Unusual Breed: Kromfohrländer

A Kromfohrländer in one of the two acceptable coat types: rough.

This breed originated in Germany through crossing of the wire fox terrier and grand griffon vendeen, with perhaps a bit more thrown in the mix. It's a fairly modern breed, with its status as a unique breed only being recognized in 1955. The breed comes in two acceptable coat types: rough and smooth. The differences are purely texture-based, with rough being wiry and smooth being soft, as the length of the coat can vary. Coat color does not have a lot of variety with the only acceptable pattern being white with red patches. In appearance, this breed is often compared to a wire haired Parson Russell or Jack Russell terrier. It is medium sized, ranging in height from fifteen to eighteen inches and weighing between twenty and thirty-five pounds.

A smooth Kromfohrländer

Since the breed is fairly obscure, it's obvious why it could be confused with a mixed breed or maybe even a "designer breed" by those who are not familiar with it. The breed is rarely seen outside of its native Germany, and it's even more uncommon to find it outside of Europe. The registries that do accept this breed disagree as to where it should be placed. While the UKC places the breed in with the terriers, the FCI has placed it in with the toy and companion breeds. It's even been given its own section in the group (Group 9 Section 10), which is fairly unusual for the registry. Both placements do seem to be fitting. Though there has clearly been terrier influence on the breed, it was originally bred for companionship. As such, it's known for having a good temperament. Adaptability and high spirited-ness are also traits that are considered key traits of the breed.

The major health concern in the Kromfohrländer is stifle-joint disease, which is inherited. Other conditions are also sometimes seen, namely epilepsy and cataracts.

Sources are the United Kennel Club, Fédération Cynologique Internationale, Finnish Breed Association for Kromfohrländer, and Complete Dogs Guide. Images are from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses: one, two.