Jämthund

Temperament:

Resourceful, Confident, Alert
Size: Large
Height: 52-65 cm
Weight: 25-35 kg
Lifespan: 12-13 years
Coat: Shorthair
Colors: Blue-gray, white
FCI Group: Spitz and primitive types

The Jämthund originates from the cold and harsh regions of Sweden. It is a hunting dog that needs a lot of exercise. It is therefore not suitable for a city apartment. The animals do not tolerate excessive heat and should always have a cool place to retreat to in summer. Jämthunds are very proud and loyal and can form a good bond with you and your family.

Jämthund
Artboard 26

Characteristics

The Jämthund is a robust, agile and powerful dog of great strength. It is resourceful, self-confident, intelligent and light-footed. This dog builds a strong bond with you. It also bonds with all other family members. The Jämthund is an excellent family dog and companion.

The main characteristics of the Jämthund are strength, agility, speed and endurance. But also boldness, independence, calmness, loyalty, intelligence, alertness, endurance and perseverance. He is a very curious dog who likes to roam around and explore his surroundings. It is therefore not the ideal dog if you live in the city. A Jämthund feels most at home in the great outdoors. A large garden is therefore essential.

The life expectancy of a Jämthund is 12 to 13 years. Males grow to between 57 and 65 cm tall and weigh around 30 to 35 kg. Females grow to between 52 and 60 cm tall and weigh around 25 to 30 kg.

The Jämthund is a very lively and active dog with great stamina that needs a lot of exercise every day. You should therefore take your dog for a walk or jog at least once a day. However, before you take your dog outdoors, you should socialize him properly as early as possible. After all, he is a hunting dog with a strong need to chase his prey. This makes them extremely dangerous for cats and other small pets.

When interacting with other dogs, the Jämthund often tends to be dominant. This can quickly end in a fight. This behavior should not be tolerated, so it is very important to teach the Jämthund obedience. But the Jämthund is a very proud, stubborn and independent dog. It is not easily trained or controlled.

The Jämthund needs a dominant, self-confident and experienced handler. You should start training as soon as the puppy is three months old. The training sessions should be carried out with fun, concentration and a gentle approach. But without too much repetition. You should also keep the lessons short, but repeat them every day.

Only then will your Jämthund be ready to fully commit to the training. The good news is that he is a very intelligent dog. If you go about it the right way, you can easily teach him all the commands. That's why the Jämthund is both an excellent hunting dog and a working dog. It can be used for all kinds of work. From watching and guarding to pulling and herding sledges. Its ability to easily understand and accept its tasks has made it such a popular dog in its home country. There it is officially recognized as the Swedish national dog.

The Jämthund is a large, medium-sized dog with a wolf-like appearance. It is slightly longer at the withers than it is tall. Its body is muscular and supple. The medium-length coat is hard and dense. The underlying coat is soft and light, while the overlying protective layer is rough but smooth to the touch. The coat is slightly longer on the neck, chest, tail, rump and back of the front legs. This coat is ideal for cold winters. However, this does not mean that it can tolerate excessive heat. The Jämthund should therefore be kept in a shady, cooler room on hot summer days. The Jämthund has a wolf-like color pattern. The gray or dark gray hair covers most of the body, the head and the tail. There are larger cream-colored patches on the muzzle, cheeks, chest, belly, tail and legs.

The wedge-shaped head of the Jämthund is strongly reminiscent of a gray wolf. The muzzle is medium-sized, strong and slightly pointed with strong jaws. The rather small brown eyes have a lively gaze. The broad nose is black, the pointed ears are triangular and erect. The neck is strong and long.

The chest is broad. The tail is long and loosely curled on the long, broad and strong back. The forelegs are straight and strong. The hind legs are muscular and very strong. The paws are well coated and rather small. The Jämthund is an elegant animal with incredible agility and jumping power. Its graceful and fast gait enables it to negotiate even the most difficult terrain with ease.

Coat care:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Shedding:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Energy level:

Little
Medium
High

Trainability:

Little
Medium
Good

Children suitable:

Less
With supervision
Perfect

The right food

When choosing food, make sure that it contains high-quality ingredients, is balanced and meets your dog's requirements. Age, size or weight, activity and health status play an important role. You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of food.

Treats should only be fed in moderation and deducted from the basic diet to avoid obesity.

Puppies can be fed 4-6 times a day. The number of meals should be gradually reduced to 2 per day until the dog is fully grown. A rest period should be observed after meals.

Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.

Health & Care

Most Jämthunds love to swim, which can be a great way to cool off in the hot summer months. Just make sure that the animals shake out their thick fur afterwards. Otherwise you'll get an unwanted shower.

As long as Jämthunds get plenty of exercise during the day, they can be kept indoors. As guard dogs, however, they tend to bark. Overall, however, these dogs are happiest in homes with well-fenced yards.

These dogs usually get along well with strangers and are very gentle with children. This makes them a good family dog. However, as with all dogs, they should never be left unsupervised with small children.

These dogs can be aggressive towards other dogs. It is therefore important to start appropriate socialization very early on.

These dogs need to be brushed frequently to remove loose hair and dead skin flakes. The coat of these dogs can quickly become matted if it is not brushed sufficiently.

These animals are made for cold weather. Although they can also tolerate warmer climates, they feel most comfortable in ice and snow.

Suitable accessories

These four-legged friends need lots of exercise. Ideally, you should have a garden or spend a lot of time in nature. A toy that you can use to give your dog a good workout is ideal for this.

Basic equipment includes a collar or harness with lead, dog basket or dog mat as a place to retreat, water and food bowl, tick tweezers, claw clippers, mild dog shampoo, brush and comb, toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs, transport box for transportation in the car and a first aid kit. Ask your vet what belongs in the first aid kit.

Jämthund history picture

Origin & History

The first Jämtland dogs came to northern Sweden thousands of years ago. The dog got its name because it was originally bred in Jämtland. Jämtland is a region in the middle of Sweden, close to the Swedish-Norwegian border. This region includes vast areas of dense forests and steep mountains. The region is also known as one of the harshest climates in the world.

These harsh conditions place particular demands on the physical characteristics of hunting dogs. The dense coat of the Jämthund provides reliable protection against water and cold. Its wedge-shaped muzzle defies the gusty and cold north wind. With its fast, muscular legs, it effortlessly conquers rough terrain.

The differences between the Jämthund and the Norwegian Elkhound are small. Both breeds originally come from the same pedigree. At the beginning of the 20th century, this striking similarity led to confusion. All gray-haired elkhounds were thought to be a single breed. For more than 40 years of the last century, the Jämthund was only bred by a small group of loyal breeders. These mainly lived in the province of Jämtland.

In 1942, the Norwegian Aksel Lindström realized that his beloved Nordic breed, the Jämthund, was threatened with extinction. He pushed for the publication of an article about this majestic breed and succeeded in drawing the attention of the whole nation to the problem. Lindström succeeded in arousing the interest of Count Björn von Rosen, a famous dog lover and diplomat, in the breed. These two men applied to the Swedish Kennel Club for the Jämthund to be recognized as a breed in its own right. The club agreed to this proposal and established the final standard in 1946. Today, the breed is still mainly used as a guard and hunting dog, but many also simply enjoy life as a family dog.