Hygenhund

Guides for your Hygenhund

The story behind the Hygenhund

The Hygenhund takes its name from Hygen, a nineteenth-century Norwegian breeder who set out to create a hardy hare hound suited to Norway's climate and terrain. He worked from imported hound stock, generally understood to have included German and Scandinavian scenthounds, aiming for a dog of moderate size with stamina in deep cold. The type stabilised during the later nineteenth century and was maintained by Norwegian hunters thereafter. Proposals to merge the breed with the closely related Dunker were considered in the twentieth century, but the two were kept separate. Recognition by the FCI followed, though the breed has never spread widely. Today the Hygenhund remains a Norwegian hunting dog first and a companion second, with registrations counted in modest annual numbers and very little presence abroad.

Originally bred for: Hare hunting, Fox hunting, Trailing hound. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.

Feeding a Hygenhund

Feed a complete diet with good animal protein twice a day, lifting portions through the hunting season and cutting back in summer idleness. Hard-working hounds need steady fuel without bulk, and lean condition protects the joints of a dog that trots over rough ground.

Watch for: There is no documented breed-linked food intolerance. Working hounds that scavenge in the field pick up digestive upsets that mimic allergy, so rule that out first. Persistent skin or gut symptoms warrant a veterinary workup before committing to an exclusion diet.

Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.

Living with a Hygenhund

Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.

For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.

Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a properly sized crate.

Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.