Kromfohrlander Dog Names

The Kromfohrlander is a rare breed in the United States and Canada and has not been fully recognized by the American Kennel Club. The Kromfohrlander did achieve AKC’s Foundation Stock Service provisional registration in 2012. The number of Kromfohrlanders within North America is growing, however, they are still a rare breed and most people do not know what a Kromi is when they meet one. There is one Kromi that has made history by earning an AKC performance title on January 14, 2017. Biju became the first Kromfohrlander in the history of the breed to earn her first agility title, Jumps and Weaves or JWW for short. Biju is owned by Jenna Holst Opperman of Florida.

It is believed that the Kromfohrlander came about after the end of World War II sometime during the 1940s or 50s. During the war, many dog breeds did not survive or their numbers were severely depleted. Most dogs were turned loose because their owners were either killed or they could not afford to take care of their pets any longer. Dogs began interbreeding during this time and the Kromfohrlander is thought to be the result of some of this interbreeding among different purebred dogs that were turned loose. United States troops began adopting some of the street dogs during the war and the Kromfohrlander is the only known breed to descend from a United States military troop mascot. Peter, also known as Original Peter, was a scraggly looking farm dog that was rescued by U.S. ground troops somewhere in the north of France. Researchers think that Peter was the result of the Briquet Vendeen, English White Terrier, Brittany, Schnauzer, Pyrenean Shepherd, and Kooikerhundje interbreeding. This is quite a pedigree for the medium-sized brown and white dog.

Peter became a mascot for the unit and helped lift the morale of the troops. In more rural areas, herding dogs, hounds, and terriers were a common sight running loose trying to survive after their owners perished, fled, or were too poor to care for them anymore. Peter traveled with his new companions into Germany at the end of the war. From there, Peter disappeared from the troops and was found in a sticky situation when Ilse Shleifenbaum rescued him from certain death. Ilse was the wife of a respected lawyer in Seigen, Germany. Peter bred with a black and white Fox Terrier named Fifi and there were two resulting puppies named Shaggy and Witch. These two puppies were identical in look and personality to Peter and Schleifenbaum began to develop a breed of dog that would be a companion only, not expected to perform specific tasks. She had hopes that Germany would recognize the loyal companion dog as their country’s new mascot. The Kromfohrlander was accepted by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in August of 1955.