Mary Allen
The German Jagdterrier is relentless towards its opponent when hunting. This is mainly due to the fact that this breed is relatively insensitive to pain. Find out everything about the behavior, character, activity and exercise needs, education, and care of the German Jagdterrier dog breed in the profile.
After World War I, some active hunters banded together to breed a hunting dog for working underground. The optics were secondary, it was all about the perfection of the performance. The ancestors of today’s German Jagdterrier are therefore four black and red terriers that came from pure-bred Fox Terrier tribes. The old English wire-haired primal terrier and the Welsh terrier were introduced here. After years of breeding, it was possible to consolidate the appearance of the new breed. In 1926 the German Jagdterrier Club was founded, which still values the breed’s suitability for hunting.
General Appearance
The German Jagdterrier is a small, well-proportioned hunting dog with a compact build and powerful muscles. Its coat is short, shiny, and usually blackish red, but can also be tan or all red. He has slightly flat, tipped ears that make him appear constantly alert, and oval, dark eyes with a determined expression and a strong jaw.
Behavior and temperament
He is courageous and hard, willing to work and has stamina, vital and spirited, reliable, sociable, and easy to handle. A great dog, but only in the hands of a professional. If you want to keep him purely as a companion or family dog, you will quickly have problems with him: as a terrier, he simply knows how to take liberties that are not allowed to him. As long as he is kept appropriately, he is the perfect friend and companion for the hunter.
Need for employment and physical activity
When breeding the German Jagdterrier, great value was and is placed on breeding a versatile, hard, track-ready, and water-loving dog with a pronounced hunting instinct and the best ability to train. Of course, the German Jagdterrier wants to be able to live out all these qualities. That says it all: This is a dog made by hunters for hunters. If you can’t count yourself in this club, you should keep your hands off a German Jagdterrier, he won’t be able to do him justice.
Upbringing
The German Jagdterrier is docile, smart, obedient, and loyal to his owner – and he is difficult to train. He would like to work, but absolutely needs a job as a hunting dog or search dog and the associated training. Anyone who offers him that will have no trouble with him. If you don’t challenge him, you are guaranteed to get to know the negative sides of a terrier with a natural sharpness and a pronounced urge for freedom.
Maintenance
Grooming of the German Jagdterrier is kept to a minimum: it does not need to be trimmed and only occasionally brushed.
Disease Susceptibility / Common Diseases
No breed-specific diseases are known.
Did you know?
The German Jagdterrier is relentless towards its opponent when hunting. This is mainly due to the fact that this breed is relatively insensitive to pain. The dog is not a softie in other respects either: it likes to spend the night outdoors and can usually only be led by one person.