Understanding Kooiker Health
It’s Our Responsibility
The NKCC wants to help each owner understand the various topics relating to the health of our Nederlandse Kooikerhonje.
We have special and unique options compared to other breeds. By realizing what is happening world-wide, and sharing information regarding our pets, we can be a part of the bigger picture.
We are all able to be a part of gathering important to promote the health and well-being of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje across the world.
KOOIKER WORLDWIDE DATA REGISTRY
Each individual Kooiker owner across the world is asked to submit information on their dog/s. It doesn’t matter if they have much loved pets, or show dogs, the VHNK wants to follow the dog through its life. They request regular updates from all owners, yearly or when any changes occur. This information can be collected by the breed club of the country the dog resides in, but it can also be submitted directly.
As well, breeders are requested to submit detailed information on each litter bred. This includes the sire and dam and their health testing results, litter size and sex, pictures of the pups from various angles and more! This data is accumulated into an incredibly precise register, maintained in the Netherlands.
The VHNK is tracking many different things. They are following genetic, health and behaviour traits for all Kooikers. They identify certain traits in dogs that arise and work to recognize where in their genetic history it might stem from. They follow the lifespan of dogs, and would like to be informed if, when and why a Kooikerhondje has passed. If your Kooiker has any type of health or behaviour issues that occur, the Club Registry would like to know so that they can document it. Things like epilepsy, heart issues, severe aggression, or other concerns affecting Kooikers are being tracked. This way they can identify if any new issues are arising in the breed that they need to be aware of, or identify if previous issues are being resolved.
Is your dog totally healthy? Perfect! They want to know that too. This allows them to track healthy animals. Has your pet been spayed or neutered? Has your pet changed owners, or do you have a new pet? They would like an update in order to keep their records current. The registry is updated twice a year, in the spring and fall. As mentioned, feel free to pass along your pet’s information to an NKCC director and we will forward it on. If you wish to submit it directly, email it to Clubregister@kooikerhondje.nl
For breeders, there is a special fillable form that is available from the NKCC. If you don’t receive one, please reach out and request one.
Are you interested in helping the club collect data? Please let a Director know!
The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje breed is very unique in that the parent club – Vereniging Het Nederlandse Kooikerhondje (VHNK) - is constantly gathering information on each and every dog and litter born around the world.
FIT 2 Breed Program
Fit2Breed is a unique breeding guidance platform. This advanced system helps dog breeders prevent hereditary disorders and maintain genetic diversity. By using the latest genetic technology, Fit2Breed makes a difference in responsible population management and healthy breeding of puppies.
It was developed based on data from the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje.
The platform was developed to:
Detect hereditary disorders at an early stage and prevent them from spreading within a population
Preserve genetic diversity within populations
Provide scientific support to breeding organizations and breeders
Support selection based on behavioral and working characteristics in service and assistance dogs
Fit2Breed is already in use for the Dutch Kooikerhondje, a charming and lively breed with a rich history. The breed suffers from hereditary disorders, including the serious muscle disease polymyositis. Thanks to long-term collaboration between the Dutch Kooiker Dog Association (VHNK) and the Expertise Centre for Veterinary Genetics, valuable knowledge has been gained about the hereditary cause of polymyositis, and a DNA test is now available.
Fit2Breed combines these insights with data from domestic and foreign populations in a single, user-friendly platform. This enables breeders to make informed choices to reduce hereditary disorders while preserving the genetic diversity of the breed.
This collaboration demonstrates how transparency, cooperation and the latest scientific insights in the field of genetics are leading to a healthier future for this unique Dutch breed.
With the Fit2Breed software it is possible to analyze all important data of Kooikerhondjes such as disease data, results of screening tests, risk estimates, breeding value estimates, results of DNA tests and SNP data for genetic variety and thus arrive at scientifically substantiated breeding advice. Fit2breed offers the opportunity to actively use and deploy all collected data in order to contribute to the preservation of the genetic diversity of the Kooikerhondje in a substantiated manner.
USAGE: The breeder can enter a bitch in the module. You will then see a list of all potentially suitable males, based on genetic profile and health information, sorted by relationship to the bitch. As a breeder, it is also possible to specify a desired combination of a male and a female, whereby risk aspects of the combination, the influence of the combination on the entire breed and any (un)suitability are shown.
COLLECTING OF DATA: In order for the system to function as well as possible, it is very important that as much data as possible is entered into the system, also in the future. Thanks to years of accurate documentation in Clubregister and Zooeasy, the VHNK has an extensive dataset as a basis for the data in Fit2breed. This is also supplemented with screening data from official bodies such as the Board of Directors, kennel clubs, but also genetic data from EMBARK, WISDOM, VHL, etcetera.
Members of the NKCC intending to breed their dogs may be authorized to access the Fit2Breed Program at no extra cost.
TINDER FOR DOGS
We jokingly call it a kind of Tinder for dogs, says Kerstin Ueckert, president of association Het Nederlandse Kooikerhondje. She is very pleased with Fit2Breed. The cooperation between our association and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine goes back many years. We were honest about health problems and provided the data, the faculty provided the research. As a result, we now know a lot. But that also makes it much more complicated to make good risk assessments when breeding. The days when you made a pedigree on the back of a beer mat, so to speak, are really over. Fit2Breed can play a crucial role. Even abroad - internationally there are some 12,000 to 15,000 Kooikers - there is much enthusiasm among sister associations, Ueckert said. It's really unique in the world.
——Kerstin Ueckert
Past President of association 'Het Nederlandse Kooikerhondje'
The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) created the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) by partnering with participating parent clubs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds. They have established a recommended protocol for breed-specific health screenings. Dogs tested in accordance with that protocol are recognized with a CHIC number and certification.
OFA recognizes that the more information stored and accessible in these databases, the better it will be for every breed. And so we encourage all breeders to attain CHIC Certification if their breed participates in the CHIC program.
A dog achieves CHIC Certification if it has been screened for every disease recommended by the parent club for that breed and those results are publicly available in the database.
A CHIC number is issued when test results are entered into the database satisfying each breed specific requirement, and when the owner of the dog has opted to release the results into the public domain. The CHIC number itself does not imply normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were performed and the results made publicly available.
CHIC NUMBERS - What are they?
Requirements and Methods for Health Testing Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes in Canada
Checklist
Genetic testing for Polymyositis
Veterinary X-ray of Hips sent to OFA for Evalutation (after dog has reached its second birthday)
Veterinary Evaluation of Patellas
Opthalmic Exam by Veterinarian accredited ACVO
Test for vonWillebrands Disease
CHIC Number from submission of testing results
As these methods have been changing recently, we apologize for any errors or omissions.