The Drever is a breed of dog, a short-legged scenthound from Sweden used for hunting deer and other game. The Drever is descended from the Westphalian Dachsbracke, a type of German hound called Bracke. The breed name Drever was chosen through a contest in 1947.
The Drever's most noticeable characteristics are its long body and short legs, inherited from the Westphalian Dachsbracke, but as a working dog, these features are not exaggerated. It has short fur, and is of any color with white markings (but not all white, which has been linked to deafness.[citation needed]) The breed has the typical drop (hanging) ears of a hound, and a long tail. The maximum height of a Drever is 38 cm (15 ins) at the withers, which is about 15 cm (approx. 6 ins) shorter than a long legged hunting hound with the same size body. The Westphalian Dachsbracke is about 2 cm (less than an inch) shorter than the Drever.
Most breeds with similar physical traits are bred for a single purpose, but the Drever has been bred to hunt sizes of game, both hares and roe deer, and fox and red deer. The Drever has a lot of stamina, and has become a popular hunting hound for deer hunters in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland as a change in legislation allowed the use of Drevers in deer hunting. Roe deer are nervous quarry, and the hounds which are used to hunt them must move slowly, especially in areas where heavy snow can be expected in late autumn. This is given as the reason for breeding of a dog with a medium-sized body but short legs.