Jagdterrier Dog Names

The Jagdterrier is not a well-known breed in North America and while fully recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC), the breed has not obtained full registration status with the American Kennel Club (AKC). The Jagdterrier is currently accepted as a part of the AKC’s Foundation Stock Service (FSS) which is the last step before becoming fully recognized. The first Jagdterrier arrived in 1951 by Max Thiel, Sr. Thiel began a long love story with the Jagdterrier breed in 1938 when he bought his very first Jagdterrier that went everywhere with him, and even hunted with him. Unfortunately, with the start of World War II, Thiel lost his dogs. After the end of WWII, Thiel moved to Bavaria and bought two female Jagdterriers named Asta and Naja. Thiel decided to move to the United States in 1951 and brought Naja with him. As soon as he was settled in his new home, Thiel sent for Asta who was pregnant with her first litter of purebred Jagdterriers. Asta’s litter was the first litter of Jagdterriers to be born in the United States. Armin Schwartz, Sr, another German immigrant, was fascinated with Naja and Asta. In 1954 he imported a male Jagdterrier named Axel to breed to Naja and Asta and some of Asta’s offspring from her first litter. 

In 1956 there were a total of nine Jagdterrier owners living within the United States. They met in March of 1956 in St. Louis, Missouri to form a parent club for this beloved breed. The Jagdterrier Club of America was formed and their goal was to work toward becoming recognized by the AKC. Naja, Asta, and Axel were listed as the foundation stock for the Jagdterrier Club of America. Unfortunately, the breed’s popularity did not rise and the club did disband after most of the members became too elderly to promote the breed. There is a new crop of breed enthusiasts who have picked up the gauntlet and are promoting the Jagdterrier within the United States. However, they are encountering the same issues as their successors. The Jagdterrier is simply not a favored breed among devoted terrier owners. There have been more Jagdterriers imported from Germany to expand the original gene pool from Naja, Asta, and Axel and this has helped current breeders work toward ensuring the Jagdterrier breed remains true to the written breed standard set in the early 1900s by the parent club in Germany.