| Kooikerhondje | |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Life Span: | 8–15 years --> |
| Kc Name: | Dutch Kennel Club |
| Kc Std: | https://www.houdenvanhonden.nl/hondenrassen/alle-rassen/fci-groep-2/hollandse-smoushond/ |
| Kc2 Name: | American Kennel Club |
| Kc2 Std: | https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Standard_Nederlandse_Kooikerhondje.pdf |
| Fcistd: | http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/314g08-en.pdf |
The Kooikerhondje is a small spaniel-type dog breed of Dutch ancestry that was originally used as a working dog, particularly in an eendenkooi to lure ducks. The breed dates back to the 16th century and makes frequent appearances in paintings from the Dutch Golden Age.
The Kooikerhondje is a small, spaniel-like sporting dog. Originally bred in the Netherlands as a duck hunting dog, it has a white plumed tail for the purpose of attracting ducks.
The preferred height at the withers is 40cm (20inches) for males and 38cm (15inches) for females. The FCI standard allows a range of 38cmto41cmcm (15inchesto16inchescm) for males, and 36cmto39cmcm (14inchesto15inchescm) for females.[1] The breed has a wavy, medium-length double coat,[2] and its coloration is white and orange-red.[3] Some Kooikerhondjes have black ear tips, which are referred to as "earrings".
A number of heritable diseases have been identified in the Kooikerhondje, including inflammatory myopathy,[4] Type III von Willebrand's disease,[5] necrotising myelopathy,[6] renal dysplasia,[7] patellar luxation,[8] and ataxia.[9] A Dutch study of 842 Kooikerhondjes found that patellar luxation was prevalent in 24% of dogs scanned. During the time period of the study — which started in 1994 and ended in 2011 — the prevalence of the condition fell from 28% to 19%, although the prevalence is still higher than for other spaniel dogs.
The Kooikerhondje was developed in the Netherlands sometime around the 16th century in order to lure ducks into duck decoys where hunters could easily catch the fowl. The hunting style of the Kooikerhondje was inspired by foxes, as Dutch hunters realized that ducks were enticed by foxes playing near water, as long as they didn't make eye contact.
The Kooikerhondje frequently appears in paintings by Dutch masters such as Jan Steen, Rembrandt, and Johannes Vermeer. The breed is believed to be an ancestor of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
The breed almost became extinct during World War II until Baroness van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol rescued it. The breed was not officially recognized by the Dutch Kennel Club until 1971[10] and has since been imported into other countries and recognized officially. In January 2013, the Kennel Club announced it was reclassifying the Kooikerhondje from the gun dog group to the utility group effective from January 2014. The decision was reached after discussions with the U.K. breed clubs and unanimous agreement was achieved.[11]
The Kooikerhondje was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2018.[12] The breed gained fame in the United States in the 2020s, in part due to Decoy Ohtani, a Kooikerhondje owned by baseball player Shohei Ohtani.[13]