The Hamiltonstovare comes from Sweden, where Count Adolf Hamilton, founder of the Swedish Kennel Club, showed the first ones in 1886. It was developed to trail hare and fox alone rather than in a pack, giving tongue on the scent so hunters could follow. It's an athletic, medium-sized hound with a close-lying coat in black, tan and white.
At home, many are friendly and even-tempered with people and other dogs, but the nose still leads. In Miami, that means a secure fence or a leash wherever an interesting smell might appear, plus plenty of patience with recall training. Dogs vary, so a particular Hamiltonstovare may be calmer or more driven than the description suggests. The breed is rare outside Scandinavia, so watch the listings on this page and look at similar hound breeds too.