Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Kooikerhondje Breed Overview
- History of the Kooikerhondje Breed. Where Kooikerhondjes came from
- What the Kooikerhondje Looks Like
- What Colors do Kooikerhondjes Have?
- Kooikerhondje Litter Size
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Kooikerhondjes
- Other Things to Know About Kooikerhondjes
Kooikerhondje Breed Overview
The Kooikerhondje is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Kooikerhondje stands 14 to 16 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Kooikerhondje belongs to the Sporting Dogs group.
Dogs in the Sporting Dogs group, like the Kooikerhondje, were bred to help hunters catch and retrieve feathered game. Some sporting dog breeds such as Retrievers, which were built for swimming, were bred to hunt waterfowl in water.
Whereas sporting dog breeds like setters, spaniels, and pointing breeds were bred to hunt quail, pheasant, and other game birds nest on grasslands.
Many Sporting Group breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that protect them from harsh hunting conditions.
The fact that Kooikerhondjes belong to the Sporting Dogs group is one of the reasons why Kooikerhondjes have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Kooikerhondje is generally described as:
- Active
- Agile
- Alert
- Benevolent
- Intelligent
- Territorial
History of the Kooikerhondje Breed. Where Kooikerhondjes came from
The Dutch duck dog is known as the Kooikerhondje.
He was bred to lure ducks into a trap so that they could be banded for research or collected for sale.
When he wasn`t working duck, he`d hunt small vermin around the house.
He hunts ducks in eendenkoois, which are enclosures built along canals and wetlands in the Netherlands.
To be able to lure ducks into the eendenkoois, he must be a tough and intelligent dog.
The Kooikerhondje is thought to be related to the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
The Kooikerhondje, or dogs resembling him, can be found in Dutch artwork dating back to the 16th century.
Despite this evidence, the Kooikerhondje was not officially recognized in the Netherlands until 2008.
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What the Kooikerhondje Looks Like
The Kooikerhondje is a proud dog who moves with his head held high and his tail level with his topline.
He is red or orange-red parti-colored; any other color is unacceptable.
He may have minor black tipping on his ears, but only near the tips.
The red or orange-red patches should be distinct.
His chest and stomach should be completely white, with no freckling or ticking.
There may be a few spots on his legs and muzzle, but not enough to detract from his appearance.
His medium-length coat should be close to his body.
The coat can be straight or slightly wavy, but it should never be curly.
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What Colors do Kooikerhondjes Have?
Kooikerhondjes come in the following beautiful primary colors:
Kooikerhondjes come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
Kooikerhondje Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 15 different Kooikerhondje birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Kooikerhondjes can have is 5 puppies. Also, the Kooikerhondje can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 10 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Kooikerhondje will have depends on factors such as the age of the Kooikerhondje, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Kooikerhondje will have and how the litter size of the Kooikerhondje compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Kooikerhondjes
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Kooikerhondje.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Kooikerhondje:
- Lakeland Terrier (75 percent match with Kooikerhondje). Learn more about the Lakeland Terrier here.
- Lhasapoo (75 percent match with Kooikerhondje). Learn more about the Lhasapoo here.
Other Things to Know About Kooikerhondjes
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Kooikerhondje that you need to know about the Kooikerhondje breed:
