Smålandsstövare

The breed is a hardy, versatile hound with a good tongue and is mainly used for hunting foxes and hares. It has also traditionally been used for different small game, but never deer.

The province of Småland was home to a large variety of dogs in the 19th century. Some of them had German, Polish and Baltic origins, having arrived in Sweden with soldiers returning from one of the many wars that ravaged Europe in the 17th century. These hunting dogs were crossed with local spitz-type farm dogs and English hounds.