Yes, with the supervision every breed deserves: the Drever's record with children reads Good with children. The breed's wider record helps too: with other dogs, Good with dogs; with strangers, Friendly with strangers.
The energy rating of 4 out of 5 explains most Drever behaviour questions: a dog built for work, given 60 to 90 minutes to spend it in. Noise tolerance separates true family dogs from merely polite ones, and the Drever's record on that front is the rating's foundation.
The Drever's growth stages run 8 weeks at about 4 to 5 lb, 9 months at about 22 to 26 lb, 18 months at about 30 to 35 lb, ending at the adult range of 30 to 35 lb and 11 to 15 inches tall. Home ground: Sweden. The record groups the Drever with the Hound breeds.
Puppy or adult is the family's other decision: a Drever puppy grows up fluent in your chaos, an adult with a known history removes the guesswork.
The record in one place: 11 to 15 inches at the shoulder, 30 to 35 lb, a lifespan of 12 to 15 years and 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise. Most questions about this breed become easier once those four numbers are in view.
Recognition rests with Sweden's kennel system, per the record, and numbers abroad stay small; owners describe a treasure: a tough, merry, devoted hound built for real winters and real work. Patient, gentle and determined in the record's words, good with children, good with other dogs and friendly with strangers, it rates flats as possible with the full programme delivered. Recognition rests with Sweden's kennel system, per the record, and numbers abroad stay small; owners describe a treasure: a tough, merry, devoted hound built for real winters and real work. Patient, gentle and determined in the record's words, good with children, good with other dogs and friendly with strangers, it rates flats as possible with the full programme delivered. The supervision rules are unglamorous and non negotiable with a Drever: no sitting on the dog, no disturbing it asleep or eating, an adult's eyes on toddlers.
The dog's name belongs on the household rota like everyone else's in a Drever family: walked, fed and rested on a schedule children can see.
Other pets follow the dog record, Good with dogs, as their starting point in a Drever household, with introductions managed on neutral ground. At 4 out of 5 for barking, plan early training to a quiet cue; the Drever notices everything and believes the household should know.
Breed is only the opening hand with children: socialisation, coaching and supervision decide how a Drever's story in a family actually goes.
Usually the easiest pairing of all: teenagers can walk, train and play with a Drever properly, and a breed rated Good with children with energy at 4/5 often bonds hardest with the household's teenagers.
The temperament behind the rating is Patient, gentle, determined and led by the nose, and patience is where that shows in family life. A Drever that can be dressed up, chased and chattered at by children it knows, then given its retreat when it has had enough, is the breed working as rated.
Calmly, from the side, a hand offered low for sniffing and no reaching over the head. The Drever's record with strangers is Friendly with strangers, which is the fairest guide to how it will read a strange child's approach.
How much exercise a Drever needs, what fills the minutes best and how training doubles as exercise.
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The Portuguese Sheepdog as a family dog: children, other pets, daily time and the conditions attached.
Last updated: November 6, 2026