This is certainly the least known and least popular breed of the entire group of companion dogs. Although, thanks to its excellent character and behavior it is an ideal animal for the family. Small and square in structure, it exists in two varieties : hard-haired and short-haired. At Petlifey, we explain the character and characteristics of the Kromfohrländer .
Character and behavior of the Kromfohrländer
The kromfohrländer makes an excellent household and companion dog. Thanks to its cheerful and good character, it adapts to any environment, never showing aggressive or rowdy behaviour .
It is also a perfect guardian, exceptionally attentive to everything that happens around them. For this reason, it perfectly fulfills its double mission at home: that of a pet and that of a watchdog. You can be somewhat reserved with strangers.
Regardless of the variety to which it belongs, this is surely the most peculiar companion dog that exists.
In the first place, because it is larger in size, located above the average of the dogs in the group (except for the giant poodle ). And secondly because, in addition, it has a more lively and fiery temperament than normal.
It is also an excellent watchdog that is very suspicious of the presence of strangers and that reacts to the slightest noise, even during sleep, which is why in Germany it is widely used to guard the house. Finally, their great hunting skills, undoubtedly inherited from their ancestors, must be weighed.
- Energy: High. Moody, fiery and lively, it needs to get plenty of exercise on a daily basis.
- Temperament: It is cheerful, fiery and obedient, but also vigilant, always alert and guardian.
- Adaptability: Medium / High. It adapts well to any environment, but does not like life in the city.
- Sociability: High. Very affectionate with its family, it gets along well with other dogs but is suspicious of strangers.
- Health: Good. It is a very healthy animal.
- Longevity: High. Live between 12 and 15 years.
- Utility: Versatile. Great companion dog, it also excels in hunting and guarding tasks.
Can you live in an apartment or in the city?
Although it is a companion dog who likes to share as much time as possible with its family. However, this is not the most suitable pet to live in the center of the city, due to its high energy level and its need to exercise a lot on a regular basis.
It prefers to do it in a house that has a patio or a small garden. Even so, as it is not very noisy, it can be had without problems residing in areas surrounded by neighbours, as it is unlikely to disturb them with howling or barking.
How does it behave with other animals?
On its walks and outings in the fields, activities that its owner must facilitate quite frequently, it is very likely that the Kromfohrländer will coincide with other dogs.
But do not have too many worries about this point, since this is an animal that tends to get along quite well with other dogs. But yes, provided that serious hierarchical conflicts do not arise between them.
However, the relationship is no longer so idyllic when it comes to animals of other species, since the hunting instinct of this breed is deeply ingrained and it is very possible that it will go after them to try to hunt them.
Is it an easy dog to educate or train?
It is not a difficult dog to train, as it is quite obedient, but the truth is that it needs to have an owner with a strong character and natural leadership capacity, who knows how to impose itself on the animal and who trains it firmly and rigorously, without hesitation. nor changes of criteria.
Otherwise, the animal may think that its owner does not control the situation and wants to impose themselves to occupy the position of leader of the pack. It is, therefore, preferable that its owner is a person who has some experience in the possession and education of dogs.
Kromfohrländer breed characteristics
The general appearance of the kromfohrländer is that of a medium-sized, lean and agile dog with a square build. There are two varieties of Kromfohrländer, the wire-haired and the short-haired, both of various colors.
How is the Kromfohrländer physically?
Body
It is a medium-sized dog, with good muscles and whose body tends to be square, since its length is only slightly greater than the height at the withers. Males and females are the same height, but males tend to take a little more weight,
As for its movement, the gait is fluid, balanced and with a regular movement. The forelimbs have a good reach, aided by a strong push from the hindlimbs. It likes to jump and does not move both limbs on the same side (ambling step).
The feet are medium, somewhat arched and with the toes together. Nails are strong and can be dark or light in color. The pads are also strong and dark in color,
The tail is quite long and the type of hair is the same as the rest of the body. At rest, it hangs with a slight curve; when the dog moves, the carrier is raised and folded on its back.
Head
The head is small in relation to the neck and the rest of the body, and the muzzle is long and narrower at the tip than at the base. The truffle is medium, usually black or chestnut.
The eyes are oval in shape and of medium size, they are located obliquely with respect to the frontal plane of the face. Dark brown in color, they can sometimes appear lighter.
Their ears are triangular in shape and set high, although the fold does not protrude above the skull. They are very mobile and express the mood of the dog
Hair
This breed has two varieties. In the variety of wire hair, this one is dense and of rough texture. It measures about 7 cm at the back and 3 cm at the sides. On the face and on the muzzle the hair is longer, with a beard and moustache. The hair on the back and on the front and hind limbs is harder than that on the sides.
In the short-haired or smooth-haired variety, the coat is thick and smooth, and is close to the body. The hair on the ears, the lower region of the neck and the chest is longer. The tail is provided with a plume, and abundant fringes appear on the back of the forelimbs and hindquarters.
On the face and on the muzzle the hair is short, without a beard or mustache. Both varieties have a short and soft undercoat.
Colour
On the body, the background color is white, with light brown, reddish brown or dark brown spots. The size of the spots is variable.
If the undercoat is brown, there may be hairs with black tips. Symmetrical brown spots on the cheeks, over the eyes and ears are common.
Kromfohrländer breed standard
- Origin: Germany.
- Varieties: Wire-haired and short-haired.
- Size: Medium.
- Height at the withers: between 38 and 46 centimeters.
- Weight: between 11 and 16 kg for males and between 9 and 14 kg for females.
- General appearance: It is a robust dog, of medium size, elongated body structure and good muscles.
- FCI Classification: FCI No. 192. Group 9 – Companion Dogs. Section 10 – Kromfohrländer.
- Use: Companion, hunting and guard dog.
- Head: It is proportionate, with the size of the skull equal to the length of the muzzle. Skull: Slightly rounded, without frontal prominences.
- Naso-frontal depression (stop): Well defined.
- Muzzle: The upper lines of the muzzle and skull are parallel. The nasal bridge is straight and moderately wide. The muzzle tapers progressively to the tip of the nose.
- Nose: Medium-sized, black, with well-open nostrils.
- Jaws: May have pincer bite, although this breed generally bites in scissors.
- Eyes: They are of medium size, oval and set in an oblique position. They are normally dark brown in color, although they can also be slightly lighter in color.
- Ears: Set high and laterally, they are semi-erect, without the fold exceeding the upper line of the skull. They are triangular and with rounded tips and glued to the head. They have a lot of movement and the animal carries them according to its mood.
- Neck: The neck is of medium length, with the top line oblique to the top, but not arched. It is a thick neck, well muscled up to its insertion in the back, and it does not have a double chin.
- Body: The length of the body is slightly greater than the height at the withers. The upper line of the body is straight, and the withers are barely visible.
- Back: It is robust, with a straight dorsal line and of medium length. Chest: Of medium width and deep. The sternum line is at the elbows. Ribs slightly arched.
- Tail: Saber-shaped or slightly curled. When the animal is at rest, it hangs, with the tip slightly raised up; when the dog is in action, it carries it curved on its back.
- Forelimbs: Seen from the front they are well poised.
- Shoulders: Well muscled, its shoulder blade is of medium length and is set obliquely.
- Forearms and arms: The arms are very muscular and form a pronounced angle with the shoulder blade.
- Elbows: They are close to the body.
- Hind limbs: Seen from behind they are straight and perpendicular.
- Legs: They are sinewy, forming a strong angle with the thigh and very muscular.
- Feet: They are slightly arched, with the toes close together. They have strong nails and well developed footpads with dark pigmentation.
- Skin: The color of the skin pigmentation is the same as that of the coat spots.
- Coat: Both varieties have a short and smooth undercoat, but the hard-haired specimens have a rough-textured coat and show long hairs on the muzzle, while the short-haired ones are soft and close, with fringes on the ears. neck, chest and tail. They are white with brownish spots.
Health and diseases of the Kromfohrländer breed
Regarding health, the Kromfohrländer, being a rare breed, not very widespread and still closely linked to the world of work, is a rustic, strong and very long-lived animal that hardly presents any serious characteristic problem.
In fact, thanks to their robust conformation and their lively, vital and energetic temperament, even the oldest specimens maintain a typical puppy attitude and are full of life and eager to do things until they are 15 years old or more.
But to maintain this good health and vitality, a whole series of healthy habits must be followed: a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, routine health checks by the veterinarian and compliance with the vaccination and deworming programs recommended for each specimen depending on the type of life you lead (life at home, hunting trips, pregnant mother …)
Feeding the Kromfohrländer
The truth is that the Kromfohrländer, as it is a very fiery animal, full of vitality and that does a lot of exercise, needs to be given a diet that is energetic enough to keep its activity level high, but without gaining or losing it. excess weight.
In principle, it is not a dog that poses special problems in terms of food, since it usually eats everything that is given to it .
But it is important to look for a high-quality food, whose proteins are mainly of animal origin, and whose fats come from known and reliable sources, since these are essential for the maintenance of the skin and hair.
The food needs of each individual specimen vary depending on the daily activity that it carries out and also on the vital stage in which it is found.
It is evident that they are not the same for a puppy in the process of growth than for an adult who is dedicated to hunting and spends the day running, or for an elderly specimen who spends the day dozing and keeping company with its master.
Likewise, a pregnant female also has special feeding needs, as she must eat more protein and it may be interesting to provide her with a diet enriched in vitamins and calcium.
In any case, the best advice is to periodically check the weight of the animal , the color of its mucous membranes and the condition of its hair, as these are the main indicators of whether it is being fed properly .
How to care for a Kromfohrländer
Regarding the aesthetic maintenance of the Kromfohrländer, this is minimal, since the coat of this breed is quite rustic and does not need more than an occasional brushing and a deep bath when the animal is really dirty.
Despite its good health, its easy maintenance and, above all, its great versatility, since it can be used for multiple functions, such as company, guard or hunting, and in all of them it fulfills perfectly, the truth is that this breed It has never enjoyed much fame and today it is quite difficult to find copies of it, even in its own country of origin.
Origin of the Kromfohrländer breed
When it comes to the origin of the Kromfohrländer, it must be recognized that this is the youngest breed of dog in Germany. Its official recognition did not take place until 1955.
But in reality almost everyone alludes to a much more remote origin, since already in 18th century Germany the existence of a white griffon-type dog similar to the current Kromfohrländer was documented. Even so, as a race it did not have a public reflection in society until after World War II.
The name of this dog derives from the Germanic terms Krom Forhr , which mean “twisted furrow”, and correspond to the place located near the town of Siegen, in Westphalia, where the house of the first breeder of the breed, Ilse Schleifenbaum, was located .
According to some authors, the beginning of this new breed is accidental and is due to the fortuitous crossing between a wire -haired fox terrier and a large Vendean griffon, both owned by Schleifenbaum.
It seems that it detected the qualities that the new puppies that emerged from this cross had both to keep the family company inside the house and to dedicate themselves to hunting and therefore decided to start a selective breeding process that ended up giving rise to a new race.
Likewise, there are two varieties of Kromfohrländer, one with wire hair, which is the most common within the general shortage of specimens of the breed, and another with short or smooth hair, much rarer still. Most likely, both variants stem from the influence of the wire-haired fox terrier on the development of the breed.