What To Expect From Your Kooikerhondje
Physical Characteristics
These dogs are around 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 inches) high at the withers with a nearly square body that is slightly longer than their height at the shoulders.
Kooikerhondjes should weigh 9 to 11 kg (20-24 pounds). They have long, hanging ears with wispy tips (called earrings) that are set close to the head and upright, feathered tails. The breed has a waterproof coat that does not require clipping, with a well-developed undercoat.
Kooikerhondjes have medium-length, thick coats. Kooikers have white, densely-feathered tails. The most distinctive marking on a Kooiker's coat are its black "earrings", black feathers of fur found at the tips and near the base of Kooiker ears. The longer the earrings, the better-bred the Kooiker.
Kooikerhondjes should weigh 9 to 11 kg (20-24 pounds). They have long, hanging ears with wispy tips (called earrings) that are set close to the head and upright, feathered tails. The breed has a waterproof coat that does not require clipping, with a well-developed undercoat.
Kooikerhondjes have medium-length, thick coats. Kooikers have white, densely-feathered tails. The most distinctive marking on a Kooiker's coat are its black "earrings", black feathers of fur found at the tips and near the base of Kooiker ears. The longer the earrings, the better-bred the Kooiker.
Temperment
Kooikers are intelligent, alert, active, agile dogs, generally with a benevolent nature. However, they can be extremely territorial and will bark at strangers. They are usually good swimmers and can generally adapt to different levels of exercise
Grooming
For those who hate the sometimes tedious work of dog grooming, the Kooikerhondje will come as a welcome surprise: Kooikers require very little maintenance or grooming.
Their long coat does require a good brushing with a standard dog brush about once a week during most of the year, with more frequent brushings during the shedding season. This is mostly done just because of the Kooiker's longish hair, usually not to get out any excess dirt or other dog messes. As a result of their genetic heritage as duck decoys, Kooikers have a naturally waterproof coat which repels most of the dirt and much found on other breeds.
Another advantage to the Kooiker's waterproof coat is the lack of a need to bathe the Kooiker on a regular basis. In fact, bathing a Kooiker too often can actually be harmful--frequent baths destroy the Kooiker's waterproof coat, which means that the Kooiker's coat will no longer automatically repel dirt and grime--which means more work for you in the long run. Trust nature to take its course, then, and only bathe your Kooiker when it's obvious that he or she needs it--which even in active, outdoor dogs should be quite some time.
As far as other grooming issues go, you can largely leave the Kooiker to its own devices--the Kooiker will shed in the summer, eliminating the need for clipping or trimming, and its nails and teeth require little maintenance. Although it's said that prevention is often the best cure, the best way to keep a Kooiker clean, healthy, and presentable is simply to brush them regularly and leave them alone until you notice a problem for a vet or a groomer (or simply for an evening with a bathtub and a bottle of dog shampoo.)
Their long coat does require a good brushing with a standard dog brush about once a week during most of the year, with more frequent brushings during the shedding season. This is mostly done just because of the Kooiker's longish hair, usually not to get out any excess dirt or other dog messes. As a result of their genetic heritage as duck decoys, Kooikers have a naturally waterproof coat which repels most of the dirt and much found on other breeds.
Another advantage to the Kooiker's waterproof coat is the lack of a need to bathe the Kooiker on a regular basis. In fact, bathing a Kooiker too often can actually be harmful--frequent baths destroy the Kooiker's waterproof coat, which means that the Kooiker's coat will no longer automatically repel dirt and grime--which means more work for you in the long run. Trust nature to take its course, then, and only bathe your Kooiker when it's obvious that he or she needs it--which even in active, outdoor dogs should be quite some time.
As far as other grooming issues go, you can largely leave the Kooiker to its own devices--the Kooiker will shed in the summer, eliminating the need for clipping or trimming, and its nails and teeth require little maintenance. Although it's said that prevention is often the best cure, the best way to keep a Kooiker clean, healthy, and presentable is simply to brush them regularly and leave them alone until you notice a problem for a vet or a groomer (or simply for an evening with a bathtub and a bottle of dog shampoo.)
Health
As with any pure bred dog, there are genetic diseases that can occur. Here are a few to be aware of with the Kooikerhondje:
- Cataracts
- Epilepsy
- Von Willebrands Disease
- Patellar Luxation
- Degenerative muscular disorders. (In particular Necrotic Myelopathy.)
Exercise
Kooikerhondjes were bred for duck hunting--a sport which involves lots of running, chasing, and retrieving on the part of the dog. Kooikers still have this predilection for activity as a strong part of their genetic heritage, and you'll have to be the one to make sure that they get all of the excitement and action that they crave. They love being outdoors!
As former decoy dogs, Kooikers thrive on games of fetching or chasing. If you can find a decently-sized park in your area--or if you simply live in the countryside--you can get a great deal out of your Kooiker by throwing a ball into some brush and waiting for the dog to happily retrieve it, burning all of that excess energy.
Kooikers are also noted for their love of swimming. If you have a dog park, river, lake, or other source of water nearby, you can both delight your Kooiker and drain off some of that excess energy in one single action by allowing the dog to swim to his or her heart's content--if anyone gets tired of swimming, trust us, it'll be you
As former decoy dogs, Kooikers thrive on games of fetching or chasing. If you can find a decently-sized park in your area--or if you simply live in the countryside--you can get a great deal out of your Kooiker by throwing a ball into some brush and waiting for the dog to happily retrieve it, burning all of that excess energy.
Kooikers are also noted for their love of swimming. If you have a dog park, river, lake, or other source of water nearby, you can both delight your Kooiker and drain off some of that excess energy in one single action by allowing the dog to swim to his or her heart's content--if anyone gets tired of swimming, trust us, it'll be you
Training
Kooikerhondjes are very intelligent dogs. Kooikers loved to be trained in both mental and physically challenging environments. This makes them ideal for agility courses, hunting, and even search and rescue.
You can reward your Kooiker for good behavior through play and exercise, giving the dog a needed burst of energy. If your training program involves a good deal of exercise, you can delight the Kooiker and teach him or her at the same time--Kooikers thrive on both learning and activity, after all.
You can reward your Kooiker for good behavior through play and exercise, giving the dog a needed burst of energy. If your training program involves a good deal of exercise, you can delight the Kooiker and teach him or her at the same time--Kooikers thrive on both learning and activity, after all.
