meet the...German Hunt Terrier
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 6: Terrier Breeds
Sub-group :
Origin Country Germany
Weight Males: 20-22 pounds. Females: 16-19 pounds.
Height Males: 14-16 inches. Females: 13-15 inches.
Other Name(s) Deutscher Jadgterrier, German Hunting Terrier, Terrier Cazador Aleman, Terrier De Chasse Allemand
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
Germany is known for producing exquisite and capable working dogs, and the Jagdterrier (pronounced “yak-terrier”) is no exception. The breed originally came about shortly after WWI when a group of terrier enthusiasts decided to combine the strengths of the most tenacious and talented terriers of their day. The old-type Fox Terrier, Black and Tan Terrier, and Fell Terrier were used to create a compact, powerful, hard, and intelligent terrier. Like the other German working breeds, the Jagdterrier was forged through rigorous requirements, where only proven dogs were bred, and only limited numbers of puppies were kept from each litter, resulting in the multi-talented breed that we have today. In their home country, they are still used for hunting everything from badgers to boars. They are a popular choice for raccoons, squirrels, and invasive feral and wild pigs in America.Breed Characteristics
Head: The skull appears as a somewhat elongated mesaticephalic skull-type, forming a long wedge shape without appearing pointed. It is in proportion to the rest of the body and clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles. The topskull is broad and flat, narrowing toward the eyes. The head should never appear narrow as that of a Fox Terrier.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape. The eyes are dark black in dogs with black noses and may be amber to dark brown in liver-nosed dogs. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Somewhat small to medium in size. Set high on the skull, well above the level of the eyes. They are triangles in shape, drop, preferably with tips held close to the face, or semi-drop. They are never overly large or fully erect.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It tapers slightly from the broad base toward the nose, with very little taper from the base to the nose. The upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak. The lower jaw is well developed, without being undershot, and denotes strength and confidence.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black or liver. The nostrils are well-opened.
Neck: Sufficient length to allow for good head carriage and powerfully muscled with a good arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket is sufficiently long. It extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed without being excessively pronounced.
Body: Compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined, nor is it heavy or cloddy.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Toes are well-webbed for swimming.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually level with the topline or slightly above the topline (never tucked or carried over the back). The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a moderate length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, sabered, sickled, or pump-handled. Docked tails should be cut to 1/3 of their original length.
Movement: The Jadgterrier should demonstrate effortless, unwavering stamina, energy, and efficiency. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and a good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Jadgterrier is very much like most other terriers in their seemingly limitless energy and undying tenacity. Coming from generations of hard and proven ancestors, the Jadgterrier is not a dog for a novice and is said to need an owner who is experienced with working terriers. They are high in prey drive and, therefore, not well-suited for most family living situations, especially those that involve other smaller animals, such as pocket pets. They also need a great deal of mental, physical, and sensorial exercise, as well as sound foundation training to ensure that they can expend pent-up energy and instincts and accept boundaries. There is no better working dog or companion when placed in the right situation. Their fierce loyalty is surpassed only by their gaminess and intelligence. They are naturally wary of strangers.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 6: Terrier Breeds
Proportions: Somewhat off-square to slightly rectangular in proportions, with the length of the body measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body height is approximately 10:8 and 10:9. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well-put-together, with sturdy substance and moderate yet sturdy bone. The chest depth should equal 55-60% of the height at the withers. The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: The skull appears as a somewhat elongated mesaticephalic skull-type, forming a long wedge shape without appearing pointed. It is in proportion to the rest of the body and clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles. The topskull is broad and flat, narrowing toward the eyes. The head should never appear narrow as that of a Fox Terrier.
Expression: Alert, watchful, keen, contemplative, at the ready.
Stop: The stop is slight.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 1:1 and 4:5, with the topskull being equal to, or just longer than, the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It tapers slightly from the broad base toward the nose, with very little taper from the base to the nose. The upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak. The lower jaw is well developed, without being undershot, and denotes strength and confidence.
Lips or Flews: The lips are well-pigmented, clean, and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black or liver. The nostrils are well-opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks are well-developed and powerfully muscled. The cheeks should not appear chiseled or flat.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work should not be penalized.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape. The eyes are dark black in dogs with black noses and may be amber to dark brown in liver-nosed dogs. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Somewhat small to medium in size. Set high on the skull, well above the level of the eyes. They are triangles in shape, drop, preferably with tips held close to the face, or semi-drop. They are never overly large or fully erect.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined, nor is it heavy or cloddy.
Neck: Sufficient length to allow for good head carriage and powerfully muscled with a good arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket is sufficiently long. It extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed without being excessively pronounced.
Topline: Straight and level or slightly sloped from prominent withers to croup. The back is of a good length (yet never “long”), broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, flat, and level, or slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never overly elongated, swayed, or roached.
Croup: Flat and level with the back, or just gently sloped.
Underline: A slight to moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually level with the topline or slightly above the topline (never tucked or carried over the back). The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a moderate length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, sabered, sickled, or pump-handled. Docked tails should be cut to 1/3 of their original length.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters. They are well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are fairly long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, moderate yet sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are fairly long and equal in length, strong, of moderate yet sturdy bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Toes are well-webbed for swimming.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The Jagdterrier comes in two coat varieties: the smooth coat and the rough coat.
Smooth-coat variety: The coat is dense, harsh, rugged, and coarse. It is somewhat uniformly short (1-2 inches in length or so) and close throughout but never so short as to lack a protective quality. The dog may exhibit some facial furnishings in the form of a light beard, mustache, and eyebrows. The undercoat is thick and dense.
Rough-coat variety: The coat is dense, harsh, rugged, and coarse. The rough coat is slightly longer than the smooth coat, having a slightly stand-offish texture. The dog may exhibit some furnishings on the backs of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, tail, and head in the form of a moderate beard, mustache, and brows.
The Jadgterrier may be exhibited in as natural of a coat as possible, or the coat may be tidied up by means of stripping. The coats should always be free from dirt, debris, tangles, and fuss. Clipping or trimming is incorrect for this breed.
Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the Jagdterrier breed: the standard and the nonstandard.
Standard coat color variety: Solid colors of black, grayish black, or liver, or as clear, tipped, or shaded sable, all with or without tan or red points or creeping tan or red. Fawns can include black, grayish black, or liver masks or solid sandy, wheaten, red, or tan without a mask. A small amount of white is permissible on the chest and feet.
Nonstandard coat color variety: Dogs with white trim, Irish piebald, or primarily white with the above-listed color and pattern markings.
Movement
The Jadgterrier should demonstrate effortless, unwavering stamina, energy, and efficiency. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and a good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Jadgterrier is very much like most other terriers in their seemingly limitless energy and undying tenacity. Coming from generations of hard and proven ancestors, the Jadgterrier is not a dog for a novice and is said to need an owner who is experienced with working terriers. They are high in prey drive and, therefore, not well-suited for most family living situations, especially those that involve other smaller animals, such as pocket pets. They also need a great deal of mental, physical, and sensorial exercise, as well as sound foundation training to ensure that they can expend pent-up energy and instincts and accept boundaries. There is no better working dog or companion when placed in the right situation. Their fierce loyalty is surpassed only by their gaminess and intelligence. They are naturally wary of strangers.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
