Schweizer Laufhund

Schweizer laufhund are very old breeds whose history has been largely lost over time. Since these breeds were developed long before keeping written records of the breeding of dogs, it is impossible to make any definitive statement about their offspring. What is clear is that Schweizer Löfhund is the oldest of many Schnathound breeds of Europe and has long outpaced all species of game in the mountains and valleys of Switzerland.

Many claim that Schweizer Loughhunds belongs to the Roman Times. Murals from the Roman province of Helvetia (a region that once comprised most of modern Switzerland) depict dogs similar to Schweizer Lofhunds. Given the lack of additional information, it is impossible to say whether these Roman dogs were Schweizer Loughhunds. In the opinion of this writer, these paintings probably do not represent the modern Schweizer Lofhand breed, but may depict their ancestors. If Schweizer Loughhand dates back to the Roman period it almost certainly originated from the Italian / Mediterranean Schnathound or Keltenbruck, known in English as the Celtic Hound. Prior to the Roman occupation, Switzerland was inhabited by Celtic tribes and is believed to descend from Keltonbreck, the fragrant hunter from neighboring Austria. Even if Schweizer Lofhand can trace his dynasty back to Rome, the breed has certainly been heavily influenced by German, Austrian, and especially French hounds.

During the Dark and Middle Ages, hunting became the most popular and important sport with Schnathound among the European nobility. Most of the nobles of medium stature kept large herds of Hunting Dogs. Hunting became more than just a sport; It became an important part of social and political life. Decisions were made on hunting that would affect the lives of millions of people. Due to the value and social reputation associated with high quality Hunting Dogs, many nobles and owners of Hunting Dogs were enthusiastic breeders, always trying to improve the quality of their dogs. It was not only men of noble blood who kept hunting packs, many clergy also did. It was in a monastery in modern Belgium that the earliest known organized dog breeding program took place. Sometime between 750 and 900 AD the monks at the St. Hubert Monastery near Mouzon developed the St. Hubert Hound (known in English as Bloodhound) after years of careful breeding.

It became customary for the monks of St. Hubert to send several pairs of their dogs every year as a tribute to the King of France. The kings of France would then send these dogs to their vassals throughout the kingdom. The St. Hubert Hound would become incredibly influential in French hound breeding and for many centuries the breed was famous in French-speaking lands. During this period, the Swiss were famous throughout Western Europe for their skills as mercenaries, and Swiss soldiers were hired to fight in continuous conflicts for centuries. Many of these conflicts were fought in France where mercenaries encountered the St. Hubert Hound. He was so impressed that he returned to his homeland with several specimens. These specimens were crossed with pre-existing Swiss dogs to improve their sense of smell and other hunting abilities. There is a debate between Schweizer Loughhand fanatics and dog experts as to whether the modern breed originated primarily from the St. Hubert Hound that crossed with the old Swiss Hound, with some contributions from the older Swiss dogs to the St. Hubert Hound , Or approximately equal to. Combination of both.

Although Schweizer Lofhund came into existence, it came to be highly regarded as a Hunting Dog. The breed was so valuable in Switzerland that until recently very few other scanthound breeds were used in the country. The breed was highly sought after by French and especially Italian hunters for many centuries. Many of these dogs were imported into areas where they were used in local breeding efforts. While there is some debate about what the original Schweizer Loughhand looked like, most experts believe it was similar to the Jura type St. Hubert Hound.

Switzerland is almost entirely made up of mountainous regions of the Alps. Between the fertile valleys are high mountains with steep arms and snow-clad peaks. Before the dawn of modern technology, traveling between neighboring settlements was very difficult even under the best of circumstances and became almost impossible in winter. This meant that many Swiss communities were very isolated. Such segregation meant that many regions of Switzerland developed their own distinct and unique types of Schweizer Lofhund, and there could be dozens of such varieties at one time. This will begin to change as technological advances in transportation make it much easier to transport dogs.