About the Dutch Shepherd Dog
History
Many people often mistake the Dutch Shepherd and the Belgian Shepherd since they share a very similar breed standard. The main differences are coat color, size and proportion requirements. Although the Dutch Shepherd’s origins are somewhat muddied, it is suggested that they descend from the same herding dogs that also created the Belgian Shepherd and German Shepherd. He was originally bred in the early 1800s in the southern part of the Netherlands. The largest population of Dutch Shepherds was found in Brabant which bordered Belgium. The Dutch Shepherd’s original purpose was a farm dog, guard dog, cart dog, herder, security or police dog. The Dutch Shepherd is virtually an unheard of breed outside of Holland. In Holland, he is still valued as an excellent herding dog. The number of Dutch Shepherds has decreased over the years. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Dutch Shepherd was almost extinct because modern farming reduced his need on the farm. During World War II all breeding was stopped in the Netherlands. Many dogs died from starvation or were taken into Germany for use in the German military. This caused many of the Dutch Shepherd bloodlines to become extinct. The Dutch Breed Club began actively trying to resurrect the Dutch Shepherd and added new blood to the gene pool by using the Malinois. After a time, the cross breeding was stopped by the Dutch Breed Club. The Dutch Shepherd is still a rare breed. The United Kennel Club officially recognized the Dutch Shepherd in 1995. In 2012, the American Kennel Club allowed the Dutch Shepherd to begin being recorded in its Foundation Stock Service. This is the first step toward the breed being officially recognized by the American Kennel Club.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Dutch Shepherd is one of only a small number of so-called “naturally occurring” dog breeds. In other words, the Dutch Shepherd is thought to not be a manmade dog breed. In an age where dogs come in literally every shape and size, finding a natural dog breed is quite rare. It also means many see a strong resemblance between the Dutch Shepherd and the wild wolf, which tends to be the case when there has been less human manipulation of the breed genome.
Dutch Shepherds were found in rural areas and were then developed further to work as all-purpose herding, livestock guarding, and droving dog. The breed was first noticed in The Netherlands, which is where the dog gets their breed name.
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Appearance
The Dutch Shepherd is well muscled and medium sized. He comes in several different colors including brindle, gray brindle, silver brindle, gold brindle, blue gray, and salt and pepper. He has an intelligent expression and comes in three different coat types: short, long and wire-haired. Short-hair coat should be close fitting to the body, harsh in texture with a woolly undercoat. Longer hair should be visible around the ruff, breeches and tail. Long-hair coat should be straight, long and harsh to the touch with no curl or wave. The ruff, breeches and tail should be profusely coated. Wire-hair coat is harsh, tousled and very dense. There is a dense undercoat everywhere except his head. His coat should be close to the body. He will have a beard and two well defined eyebrows. |
Temperament
The Dutch Shepherd is a very competent dog. He can easily excel in agility, obedience, guard work, herding, catch and field trailing. As he becomes more popular within the United States, he is also doing well in conformation events. The Dutch Shepherd is happiest when working and requires a good deal of mental and physical stimulation. He is friendly, playful and full of energy. He is also cunning and can outsmart his owner when given the opportunity. He is great with children as long as he sees children as higher in the pecking order than him. He will be loyal to his family, especially his handler. He is not the right dog for the inexperienced dog handler.
The Dutch Shepherd is a very competent dog. He can easily excel in agility, obedience, guard work, herding, catch and field trailing. As he becomes more popular within the United States, he is also doing well in conformation events. The Dutch Shepherd is happiest when working and requires a good deal of mental and physical stimulation. He is friendly, playful and full of energy. He is also cunning and can outsmart his owner when given the opportunity. He is great with children as long as he sees children as higher in the pecking order than him. He will be loyal to his family, especially his handler. He is not the right dog for the inexperienced dog handler.
Registries
- https://www.bloedlijnen.nl/
- https://www.ukcdogs.com/
Source: https://wagwalking.com/breed/dutch-shepherd
