Hound breed Medium size 15-20 kg

Lucerne Hound

A blue-mottled Swiss scenthound (Lucerne variety) with strong hunting drive - a gentle housemate that needs a lot of daily exercise and a job.

Compare
Find out how this breed matches your household

Quick overview

Medium
Size
15-20 kg · 47-59 cm
Very high
Exercise needs
Very high; a working scenthound
Moderate
Alone-time tolerance
Settles once well exercised
Moderate
Training
Cooperative but strongly nose-led
Low
Coat care
Short coat, easy grooming
Conditional
Fit with kids
Gentle with children
Good
Other pets
Sociable with dogs; prey drive to small pets
Moderate
Health burden
Dental Disease, Hip Dysplasia, Bloat

The Lucerne Hound typically weighs 15-20 kg, stands 47-59 cm, and lives 12-14 years.

Consider this breed if…

you hunt or can give a scenthound a real daily job and long walks,
you have a house with a securely fenced yard, ideally rural,
you want a gentle, sociable dog that lives to follow a trail,
you can live with a loud, carrying hound voice.

Do not consider this breed if…

you live in a small flat with no outlet for a working nose,
you need reliable off-leash recall - a fresh scent usually wins,
quiet matters to you or your neighbors are close by,
small pets like rabbits roam loose in the home.

A typical day with a Lucerne Hound

  1. 6:30 · Morning
    Long 45-60 min walk with plenty of time to sniff and track
  2. 9:00 · Midmorning
    Settles and rests at home once its nose has had work
  3. 12:30 · Noon
    Short garden patrol or a sniffing walk around the block
  4. 16:00 · Afternoon
    Scent games or a training session to keep the mind busy
  5. 18:30 · Evening
    Second long walk or a run in a safe, fenced space
  6. 21:00 · Night
    Calm and affectionate with the family before sleep

Temperament and training

Trainability Moderate
Nose drive Very high
Independence Moderate
Sociability High
Vocality High
Guarding tendency Low
Common owner mistakes
Trusting off-leash freedom near game or unfenced land · Underestimating the daily exercise a working scenthound needs · Ignoring the loud baying voice until neighbors complain

Family and environment

Kids Good
Gentle and patient with children it lives with.
Dogs Good
A pack hound; usually sociable with other dogs.
Cats Conditional
Prey drive means care with cats and small pets.
Apartment Not suited
Energy and a loud voice make flat life hard.
House with a yard Suitable
A secure fence is essential for a scent-driven dog.
City Conditional
Possible with heavy daily exercise and tolerant neighbors.
Countryside Ideal
Space and trails to track are what it was bred for.
Health data provided by RealVetCost
Overall health burden Moderate

Detailed health data - inheritance, prevalence, course, and typical treatment costs - lives in a separate expert database. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice - confirm any decision with your vet.

View the full health profile
Top health concerns
Dental Disease Very common; routine brushing and cleanings help
Hip Dysplasia Screen breeding stock; signs often from 1-2 years
Bloat (GDV) Emergency stomach twist in deep-chested dogs
Chronic Ear Infections Ears need regular checking and cleaning

Similar breeds - by reason

Not visually similar - similar in what they mean for you.

Same breed, white-and-orange variety
Schwyz Hound
A white-and-orange Swiss scenthound (Schwyz variety) bred for tracking - even-tempered at home but high-drive and best for active rural owners.
View profile →
Black-and-white Swiss scenthound sibling
Bernese Hound
A keen Swiss scenthound (Bernese variety) with a fine nose - gentle at home but driven in the field, best for hunters and active outdoor owners.
View profile →
Smaller, slower-tracking Swiss version
Swiss Short-legged Hound
A short-legged Swiss scenthound (Niederlaufhund) for slower tracking - a compact, even-tempered hunter that still needs daily scent-led exercise.
View profile →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Lucerne Hound cost?
This is a rare Swiss variety almost never bred outside Switzerland, so there is no set US price and interested owners usually face waitlists, imports, and shipping costs that can run several thousand dollars on top of the purchase price. Whatever you pay up front, plan for the real lifetime cost of a medium active dog - food, routine vet care, and an emergency fund or insurance for the unexpected.
Is a Lucerne Hound a good family dog?
At home it is gentle, even-tempered, and sociable, and it does well with children and other dogs. The catch is drive: it was bred to hunt all day, so a family that cannot supply long daily walks and scent work will end up with a bored, vocal, and frustrated dog.
Can a Lucerne Hound be left alone during a workday?
An adult that has been properly exercised can settle for part of a day, but this is a pack hound that would rather be with its people or other dogs. Long stretches alone with no outlet often lead to howling and destructive behavior.
Do Lucerne Hounds bark a lot?
Yes. Like most scenthounds they have a loud, carrying bay and will use it on a trail or when excited. That voice is part of the breed and is a real consideration for close neighbors.