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Welcome to Our !RARE! Breed of the Month Feature!

Previous !RARE! Breeds of the Month
January's !RARE! Breed of the Month
2011 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap

Featuring Feburary’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
the Kooikerhondje
Kooiker Hound / Small Dutch Waterfowl Dog

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What is an Kooiker?

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a spaniel type of dog that originated in Europe hundreds of years ago. It was developed to work as a decoy luring ducks into traps, or eendenkoois, along the wetlands and canals of The Netherlands. The kooikerhondje (pronounced “koy-ker-hondt-chuh”) was also a favorite of Dutch nobility, and appears in paintings by the Dutch Masters.

History & Origin

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is an ancient breed, appearing in the works of the Dutch Masters as early as the 17th Century. They were brought to near-extinction during World War II, and only became a recognized breed the The Netherlands in 1971. Since then, they have spread slowly to the rest of the world, and are fiercely guarded by their loyal and protective fans. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a working dog. It was developed to hunt ducks in enclosures called eendenkoois built along the canals and wetlands in the Netherlands. Smart, responsive, and independent, the kooikerhondje worked closely with the kooiker, or duck hunter, responding to hand signals and silent cues to lure the ducks down a net-covered canal and into a trap.



In 1942, during the Second World War, the Baroness Van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol began to recreate the Kooikerhondje. She gave a picture of the type of dog she was looking for to a pedlar and asked him to look out for such dogs. At a farm in the province of Friesland he found the bitch now well known as Tommy. She became the founding bitch of the Kooikerhondje. In 1966 the Raad van Beheer adopted the interim breed and in 1971 the breed was officially recognized. The Kooikerhondje was and still is used in the duck decoys. His task is still to lure the ducks into the decoy with his gaily waving tail; he does not hunt the ducks. He calmly moves between the decoy-screens in order to provoke the ducks curiosity and lure them further down the decoy pipe where the ducks are captured in a trap. They are either killed for the table or ringed for ornithological research.

Appearance

The Kooikerhondje is a harmoniously built orange-red parti-coloured small sporting dog of almost square body proportions. He moves with his head held high; in action the well-feathered waving tail is carried level with, or above the topline. The ears have black hair at the tip, the so-called earrings. The dog is presented with a natural, untrimmed coat.

Color

Distinct patches of clear orange-red colour on pure white although a few small spots on the legs are accepted. The orange-red colour should be predominant. Some black hair intermingling with the orange-red colour and a slight form of ticking are accepted but less desirable. A clearly visible blaze running down to the nose. There should be colouring on the cheeks and around the eyes. A blaze that is too narrow or too wide or only partly coloured cheeks is less desirable. A black tail ring where the colour changes from orange-red to white is permitted.

Temperament

Lively and agile, self-confident and with sufficient perseverance and stamina, good natured and alert, however not noisy. The breed is faithful, easy-going and friendly.
Outside the hunting season the dog is expected to find and kill vermin, hence he needs to be keen, swift and tough. He is a true sporting dog, being attentive and energetic and having a zest for working and with a cheerful character.



@ kooikerhondjeusa.org


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_{February's !RARE! BotM ~ the Kooikerhondje ~ artwork by brooke-n
See more @ the !RARE! Breed of the Month Artwork Folder}

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Featuring Febuary’s Targeted Breed of the Month
the Kangal Dog

The Kangal is a mastiff type dog found to be a victim of breed-specific laws due to similar appearance of other more common breeds and is banned in Lithuania and Denmark.

The Kangal Dog is a large, powerful, heavy-boned dog, whose size and proportions have developed naturally as a result of its continued use in Turkey as a guardian against predators..

@ kangalclub.com



Quick Facts:
• Country of Origin: Turkey
• Functionality: Livestock guardian
• Coat Colors: Solid light dun or pale, dull gold to a steel gray, with black on face, muzzle, ears and usually the tip of the tail. White is sometimes present on the feet.
• Height: Dogs – 30 to 32 inches & Bitches – 28 to 30 inches