The Halden hound is the smallest of three Norwegian hare hound breeds. First developed near 1900 in the Halden area in the southeast of Norway, the Halden Hound has never had a high number of dogs in the breed. A strict breeding program has been successful in keeping inbreeding to a minimum. The breeds used to create the Halden Hound include the English Foxhounds, Beagles, and certain local Norwegian dogs.