Kromfohrländer

The Kromfohrländer (Krumfohrlander) is a cheerful, lively and outgoing dog, which was bred in Germany after the World War II. This fairly newly invented breed owned solely for companionship and it has already deserved a reputation of a first-class family dog. It is little-known outside its homeland but it has already gained small but devoted following in Holland, Switzerland and Finland.

The Kromfohrlander’s story started in the early post-war period. In 1945 American soldiers on their way through France have adopted a homeless dog of an unknown origin. Nevertheless its wiry brown and white hair and medium size suggested that it’s closely related to a Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen or a resembling breed. The Americans called it Peter and granted it the status of a mascot. Peter escorted the American troops as they marched through Germany. At Siegen, a Westphalian town in the area of Krumme Furche, the dog decided that it was done with military service and escaped from its benefactors.

Due to malnutrition and lack of care it looked messy and absolutely pitiful. A townswoman named Ilse Schleifenbaum took interest in the fate of poor Peter and picked it up. The dog got its second chance and became a much beloved pet. Later Peter accidently mated with the Terrier-type dog named Fifi. Fifi wasn’t a purebred canine but it most likely had a Fox Terrier among its immediate forebears. It gave birth to the litter of puppies, which were surprisingly uniform in appearance despite their mixed background.

Ilse Schleifenbaum gave a high assessment of excellent temperament and appealing look of these puppies and decided to use them in order to produce a new breed. The resulting dog was nicknamed the Kromfohrlander in honour of the Krumme Furche area where it was initially developed. Besides the expression «krom fohr» is translated from contemporary German as «crooked furrow».

Hard work and commitment of Ilse Schleifenbaum gave the world a fabulous companion dog, which was noted for sweet stable demeanour and solid health. It elapsed no more than 10 years after its creation and the Kromfohrlander had already acquired a sizable following in its native country. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) granted its full recognition to the breed in 1955. Nowadays the dog is kept exclusively for companionship and most of its population is concentrated in its native Germany.

The vivacious, mischievous and faithful Kromfohrlander suits ideally for the role of a home companion and pet. The breed totally depends on leadership and guidance of a human being and wants nothing more than to be always surrounded by its family. It gets along with children who usually greatly enjoy its playfulness and outgoing nature. As with any other dog it requires certain amount of training in order to learn basic norms of behaviour in human society.

The breed demonstrates standoffishness and distrust in the presence of unfamiliar people. Nevertheless the Kromfohrlander commonly reacts aggressively only to open threats and provocation and will never snap without a serious reason. Being attentive and alert to its surroundings it can be quite effective as a watchdog. At the time it’s neither intimidating nor fierce enough to make a decent guard dog.

The Kromfohrlander is generally friendly with other dogs. The breed was purposefully bred for companionship and any sort of canine-aggressiveness was completely eliminated from its characteristics. It will happily share its live with one or several of other canines preferably of similar temperament. The dog partially inherited the hunting drive of its terrier ancestors and therefore it shouldn’t be fully trusted around other small animals. Nonetheless proper and timely socialisation can guarantee its peaceful coexistence with a household cat and other small pets.

The most common problems for the breed include:

· stifle joint disease;

· cystinuria;

· keratosis;

· gray cataracts;

· epilepsy

· patellar luxation.

The Kromfohrlander needs rather little amount of care. Its owner should brush its rough coat once or twice a week in order to keep it free of tangles and matts. The good thing is that the breed is completely deprived of disagreeable doggie odour. Frequent bathing should be avoided since water can strip off the protective natural oils, which cover the dog’s skin and hair.

Its master should also give proper consideration to such standard care procedures as nail’s clipping and teeth brushing. The Kromfohrlander is an average shedder and diligent and regular brushing will help to minimize the amount of loose hair in your house during shedding periods.

The Kromfohrlander is a smart and biddable dog, which can be trained with relative easiness. However it sometimes doesn’t display enough interest in training so correct motivational techniques bear the outmost importance with this dog. It learns eagerly and easily if it’s encouraged with praise and food incentives.

It’s not reasonable to use forceful methods in the work with the dog since it will only induce its wilfulness and disobedience. The breed is characterised with strong ability to focus and long attention span, which greatly compensates its occasional reluctance to train. The Kromfohrlander thrives in various dog’s sports especially in agility competitions.

Such a frisky and vivacious dog as the Kromfohrlander should be provided with enough opportunities for physical outlets. It should be taken on a daily brisk walk of at least an hour long. The dog also requires a regular chance to socialise with other canines or just play and run off-leash in a big fenced yard.

After vigorous outdoors exercise it tends to demonstrate laid-back and relaxed attitude at home and likes nothing more than to spend long hours lazing around on your sofa. The Kromfohrlander will become an ultimate companion dog for a moderately active family who is ready to invest sufficient time in walking and playing with it.