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Dutch Shepherd

intelligent / lively / athletic
Miscellaneous Class >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

21.5-24.5 inches

Weight

42-75 pounds

Life Expectancy

11-14 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    40% 40%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    40% 40%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Dutch Shepherd breed is lively flexible, observant, and clever, and it still exhibits the instinct for herding that led to its original development. It has an independent nature and a tendency to be a little obstinate. It can operate all day because its primary responsibilities were to retain flocks of sheep in a specific spot, which is reflected in its form and body. The Dutch Shepherd was found to be a breed of shepherd’s dog that naturally occurs in rural areas. Of course, this is not fully true, but it is another example of how the Dutch Shepherd still possesses many of the traits of its wild ancestors. In 1910, a well-known dog fancier described the Dutch Shepherd as “…bearing a great resemblance to the wolf.” The Dutch Shepherd is a devoted companion and skilled working dog used for obedience, dog sports, herding, tracking, search and rescue, and as a police dog, despite the breed’s lack of widespread recognition.

What To Expect When Caring For a Dutch Shepherd

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Dutch Shepherd is often a healthy breed due to its lesser popularity and Dutch breeding laws. they can be other ailments, as they are with any breed. A test is now being conducted to see if any additional tests are necessary. Breeders should check all coat types for hip dysplasia. The rough-haired should also be tested for goniodysplasia, and the long-haired for thyroid problems.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Thyroid Evaluation
  • Goniodysplasia (for the rough-haired)
  • Hip and Elbow Certification

Grooming

The coat of the Dutch Shepherd can be either silver or gold brindled. The three coat varieties are short hair, long hair, and rough hair. The short-haired varieties simply require infrequent brushing. During the cyclical shedding times in the spring and fall, switch to daily brushing. If their work level and environment demand it, the longhaired dogs may need to be groomed more frequently than once a week. The rough-haired breeds require hand stripping of the coat twice a year and a monthly combing. You can take a bath whenever you like. If necessary, their nails can be clipped or ground to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking. To prevent a buildup of wax and debris that could cause an infection, examine their ears frequently. You should wash your teeth.

Exercise

The Dutch Shepherd has been a successful police and military dog in addition to being bred as an all-purpose farm dog. It has therefore been bred for a lot of hard labour. This dog will distinguish between work, play, and chill time, regulating its energy level accordingly. It is driven to complete its chosen work. This breed desires to be your lifelong companion rather than a house pet. If given the appropriate mental and physical stimulation, this dog would make a wonderful pet for a dog-experienced, active family.

Training

The Dutch Shepherd is a breed that is willing to obey and is highly clever. Because of their high intelligence, this breed performs best when trained in shorter bursts (with fewer repetitions), and as the mental challenge of the activity increases, they become more motivated. Without instruction, this breed will develop a strong sense of independence and begin to make judgments for itself, thus obedience training is strongly advised. With the temperament of a real shepherd, this breed excels in a wide range of activities, including but not limited to herding, scent tracking, scent detection, IPO, obedience, and agility.

Nutrition

This breed, which is naturally athletic, should be fed premium food in quantities that correspond to their level of activity. Breed-specific recipes are available from several dog food manufacturers for small, medium, big, and extra-large breeds. The average lifespan of Dutch Shepherds, a medium-sized breed, is 11 to 14 years.     Choosing what to feed your dog is a personal decision, but the best method to choose how frequently to feed him as a puppy and the best adult diet to lengthen his life is to consult your vet and/or breeder. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.

History

The natural land breed known as the Dutch Shepherd has its roots in the Netherlands. Long ago, farmers and shepherds required a dog that could do it all—a “Jack-of-all-trades” that could survive in the tough conditions of the period. On the farm, in addition to serving as a shepherd’s dog, they herded the cows together for milking, pushed carts laden with milk or food to market, and kept the hens out of the kitchen garden. Additionally, they kept an eye on the kids and let the farmer know if any outsiders entered the farmyard.

On June 12, 1898, the first breed standard was established. Although any coat color was allowed under the original standard, it was agreed in 1914 that the Dutch Shepherd should only have a brindle coat to set it apart from other closely related breeds of the time, the German Shepherd and Belgian Shepherd. In The Netherlands, industrialization and the reclamation of land for various uses had mostly supplanted sheep herds and the shepherd dogs who looked after them by the year 1900. The Dutch Shepherd’s adaptable abilities made it suited for new professions such as a police dog, search and rescue dog, and guide dog for the blind. The breed continues to be utilized for herding since it still has the ability to do so.