 At the first dog show held in Sweden, in 1889, 444 dogs were entered, of which 189 were hound type dogs, including a number of Smålandsstövares.In the early 20th century, breeders worked to restore the breed to the old type, with a naturally occurring short tail.The breed was first recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921, the same year that the first breed standard was drawn up.