DEUTSCHER WACHTELHUND

COUNTRY: Germany

WEIGHT: 44-66 pounds

HEIGHT: 16-20 inches

COAT: Thick, longish; wavy enough that there is no fringe, smooth on head

OTHER NAMES: German Spaniel

GROUP: Gun Dog

This spaniel was created from various breeds in the early 1900s. The "recipe" has been kept a secret, although the Wachtelhund undoubtedly owes much of his ancestry to the ancient European water dogs, as well as to other hunting breeds.

Not only is the Wachtelhund a fine retriever in wet or marshy areas, but he is also used for hare and fox, exhibiting the hound trait of giving tongue on the trail. Aggressive enough to face a fox or even a wolf, the German Spaniel naturally goes for the throat of his furred prey. As a flushing dog, he is useful in finding feath-ered game. His sensitive nose enables him to bloodtrail wounded game, such as deer or boar, in the forest.

He is particularly skilled in dense underbrush and areas with standing water. While obedient and affectionate with his master, he has jagdpas-sion> an intense desire to hunt. He is a choice dog for the professional hunter, such as the German forester. A sturdy fellow, a bit low on leg, his tail is docked by a small amount and is always carried low. Germans say he "should only be in sportsmen's hands.