Siam Crown Kennel - Thailand

The origins of the breed that is known today as the Dutch Shepherd Dog can be found in its suitability for shepherding work. Suitability bred conformity, and soon the shepherds on the Dutch pastures were working with dogs that not only had similar traits and skills, but also shared a common appearance.

At the end of the 19th century Holland and much of Europe was in the midst of the industrial revolution. Sheep, shepherds and their dogs were rapidly disappearing.

This however was not the end of the Dutch Shepherd Dog. With greater economic prosperity, more people could afford to keep a dog for sport or as a pet not  only for work.

Fearful that the breed would die out with the last of the "human" shepherds, a group of enthusiasts set up the first Breed Club for Dutch  Shepherd dogs.  On June 12th, 1898, the Nederlandse Herdershonden Club (NHC) was established and the first breed standards were listed. Thanks to this effort the breed exists today. True to its origins, the Dutch Shepherd Dog has established itself alongside such well-known working breeds as the German Shepherd Dog and the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois). The Dutch Shepherd Dog (Hollandse Herdershond for the Dutch) can be found herding sheep, guarding homes and properties, in rescue work, police work and as drug and bomb detection dogs in international ports and airports.Manyl Dutch Shepherds have become renowned for their prowess and ability in protection, SAR, and Narcotics work.

Development Of The Breed

After the Nederlandse Herdershonden Club was set up in 1898, the breed became "official". The oldest known Dutch Shepherd Dog that was entered into the Dutch Studbook was born in 1896. The NHC set itself the task of structuring breeding activities. Before the advent of the Breed Club, the dogs were bred solely for their working capacities. And although the breed had evolved into a type on its own, there were no strict rules regarding type. Over the years the standard of points as first established has changed several times. There is little question the breed has strong common roots with both the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds, but it is very distinct in character and appearance in its own right.

The changes in breed  standard made by NHC  only served to refine what was already a known and established type. Such changes included the inclusion of too much white as a fault and the allowance for a gradual increase in the size of the breed. However, as photographs from the end of the last century and today will show, the type was already well established and has changed little over the last 100 years. This cannot be said for most other working breeds, where show line breeding has affected the working character of a great many breeds.

Disposition

According to breed standards, the Dutch Shepherd Dog is a stable well balanced, all purpose dog. The qualities the dog required for its work with the shepherds have been retained. However, proper training and education allows this dog to develop its character to the fullest. This breed is very social, has a great sense of pack loyalty and loves companionship.,  The Dutch Shepherd Dog generally gets along well with children and visitors.

The breed has an independent nature. This means that the owner has to give clear training and "boundaries" for their dog. Having said this, the Dutch Shepherd is very much  a family dog. Although it will equally consider each family member as its own pack, it will be most loyal to the person that handles or raises him. A consistent, gentle attitude to the dog is the ideal way to allow its many qualities to develop to the fullest. It is not necessary to train the dog with a heavy hand, like the Malinois it is sensitive to its environment and owner emotions. It is however a bit tougher and more tolerant than the Malinois. Dutch Shepherds in general are quite intelligent and relatively easy to train to a high level.

The "Dutchie" will be happy and active in a home that gives him plenty of attention and lots of exercise. The Dutch Shepherd however is not hyper, and most are capable of relaxing in the house for extended periods of time.

Daily walks or runs are perfect exercise, and Dutch Shepherds love to play ball. A good relationship with its owner is the key to a happy family dog.

The Dutch Shepherd Dog continues to be very active as a working dog. It is used for sports, protection, agility, obedience, police work, rescue work, and its original job, herding work.

The Dutch Shepherd has been a very popular dog in Holland engaged in KNPV (Dutch Police Sports). Many have never been registered, and the pedigree system for Dutch Shepherds internationally with the FCI is less than 20 years old. As a result the Dutch Shepherd is not that common outside of Holland and the number of pedigree dogs is small.

BREED DESCRIPTION

General appearance:
A medium-sized, medium-weight, well-proportioned, well-muscled dog of powerful, well-balanced build, with intelligent expression and lively temperament. Ears are erect. Hips are large and well muscled. More articulated than a Malinois.

Size:

The body length is greater than height, in a ratio of around 10 : 9
dogs: 57-68 cm  weight up to 40 kg
bitches: 55-61 cm  weight up to 32 kg

PARTS OF THE BODY:

Head: in good proportion to the body, more long than massive, without wrinkles. The muzzle is slightly longer than the skull, which should be flat. The topline of the muzzle is straight and runs parallel with the skull topline. Slight stop. Lips tight. In the rough-coated variety, the head appears more square, but this is an illusion.

Ears: rather small than large. When the dog is alert, they are carried rather forward. They are set high. Not spoon shaped. Eyes: dark, medium-sized, almond shaped, placed somewhat obliquely, not round or bulging. Nose: always black Teeth: powerful and regular. Scissor-bite, i.e. when the mouth is shut, the incisors of the upper jaw closely overlapping the incisors of the lower jaw. Neck: the neck should not be too short., i.e. flowing gently into the topline of the body. 

Body: firm; slight spring in ribs. Chest deep but not narrow. Brisket flowing gently into the underline. Back short, straight and powerful. Loin firm, not long or narrow. The croup must not be short or too sloping. 

Forequarters: powerful, well muscled and with good bone. Overall straight, . Well laid back shoulders lie close to the ribcage. Upper arm of good length. 

Hindquarters: powerful, well muscled and with good bone, forming a normal angle at the stifle joint; the thigh is not excessively out of the perpendicular. In the hock a moderate angle is desired so that the hock is perpendicularly below the ichium. Feet: well arched toes; closely knit, which avoids long feet. Black nails; elastic dark pads. 

Tail: at rest, the tail should hang straight, or gently curved, reaching the hock. In action, carried gracefully upwards, never curled nor falling sideways.

Faults:
Too much white, black outer coat, or non standard coloring and pattern, drop ears, testicles in a male not descended. Undershot or overshot jaw. Cropped ears, docked tail.

Varieties:
There are three varieties, distinguished by coat-type: short-haired, long-haired and rough-haired. The short and long-haired varieties do not require a lot of grooming, except in the molting period. Brushing and combing the dog thoroughly once a week should suffice. The rough-haired variety requires professional trimming twice a year.

Colouring:
The required colours for the short and long-haired variety are: gold or silver brindle. For the roughhaired variety the colours are: gold or silver brindle, blue-grey and pepper-and-salt. The brindling on short haired Dutch Shepherds gives the impression of tiger stripes.

The Breed Club Today

The Nederlandse Herdershondenclub (NHC) in the mother country Holland has about 800 members. Its goal is to facilitate contact between breeders and enthusiasts and to promote and maintain the three varieties of the breed. A lot of attention is paid to potential owners of this breed. At the moment there are about 2000 shorthairs, 1000 longhairs and 700 roughhairs in The Netherlands. The majority of these dogs are not pedigreed.

The only Asian kennel breeding Dutch Shepherds is Kroon van de Wolfsklauw Siam, with championship pedigree KNPV lines originating in Holland.