Nederlandse Kooikerhondje: the technical duck-hunter

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a great companion and a favourite of many, and for good reason.

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a showy and alert breed. It is very common in its home country. One reason for this is that it is not only a good duck hunter, but its agility also makes it a good sport dog. In addition, its balanced nature makes it an excellent family dog.

History

The story of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje certainly goes back to the Middle Ages, and the breed even appears in paintings by some Dutch artists. Before the invention of the rifle, there were other ways of hunting, which is where this breed of dog comes in. They were used to hunt in ingenious ways, using so-called “eendenkooi”. These are actually traps set up specifically at the edge of the water’s edge to catch waterfowl, especially ducks.

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje takes on the role of a “decoy” in this style of hunting, his task being to arouse their curiosity and thus lure the birds into these traps. The Hungarian name can be deceptive in this respect, because he is not actually hunting ducks, but luring them into traps. To this day, this technique is still used for duck hunting for food, on the other hand, to facilitate ringing (nowadays it is mostly used for the latter.)

A common story about the breeds that it is said to be William I, Prince of Orange the dog Kuntz, a coyote dog of the Orangemen of Orange, saved his owner from an assassination attempt. Also known as the Silence Dog, the Prince was a prominent figure of the 16th century for his role in the war of independence against the Spanish. It was for this activity that he was eventually put on a bounty by Philip II, then Spanish monarch. As a result, he was the target of several failed assassination attempts, one of which was saved by his faithful dog. It was a similar assassination attempt that ultimately claimed his life in 1584. Despite this, he is still revered in the Netherlands and is known as the ‘Father of the Netherlands’.

Resuscitating the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

Unfortunately, there was a period when the breed’s popularity declined. The advent of firearms after the First World War marked a new era in Dutch duck hunting, as hunters could shoot more birds with less energy. It was no longer profitable for them to keep decoys, and the breed dwindled in numbers until it was on the verge of extinction.

In 1939 the breed attracted the attention of Baroness von Hardenbroek van Ammerstol, who initiated the rehabilitation of her koi dog as part of her silent resistance to the invasion of the Netherlands. As a first step, he looked for specimens that matched older descriptions of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje or resembled the dogs in the paintings. In 1942, the breeding of a new generation began with the discovery of Tommy. Between 1942 and 1976, 52 litters were born and the kennel was called Valhalla (Walhalla). The developing breed caught the attention of Raad van Beheer and by 1971, with his help, his kooikerhondje had become an official dog breed. From FCI adopted it in 1990, the AKC registered it in 2018.

Breed standard

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a small to medium sized dog with a proportionate build. Height at the withers is ideally 38-40 cm, but 2-3 cm variation is allowed. Body weight is between 9-11 kg. In addition to his muscular but athletic build, his attractive, harmonious appearance is enhanced by his thick coat, which is short on the head and front of the limbs and long everywhere else. He has red patches on a white background and long, drooping ears with long, reddish hairs. Ideally, the ends of the ears are covered with black tufts of hair, known as ‘earrings’.

His back is straight, his chest is up to his elbows and his belly is slightly raised. Its tail hangs down in a relaxed position and slightly curls up in an alert position. The head is tapering, the stop is slight, the length of the skull and the snout are approximately equal. Nose black, eyes dark brown and teeth with scissor bite. Life expectancy is 12-14 years.

The FCI 8. belongs to the breed group of retrievers – hounds – water hunters.

The character of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

Friendly, intelligent, energetic dog breed. Alert and confident, but not loud for no reason. If he senses something suspicious, he will alert his owners. He is tenacious and loyal, devoted to his owners, but at first aloof with strangers. His balance makes him an excellent family dog. With attention, he can be well habituated to all members of the family. He is easy to train, agile and active, needs exercise and demands tasks. Also excels in various dog sports. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje can be stubborn but sensitive, so a firm but kind upbringing works best, which based on positive reinforcement.

Ideal environment

Because of his active (but not hyperactive) and energetic nature, it is important that he is placed in a similarly active family who can keep him occupied on a daily basis and provide him with enough exercise. For example, they make excellent hiking companions and are happy to accompany their owners on longer trips. They also like to swim, so in summer they get super exercise by going to the beach. Your Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is generally good with children, but interactions between dog and child should always be supervised. He can be well socialised with other family members of other species, such as cats. It is important to remember that they were originally used for pest control when not being captured for hunting.

Care

Despite the large hairs, the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is relatively easy to care for . There’s no need to trim the hair, the only thing that might be worth trimming is the unruly hair on the paw. Its coat is basically dirt resistant, and even mud rolls off it when it dries. It doesn’t need to be washed often, every quarter or half a year may be enough, except once a year, if you’ve rubbed yourself in something smelly during an outdoor adventure.

Other than that, just comb the coat to keep it nice and neat. It varies from dog to dog, but it’s usually a good idea to go through the coat at least once a week with a suitable comb and there are times when this should be done more often. His coat may be prone to matting, so frequent combing is very important. In addition, other grooming routines are the same as for dogs in general: teeth and nails should be kept clean, and ears should be cleaned occasionally.

Common health problems

The Dutch Duck Hunter is basically a healthy breed. This is also shown by the fact that we often hear of dogs that are 16-17 years old. Despite this problems may arise, usually the following:

• patella dislocation;
• kidney diseases;
• polymyositis (muscle weakness caused by inflammation);
• various autoimmune diseases.