Kooiker

The Kooiker is a lovely and gentle hunting dog that lures ducks out of hiding with the movements of his tail. He retrieves and brings back waterfowl to perfection and is a delight to many hunters. In spite of his hunting performance, he is also very popular for company. His small size and wonderful character make him a valued companion for the people of the Netherlands. Popular in his country, this superb dog has never managed to cross the borders. He remains rather unknown outside the Netherlands.

Height 35 to 40 cm
Weight 10 to 15 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 13 years

Quick Overview of the Kooiker

Temperament

  • Gentle and sociable
  • Awake and vivid
  • Affectionate and cheerful
  • Dependent on his master

Appearance

  • Silhouette longer than tall
  • Lively pace
  • Smooth and slightly wavy coat
  • Dark brown eyes

Health

  • Rarely ill
  • Generally healthy

Temperament of the Kooiker

Gentle, sociable, alert, lively, affectionate, cheerful and dependent on his master, the Kooiker has an excellent character with great sociability, making him an extraordinary dog compatible with all.

Depending on his environment, he must be trained firmly and appropriately.

This gentle, lively, alert and very sociable dog depends a lot on his surroundings. His family is very important to him. In all situations, he is affectionate, present and always cheerful, bringing a contagious joy of life into the home.

Endowed with an excellent character, he still needs a good, firm education, but it generally does not cause any issues. His socialization is also easy to achieve.

Being able to live with different types of owners, he adapts very well to all family situations. He loves everyone and is perfect with children, even the youngest. He is an adorable dog making a life companion for everyone, even the oldest.

chien hollandais de canardière personnalité

Breed Appearance

Dutch canary dog

This dog with a variegated coat is a medium size hunting dog.

His silhouette is longer than tall, while very well proportioned. His lively and gentle gait is a good indication of his friendly and conciliatory character.

Height

Between 35 and 40 cm (13.78 to 15.75 inches) for the male
Between 35 and 40 cm (13.78 to 15.75 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 10 and 15 kg (22.05 to 33.07 pounds) for the male
Between 10 and 15 kg (22.05 to 33.07 pounds) for the female

Color

His coat has a white background and is striped in orange, red or fawn. White is found on the head and cheeks, in orange or red shades.

Hair

His smooth or slightly wavy coat is medium length.

It is not curly at all and adheres very well to the body. It has a very developed undercoat. His beautiful shiny and colored coat forms very nice fringes.

Morphology

His broad head with a moderately rounded skull has a slight but clearly visible stop.

His dark brown eyes are almond-shaped and show an attentive and friendly expression.

His drooping ears adhere very well to the cheeks and are set below the tip line of the nose going to the corner of the eye.

His nose is black. His tail with a white panache is well furnished with beautiful fringes.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group , section and is #

Tips About this breed

This little dog from the Netherlands is a great hunter. His favourite game is waterfowl, but he is also good at hunting small rodents, such as rats, for example.

His size allows him to live anywhere. His dress allows him to resist well to cold and humidity.

He can live outside as well as inside, but since he needs constant company, he prefers to live inside very close to his masters.

He loves his family so much that he is even slightly emotionally dependent on them.

Health of the Kooiker

He is rarely ill and generally enjoys very good health.

The Kooiker is not affected by any particular pathology. His life expectancy is also appreciable.

GROOMING

It is best to brush his pretty dress daily to keep it clean, beautiful and healthy. However, no other special care is necessary.

History of this breed

This breed of hunting dog is of very ancient origin. We even find specimens of the breed in some paintings by Vermeer, a painter who lived between 1632 and 1675, as well as in some paintings created by other painters of the same period, such as those by Sten, who lived between 1626 and 1679.

Only in 1966 was he recognised as an official breed by the "Raad van Beheer", who approved the provisional standard at the time. The breed was also admitted by Baroness van Hardenbroek to the list of Dutch breeds, adding a new jewel to the already extensive list of breeds.

The annual Kooikerhondje Day was established in the Netherlands, which led to considerable development of the breed, whose quality animals are now produced in large numbers.

The name Kooiker comes from the fact that still today, he works in the duck farms of his country.

Overflowing with energy, he is a passionate hunter. He is an excellent fetcher, always on the lookout for game that has been shot, and an excellent retriever, retrieving the game before going after it once it has been shot.

Despite his outstanding hunting nature, he is also appreciated as a companion dog. He brings consistency and joy of life throughout the household.

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