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Drentsche Patrijshond

loyal / intelligent / friendly
Foundation Stock Service >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

23-25 (males)

21.5 – 23.5 (females)

Weight

70-73 (males)

55-60 (females)

Life Expectancy

11-14 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%
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
    100% 100%
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
    100% 100%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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
    60% 60%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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
    60% 60%

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
    100% 100%
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
    100% 100%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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
    60% 60%
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
    60% 60%
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
    20% 20%
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

This breed is pronounced da’rinse-ah puh’trice-hoon. The Drentsche Patrijshond, Drent for short, is not your typical continental pointer. For starters, the Drent has a tail and is nearly four hundred years old. The Drent was built by farmers for farmers. As a farm dog, Drents had to do it all: hunt feathers and fur, keep the farm clear of vermin, cart dairy to the market, and much more. The breed has maintained versatility from the beginning and is highly intelligent and adaptable. As such, training must be kept lively and interesting. Drents are used in all types of hunting, agility, tracking, dog sledding, and skijoring.

The breed originated from Spanish (Spioenen) pointing dogs that traveled through France to reach The Netherlands in the 16th century. These canines were known as partridge dogs in The Netherlands. These Partridge dogs were not crossed with other breeds as was commonplace elsewhere but rather were bred only among themselves in the Province of Drenthe. Three equally significant pillars have supported the Drent throughout its history: adaptable hunting dog, farmyard dog, and kid-friendly playmate. All upland game and waterfowl hunting, welcoming guests to the house or farm without displaying fear or hostility, and being a great family pet are essential traits of the Drent breed.

The Drent is used to hunt a wide range of wildlife and terrain. He is good for both waterfowl and all types of field games due to his flexibility. Additionally, he does an outstanding job cleaning up after the shot and is a skilled retriever. Because of these intrinsic qualities, the dog doesn’t require any field training. The dog is soft-natured, thus harsh training techniques are not suited. The Drent may be timid at first but never afraid because the dog is expected to bark to alert the owner to guests in the house and is frequently reserved about strangers until the owner welcomes them. In addition to being a good hunting companion, the dog is devoted, clever, and, with proper training, a pet of extraordinary value.

What To Expect When Caring For a Drentsche Patrijshond

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 Drent is, in general, a healthy breed. Although certain dogs may experience any canine ailment, this isn't indicative of the breed as a whole in terms of a problem or health risk. The Drent has only a few hereditary disorders that need to be monitored and known about in order to keep instances to a minimum. The following genetic conditions, Distichiasis, Entropion and Ectropion, Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM), and Retinal Dysplasia, should all be kept an eye on in the Drent's eyes.
Von Willebrand disease type-I (vWD-I) is the most prevalent but typically non-problematic disease that has been discovered in the Drent. Despite the population's high occurrence of both carriers and sick canines. No Drents have yet manifested any clinical symptoms of the illness. This indicates that affected dogs (dogs with two copies of the gene) do not display an unusual clotting response. DNA health panels can find type-I Von Willebrand disease. Although the illness is intriguing, it is not thought to pose a threat to the Drent.
The biggest present health risk to the Drent, according to breed experts, is epilepsy. Epilepsy's kind has not been identified. Although various research efforts are in progress, none have yet yielded any findings. The Drent does not offer genetic testing for this. A rare occurrence or manifestation
Additional medical conditions that may be present include hypothyroidism, cryptorchidism, hyperuricosuria, severe reactions to dangerous insect bites or stings, and tooth loss. Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, which affect many breeds, should be checked and screened for in every breeding stock. Due to the genetic and environmental influences on joint dysplasia, caution is advised throughout the Drents' rapid growth phase.

Grooming

The hair on the body of the Drent is considered to be "half-long," falling between a full curl and practically flat, with feathering on the neck, the backs of all the legs, and the tail. Similar to a Field-Line Setter or Brittany, Drents have a single coat that they shed twice a year. Unless your Drent gets into something smelly, a weekly grooming treatment will usually take care of everything and keep them from requiring a bath. Since the Drent's coat is fine and not oily or sebaceous, routine brushing helps to keep them clear of dander and filth. The most challenging aspect of maintaining a Drent is the ear. In order to clearly observe the ear leather's natural contour, you need to be prepared to remove overgrowth. Weekly examinations of the ears and nails are recommended. The right use of a Mars coat rake, a comb, followed by a pin brush, and then a boar bristle brush to shine the coat generally makes managing the seasonal shift easily.

Exercise

Drents are intelligent hunting dogs in need of stimulation and regular exercise, regardless of the weather. They are wonderful hiking partners, but also suitable for canicross, or any of the 'joring' sports. The Drent also would be good for agility, or other 'action' sport where mind and body are engaged. This breed is not suitable for sedentary lifestyles.

Training

Drents are intelligent hunting dogs in need of mental stimulation and regular exercise, regardless of the weather. They are wonderful hiking partners, but also suitable for canicross, or any of the 'joring' sports. The Drent also would be good for agility, or other 'action' sport where mind and body are engaged. A Drent will take as much exercise as you would be willing to throw at it. But regular walks or runs are a must. When possible, your Drent should be taken to a safe place to be allowed to run and explore. This breed is not suitable for sedentary lifestyles.

Nutrition

The DPCNA recommends following the recommended a high-quality AAFCO approved dry food that is not exclusive of grains and to make adjustments in quantity only as needed (e.g. increase in activity should correspond with an increase in feed provided.) Drents don't require specialized diets. Some are capable of self-feeding whereas others will eat for as long as there is food available. Clean, fresh water should be always available.

History

The Drentsche Patrijshond evolved from Spanish (Spioenen) pointing dogs that traveled through France to reach The Netherlands in the 16th century. These canines were known as partridge dogs in The Netherlands. These Partridge dogs were not crossed with other breeds, as was the case elsewhere, but were instead bred exclusively within the eastern regions of the nation, primarily in the Province of Drenthe. Three equally significant pillars have supported the breed throughout its history: adaptable hunting dog, farm yard dog, and childhood playmate. A major characteristic of the Drent breed is that he hunts all upland game and waterfowl, introduces guests to the house or farm (without displaying fear or violence), and makes a great family companion, with an emphasis on that.