The Deutscher Wachtelhund (also known as the German Spaniel) is a medium sized gundog, thick boned, muscular, with long thick wavy hair. The Deutscher Wachtelhund history dates back to the 1700's.  It is a versatile breed virtually unknown to the German non-hunting public and is only owned by hunters, gamekeepers and professional hunters in Germany.  It has vibrant and friendly personality, but is an obsessive scent follower with bloodhound like persistence.  The Wachtelhund (quail dog) is versatile gundog easily trained to hunt all types of game (feathered and fur).  It is a great retriever for dense undergrowth and water.   It make an excellent water dog.            The Deutscher Wachtelhund comes mainly in two colors, brown schimmel (brown ticked with white) and solid brown.  Brown/white or schimmel Wachtelhunds will produce colorations ranging from red to dark brown with white ticking.   Brown Wachtelhunds will produce colorations ranging from red (orange and blond) to dark brown.  Both colorations may produce dogs with large solid white and brown patches called heltigers or brownscheck, when breeding parents having the same recessive color genes.   Under VDW standards, the heltigers and brownscheck colorations belong to the schimmel type.  The various colorations have no influence on a Wachtelhund hunting abilities.  In Europe, they are bred solely on proven performance in hunt measurement tests.

              

   Size (measured at back over the shoulder) and Weight Standards: 

 

  Males from: 48 to 54 cm (18 7/8 to 21 1/4 inches)

  Females from: 45 to 52 cm (17 3/4 to 20 1/2  inches)

  Weight: 20 to 30 Kg (44 to 66 lbs.)

 

Wachtelhunds one to two centimeters above 54 cm shall not be disqualified from dog events.

 

 

    Click here to view Complete Deutscher Wachtelhund Description.

 

   Since there are not enough Wachtelhunds in North America to conduct hunt measurement tests as in Germany; only actively hunted Wachtelhunds should be bred to insure they do not loose their hunting abilities.

 

   Faults which eliminate dogs from being breedable Wachtelhunds:  Height under 42 cm (16 1/2 inches).   Crooked, bowed legs or splayed feet.  Thin skeletoned or bodied dogs with short backs.  Loose shoulder muscles.  One testicle.  A prominent stop at the eye junction between muzzle and head.  Teeth with an under or over bite.   Loose eye lids.  Loose drooling lips that do not close.  Wachtelhunds with black hair color, or thin silky hair. 

 

    Standards taken from the German Wachtelhund Club - Verein Fur Deutsche Wachtelhunhe and  "Der Deutsche Wachtelhund", by Heinrich Hecker, Paul Parey publisher.