Kooikerhondje
The KooikerhondjeTemplate:Efn is a small spaniel-type dog breed of Dutch ancestry that was originally used as a working dog, particularly in a decoy to lure ducks. The breed dates back to the 16th century and makes frequent appearances in paintings from the Dutch Golden Age.
Description
[edit]Appearance
[edit]The Kooikerhondje is a small, spaniel-like sporting dog. Originally bred in the Netherlands as a duck hunting dog, it has a white plumed tail for the purpose of attracting ducks.<ref name="Reisen-2024" />
The preferred height at the withers is Template:Convert for males and Template:Convert for females.<ref name="AKC" /> The FCI standard allows a range of Template:Convert for males, and Template:Convert for females.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The breed has a wavy, medium-length double coat,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and its coloration is white and orange-red.<ref name="AKC">Template:Cite web</ref> Some Kooikerhondjes have black ear tips, which are referred to as "earrings".<ref name="Reisen-2024" />
Health
[edit]A number of heritable diseases have been identified in the Kooikerhondje, including inflammatory myopathy,<ref name="Opmeer-2023">Template:Cite journal</ref> Type III von Willebrand's disease,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> necrotising myelopathy,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> renal dysplasia,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> patellar luxation,<ref name="Wangdee-2014">Template:Cite journal</ref> and ataxia.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A Dutch study of 842 Kooikerhondjes found that patellar luxation was prevalent in 24% of dogs scanned. During the time period of the study — which started in 1994 and ended in 2011 — the prevalence of the condition fell from 28% to 19%, although the prevalence is still higher than for other spaniel dogs.<ref name="Wangdee-2014" />
History
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The Kooikerhondje was developed in the Netherlands sometime around the 16th century in order to lure ducks into duck decoys where hunters could easily catch the fowl. The hunting style of the Kooikerhondje was inspired by foxes, as Dutch hunters realized that ducks were enticed by foxes playing near water, as long as they did not make eye contact.<ref name="Reisen-2024" />
The Kooikerhondje frequently appears in paintings by Dutch masters such as Jan Steen, Rembrandt, and Johannes Vermeer.<ref name="Reisen-2024" /> The breed is believed to be an ancestor of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.<ref name="Reisen-2024" />
The breed almost became extinct during World War II until Baroness van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol rescued it. The breed was not officially recognized by the Dutch Kennel Club until 1971<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and has since been imported into other countries and recognized officially. In January 2013, the Kennel Club announced it was reclassifying the Kooikerhondje from the gun dog group to the utility group effective from January 2014. The decision was reached after discussions with the U.K. breed clubs and unanimous agreement was achieved.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Kooikerhondje was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The breed gained fame in the United States in the 2020s, in part due to Decoy Ohtani, a Kooikerhondje owned by baseball player Shohei Ohtani.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>