Perdigueiro Alemão

The German Spaniel, also known as the Deutscher Wachtelhund (German Quail Dog), is a breed of dog that was developed in Germany around 1890, and is used as a hunting dog. Descended from the old German breed, the Stöberer (lit. "rummager"), which became popular with commoners following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, who required a versatile hunting dog. Stoeberer is now a type of hunting dog in Germany with the Wachtelhund being its sole member. The breed is not very well known outside of Germany, but was recognised by the United Kennel Club in 1996.

A well built breed, its coat comes in brown shades with occasional white markings. It can be trained to retrieve game, as well as for tracking. It is related to the Small Münsterländer (Heidewachtel) and the Drentse Patrijshond, all of which are descendants from the quail dog that at least date back to the 15th century.

Frederick Roberth, a German dog breeder, is credited with creating the modern Deutscher Wachtelhund around 1890. While several breeds feature in its makeup, the most prominent dog breed to be bred into the modern breed is the now extinct Stoeberer. The Stoeberer has been mentioned in literature as far back as 1719, and was thought to have a nose as powerful as a Bloodhound. Following the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, the common man in the German states was allowed to hunt and needed a versatile hunting dog; that dog was the Stoeberer. In the late 19th century, when Roberth was working on his new breed, he found specimens of the Stoeberer in Bavaria, and those dogs were crossed with water dogs and sporting spaniels to become the modern German Spaniel.

In 1903, the Deutscher Wachtelhund was recognised as a breed and, following that, the German breed club, the Verein für Deutsche Wachtelhund (VDW), was organised. The term Stoeberer has since become a category of hunting dog in Germany, with the Wachtelhund being the sole member of that category. In 1910, the VDW selected four male dogs and seven female dogs upon which to base the breed standard for the Wachtelhund. Those dogs were selected from all over Germany, one coming from each region, with two coming from Hannover. All of the modern registered German Spaniels today are descended from those eleven dogs.