The Dunker is a Norwegian Hound which was bred originally by a fellow by the name of Herr Wilhelm Dunker, in the nineteenth century. He wished to create a scent hound that would have the speed and endurance of a sight hound and crossed the Anglo-Russian Hound (also known as the Harlequin Hound) with his own favorite scent hound, a dappled dog whose name was "Alarm". The result is what is now the "Dunker Hound", a uniquely dappled breed whose sole purpose is to hunt hare. This is a dog that is known only in the country of Norway and is favored for its extraordinary rabbit hunting ability. The Dunker has a unique reputation as one of the few breeds developed exclusive to hunt only one creature. He is still considered a rare breed even in Norway . He is prized for his reliability on the hunt. Gradually the people of Norway have begun to recognize that this breed also has potential as a great family pet.

The Dunker Hound is quite an elegant hound, combining the sleek sight hound conformation with the balance and muscling of the scent hound. The head is clean cut with no looseness of the flews or skin. The ears are "hound ears" with fair length to them. The neck should be long and well muscled and the body should be nearly square in proportion to the length of leg. This is a dog that presents a clean and balanced profile that should appear powerful for his size but not overly "blocky". The coat coloring is unique to the breed, it should be tan with a "saddle" of mottled or dappled blue or black and may have white on the face as a blaze and on the legs, chest and tail. At first the genetics of the breed made for a dangerous combination when merle was mixed with white, resulting in blind or deaf puppies but this was overcome when black and tan was permitted as an acceptable color. The height is 18-22 inches and weight is 35-45 pounds. He is registered in the F.C.I. Registry as a group six breed.

The Dunker Hound is seldom seen much outside of Norway and he is still rare even in his native land. Those who have known this breed prize him as a quality hunting dog, a favorite house dog and a general farm dog. He is intelligent but not stubborn, inquisitive but not given to the chase as a sight hound often is and is affectionate and gentle in his manners. Furthermore he is a well balanced and good looking dog with great speed and hunting endurance and generally of good health and long life. He is a good size for apartment or urban living and is not generally noisy in his nature so he will not disturb the neighbors. He makes a better house dog than a kennel dog but is also quite happy when kept outdoors and does well on the farm.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Dogs