Developed almost unchanged from the so-called Liam hound (leash hound) of the early Middle Ages. The Liam hound, from the breed section of Bracke, already played an extraordinary part at the time of the establishment of clan rights of the Germanic tribes in about 500 AD. With the invention of firearms, the methods of hunting big game altered. Dogs were needed to search for wounded game. The Liam hound offered the best conditions for this and so he became a Liam-Scenthound.

This breed description stayed in place until the hunting estate of the Kingdom of Hannover got more involved with them. The Hanoverian Hunting Estate in the Kingdom of Hannover developed this breed further and preserved the proven methods of handling these hounds. The Deutsche SchweiÃYhund developed into the Hannoversche Schweißhund. Since 1894, the registered breed club Verein Hirschmann e.V. has been taking care of the breed. Ever since then, the breeding of these dogs has continued strictly with regard to their working ability and the dogs are used exclusively in hunting grounds for big game as specialists in tracking cloven-hoof game.