Overview: 

The Kooikerhondje is a smaller breed that is pleasing to the eye.  They have a smooth flowing gait, are sturdily built, and are often displaying an eager expression that shows their willingness to be included in the fun.  As a breed, they have few health concerns. As the breed can be wary in new situations, early socialization is key to allow puppies to develop into well-adjusted pets.  They are an active, well-adjusted breed that would be welcome in almost any family.

A Kooiker’s life expectancy is 12-15 years.  Their size averages 35-43 cm at the shoulder, with their weight at 9-14 kg. Males are slightly taller and heavier than the females.

Attitude and Temperament: 

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is agile, quick, good-natured, lively and alert.  They have been described as “the little white and orange dog with a big heart.”  They are energetic, agile, and have lots of speed, stamina and determination.  They can be an excellent family pet.  They are gentle-natured, faithful and enjoy snuggling on the couch, but are also willing to give their all in anything the owner may ask them to.  Kooikerhondjes can be wary of strangers at first; so this is not necessarily a dog that will run up to make friends with everyone he meets.  Once he has understood that all is well, his shining personality will bring a smile to all he meets.  For this reason, early socialization (beginning at the breeders) is key.  They should be carefully introduced to a wide variety of new environments, people, children, and other animals early so they can understand that “new and different” is not an issue.  Instead of forcing them into new situations, allowing them to take a few moments to process and understand their surroundings will go a long way in promoting their confidence in the future.

Their heavily feathered white tail is often an obvious indicator of their attitude.  It is normally wagging happily with pleasure!  If the dog feels unsure of his environment, the tail will probably be held straight down until the dog has gained an understanding of the lay of the land.

This breed can live with other dogs in harmony, as long as proper introductions and normal considerations are followed.   

The Kooiker may bark to alert, but it is not known as a vocal breed. 

Coat Colour: 

This breed is very eye-catching, with its random patches of reddish orange appearing on a white coat.  Ideally, there are equal amounts of colour and white, but all variations can occur.  A white blaze on the face is typical.  A desirable trait is the long black hairs, or “earrings” that adorn the ears.  The heavily plumed white tail that they wave proudly is an easy indicator of the breed.  Some orange freckles may be present, but heavy ticking is not desirable.  There is a recessive tri-colour gene in the breed that may produce tri-coloured Kooikers, however these dogs are not acceptable for breeding. 

Coat Type:

The coat of a Kooikerhondje is naturally soft and slightly wavy. They have an “all-weather” coat.  It has a tendency to shed mud and dirt, so the white often stays white!  There is some variation in coat thickness, as some may have a thicker, slightly fluffy coat, others may have a coat that lies smooth.  This coat type will be evident as a puppy.  The Kooikerhondje is a double coated breed.  Longer hair (feathering) is present on the underbelly, legs, haunches, and tail. 

Grooming:

This is an easy-to-care for breed. In the show ring, only the feet are allowed to be tidied up.  There is no major grooming that is required, other than routine brushing and occasional bathing.  As with all dogs, routine maintenance, including teeth cleaning and nail trimming is required.

Training: 

As an active sporting breed, the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje enjoys having things to do.  Their willingness to please and eager attitude allow them to be easily trained to be a welcome family member or to participate in almost any dog sport.  Their drive and determination also suggest that a gentle but firm, consistent manner of training is required to ensure positive results. This is an athletic, sturdily built breed. They are well suited to an active lifestyle where they can be out and about enjoying life.  Hiking, performance sports, swimming, jogging; this breed is eager to do almost anything outdoors! One of the original jobs of the Kooikerhondje in the Netherlands was also rodent control, so they have a strong prey drive directed towards small, quick moving pests!

Diet:

This breed will do well on any high-quality food.  Some dogs in this breed can be prone to obesity, so monitoring caloric intake is important.  Kooikers are usually very food motivated, so treats are welcome in training, but a portion of their daily ration of kibble may work just as well!