and in particular when they are around children. However, they can be a little boisterous which means they are not the best choice for families where the children are still young and any interaction between toddlers and a dog should always be well supervised by an adult to make sure things stay calm and nobody gets knocked over, albeit by accident.

  Having been bred to work with other dogs, the Hamilton is known to be good around them more especially if they have been properly socialised from a young enough age. If they have grown up with a family cat in a household, they usually get on well together. However, a Hamilton would think nothing of chasing any other cats they come across. Because of their strong hunting instincts, care has to be taken when a Hamilton is anywhere near smaller animals and pets because they may well see them as prey so any contact is best avoided.