Gundog group · Netherlands
Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
Also called Kooiker, Dutch Decoy Dog, Kooikerhondje.
What makes them remarkable
Its white tail plume helped lure curious ducks into the channels of Dutch duck traps.
- Alert
- Friendly
- Territorial
- Intelligent
- Lively
- Size
- Small
- Weight
- 9 to 14 kg20 to 30 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 15 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training a Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
Gundog breeds. Quick to learn and quick to get over-excited. The work is calm around distractions, not obedience.
Sensitive Nature
Start here
Kooikers are sensitive to harsh treatment. Use positive, gentle training methods exclusively.
Early Socialisation
Natural wariness of strangers requires extensive early socialisation for confident adult temperament.
Intelligence
Quick learners that thrive with mental challenges. Vary training to keep them engaged.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Nederlandse Kooikerhondje and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to find, flush and retrieve game alongside a person. Biddable, busy, and happiest with a job.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1 hour daily. Moderate exercise with mental stimulation. Enjoys fetch and agility.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Weekly brushing to maintain coat. Feathering needs regular attention.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Medium length, Slightly wavy, FeatheredOrange-red and White
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Von Willebrand Disease
Moderate
Blood clotting disorder that can be tested for genetically
Hereditary Necrotizing Myelopathy
Severe
Spinal cord condition, genetic testing available
Patellar Luxation
Mild
Kneecap displacement common in smaller breeds
Where they come from
History
An old Dutch breed used to lure ducks into traps (kooien) for hunters. The distinctive white tail plume attracted curious ducks. Appears in paintings by Rembrandt and other Dutch masters. Nearly extinct after World War II, revived from just 25 dogs.
- Tommy · Baroness van Hardenbroek's first Kooikerhondje who helped revive the breed after WWII
Similar breeds
All breeds
English Springer Spaniel
Springers and Cockers once came from the same litters, with size deciding which job each puppy would do.
Medium · Gundog
American Cocker Spaniel
Its small frame had a hunting advantage: Cockers could push into the dense shrubs where game birds hid.
Small · Gundog
Boykin Spaniel
The breed’s story begins with a stray spaniel found near a South Carolina church.
Medium · Gundog
Cocker Spaniel
The “cocker” in its name comes from the woodcock it was bred to flush out of dense cover.
Small · Gundog