Drathaar

Drathaar is a universal hunting dog, whose working qualities will not leave indifferent the hunting enthusiasts, and the original appearance - those around them. A characteristic feature of the appearance of the Drathaar is the hard wool, which gave the name to the breed. Literally translated, "Drathhaart" is translated as wire wool (hair).

History of origin

In Germany, the homeland of Drathaar, there were good hunting dogs that the Germans were very proud of. But all these dogs, as a rule, were highly specialized. And then the dog handlers had an idea to get a universal hunting dog that would combine the best working qualities of famous breeds. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. work began on the gene material. The basis of the breed were German:

• griffons (German bristle cops);
• short-haired cop;
• shtihelhaara;
• pointers

Up until the beginning of the 20th century, there were disputes about the exterior, the origin and the working qualities. And although the Drathkaras appeared at exhibitions, but they differed greatly in the quality of wool and the presence of a beard and mustache.

The standard was first formulated in 1890. Cultivation of the breed continued, societies were created that called for the restoration of the primordial breed of bristly-haired cop dogs. In 1924, the breed standard was adopted, and the Drathkhaars were taken out of Germany.

During World War II, it was difficult to monitor the purity of the breed and until 1965, the time of the final acceptance of the breed standard, it was allowed to infuse blood of other hunting dogs once.

Drathaar are popular not only in Germany, but also in Europe, America. Even in our country there is a dog school club "German Drathaar." It is located in St. Petersburg and unites connoisseurs of these rare dogs.

Description of the Drathaar breed

The German Drathar is a medium sized dog. The height at the withers of males is 61-68 cm, and the bough is 57-64 cm. The weight is 27-32 kg, but it can reach up to 40 kg, as the dog’s weight does not specify the standards of the breed. The standard describes thoroughbred representatives as follows:

1. The skull is rounded, somewhat convex on the sides, wedge-shaped. Brow arc and cheekbones pronounced. The transition from the broad forehead to the nose is noticeable, deep.
2. The nose is wide, long, with a little crotch, with pronounced large lobe, colored in dark color and open nostrils.
3. Lips are thick, tight to the teeth, pigmented dark, in the corners form a small fold, but without too much droop.
4. Jaws strong, strong, with a scissor bite. Teeth are white, triangular, full dentition.
5. The eyes are of medium size, not protruding and not too sunk in the sockets. The look is tenacious, intelligent. The iris is colored dark. Eyes cover well with eyelids, tight to the eyeball and having dark pigmentation along the edge.
6. Ears of medium size, set high, loosely hanging, triangular with rounded tips. When resting, fall below the zygomatic arches.
7. The neck is of medium length, strong, somewhat arched, dry - without dewlap.
8. The back is strong, covered with muscles, falls slightly to the tail. The loin is strong, the pelvis is wide, the withers are pronounced.
9. Chest oval, wide, with developed muscles, deep.
10. The belly is slightly selected, forms an elegant line without suspension.
11. The tail is long, rather thick, for hunting purposes it is stopped.
12. Limbs strong, parallel, sufficiently long with pronounced angles of articulations. Paws are oval, arched with tightly clenched fingers and sturdy pads.

Due to well-developed muscles, long limbs and the absence of a noticeable fatty layer, the dog moves easily and straight, jumping high. When driving, there is power and swiftness. The movements are sweeping, but smooth.

Wide chest and rounded ribs intervening voluminous lungs, which increases the dog's endurance in pursuit.

Colors and coat

Wool hard, similar to the wire, tight to the body. The undercoat is thick and dense. Longer hair forms pronounced eyebrows, mustache and beard. Somewhat shorter than the hair on the back of the paws, tail and abdomen. On the body and head, the length of the dog does not exceed 2-4 cm. The coat well protects the dog from injury when overcoming the thickets, bad weather and cold, but does not hide a strong and flexible body.

The color is mostly dark, dominated by coffee color. It can be solid, diluted piebald with well visible specks, with gray hair or steel-gray with coffee. It happens black with gray hair, sometimes solid black.

Character

The happy owners of the Drathkhaars note their extreme affection for the household, especially the owner. These dogs are proprietors and monogamous men, they long for alone and try to spend as much time as possible with the person.

This universal dog has strong not only hunting, but also territorial instincts, therefore it will protect property and territory with zeal and courage. The dog is incredulous about outsiders and can be vicious and wary about them.

Drathaar is a smart, quick-witted dog, capable of making independent decisions. These traits are greatly appreciated during the hunt, but can be a nuisance when trained.

Excellent live with children. An active, moving dog is ready to run and romp with the kids all day. With early socialization tolerates the presence of domestic animals, but can be intolerant of members of his tribe and chase cats. But it’s not the absurd nature and aggressiveness that is manifested, but the hunting instinct.

There is also a certain tendency to runaways, but this property will manifest itself if the dog does not engage in any work of interest to it. Running away from home, the dog is looking for new sensations and adventures.

Drathaar does not impose its love, but attentively follows the owner, expecting tasks, encouragement and emotional support from him. In the conditions of a city apartment, a drathaar is bored and can be naughty - to spoil furniture, decor items, shoes. All the character of the dog is realized during the hunt, although with professional training and education it can perform various functions.

Training

The training of a Drathaar requires patience, knowledge of the characteristics of nature and natural inclinations. Volitional qualities and independence of the dog can negate all the efforts of an inexperienced dog handler. The dog's nervous system is designed in such a way that it allows it to instantly switch to different types of activity, so the tasks for training should be interesting, diverse and not take a lot of time.

The dog is happy to do the exercises that involve his wit, intelligence, good physical data and a tendency to search. Despite the fact that dog experts talk about the good susceptibility of dogcraders to training, the whole process can take up to ½ year and should be carried out in stages.

When natask puppy hunting dogs need to establish a trusting relationship between the "student" and "teacher." First of all, the puppy is taught to be fearless - not to be afraid of loud noises, water, dark dense thickets. A puppy cannot be beaten, screamed at or punished.

Rudeness can lead not only to stubbornness and unwillingness to execute commands, but also to aggression, fear. Nataska drathaar - a long process that requires perseverance, patience and knowledge. After all, the hunting instinct does not include some of the requirements that are important for a good universal hunting dog and they need to be vaccinated.

Care and health

Drathaar unpretentious care. Its dense hard wool does not require grooming, frequent washing, bleaching. But she has a dense undercoat, which falls in warm weather and becomes thicker in a cold one. To rid the dog of dead hair, it must be regularly combed out, especially during the molting period and when kept at home.

The dog is very seasonally shedding, and daily combing will relieve the owners from shreds of wool in the apartment. They are combed out with a special brush with metal teeth - other species are simply not able to cope with the "wire" wool of the Drathaar. Some owners prefer to cut the dog off with a typewriter in order to save themselves from cares about caring during the shedding period.

Healthy teeth are an important condition for a hunting dog, so they need to be carefully looked after - clean, remove plaque, inspect and treat sick and damaged teeth in time.

Dense vegetation on the dog’s face can get dirty and care is required for the beard and mustache of the Drathaar. Many owners wash them after each feeding, and some - shorten the hair so as not to climb into the bowl, but such measures spoil the original appearance of the dog.

The hanging ears of a Drathaar also require inspection and care. It is necessary to care for the eyes of the dog, as they have a predisposition to eye diseases. An active, fast-moving dog that overcomes a thick bush can hurt itself or “stick” ticks. Pet skin must be checked after walking. They inspect not only wool, but also the skin, so that it does not have scratches, wounds, or spines.

It is also necessary to inspect the paw pads, shorten the nails, especially if the dog does not hunt and runs on the soft ground. Be sure to adhere to the vaccination schedule, de-worming once every ½ year. With this care the dog will live in good health up to 14-16 years.

Breed diseases

The breed is characterized by diseases affecting active dogs with high loads on the articulations of the limbs:

• joint dysplasia;
• dislocations and subluxations of joints.

But besides this, at the Drathaar there are:

• eye disease;
• infectious diseases of the ears;
• dermatitis and dermatosis;
• malignant skin lesions;
• diabetes.

In addition to these pathologies, in general, the health of Drathkhaar is excellent, strong. But this does not mean that the dog can not become infected with parasitic diseases or diseases of carnivores. Therefore, Drathaara should be periodically examined for the purpose of prophylaxis and routine vaccinations should be done.

Feeding

It is believed that hunting dogs need to be fed only natural food with a predominance of protein. But today there are a number of special ready-made feeds, which relieve the owner from the need to make a ration, belonging to the category of premium, super-premium or holistic.

When feeding natural food in the diet should be 30-40% of animal proteins. Both whole meat and offal. The diet of young dogs and puppies should include cartilage, veins - products containing building material for the joints.

Porridge and vegetables should be 60-70%. Do not overfeed drathaar, as a loose dog is a bad hunter, prone to severe systemic diseases. With natural feeding additionally introduced vitamin and mineral supplements.

Dog content

First of all, a Drathaar is a hunting dog, active, agile, temperamental, therefore, it is more suitable for keeping in a country house, on a farm, where there is enough space to run around, search and satisfy the hunting instinct.

Thanks to a dense undercoat, the dog tolerates cold and bad weather well. However, when kept in an open-air cage, the animal must have a warm and dry “house” with a stove bench so that it can hide and rest.

Drathara can be kept in urban areas, if the animal is provided with sufficient time for walking in the air and the necessary physical activity. If the dog is bored or does not spend energy during games and training, he will rush around the apartment and spoil things.

Some dog owners complain of a strong odor that comes from drathaar wool, copious molting and inaccuracy during eating. Therefore, in the conditions of an apartment, only loyal amateurs of this breed or avid hunters, often traveling with a pet to the nature, are ready to endure a Drathaar.

Photo of Drathara

Video of dratyaar

Where to buy a puppy

The popularity of Drathaar is gradually gaining momentum in our country, so hunters and breeders who decide to breed this breed are interested in where to buy puppies.

As before, the priority is given to kennels in the home of Drathara. Here puppies are very strict selection and assessment of working qualities. The cost of "overseas" puppy is 400-2500 euros. The price is influenced by gender, and become test results.

There are nurseries in Ukraine and Russia. In Russia, the cost of puppies ranges from 5,000 to 25,000 rubles. In Ukraine, it starts from 8,000 hryvnia. In Moscow, Drathaar puppies can be purchased in nurseries:

Drathaar is a dog for active, courageous and persistent. You should not start it for lying on the couch and a demonstration in front of friends. This faithful, trustful creature will be able to attach wholeheartedly to the family and will not withstand the change of owners and a long separation from them. Therefore, before buying a puppy, you should think about how to provide him the necessary care, to give love and emotional comfort.