The Dutch Shepherd 

Background

The Dutch shepherd was initially developed to be a reliable and intelligent herding dog. Full of energy and extremely confident as well as strong. Dutch shepherds, sometimes referred to as the “Hollandse Herdershond”, the “Dutchie” or “Dutch herders”. In the 19 century the Dutch shepherd was in highly demand in the Netherlands due to the great number of farms and livestock which inhabited the country. Farming in the early 20th century became more and more industrialized in the 20th century, and the need for and consequently declining numbers of the Dutch shepherd dog was significant. By the end of World War II with much of Europe ravaged from the war the breed was in fact in danger of becoming extinct. However, a small group of dedicated individuals were able to preserve the breed as well as grow the Dutch Shepherd's numbers. Although even today they are considered to be somewhat rare.

Personality & Temperament:

The Dutch shepherd is an extremely intelligent dog breed. They are renowned for being extremely quick to learn, as well as eager to please their owner. They really do best with a job of some sort as they are very and filled with endlessly amounts of stamina and energy. They delight in completing a task and never seem to tire of doing so. It would be important to note if one were to be considering wether a Dutch shepherd is right for them, considering the fact that this breed is considered to be a workaholic of the dog world. Just like the Dutch shepherds close cousins the Belgian Malinois, and the German shepherd (working lines). When it comes to dedication and loyalty the breed tops the list. These dogs were well known for their superb herding skills, today those skills have translated well as military, police, and search and rescue dogs to name a few. 

Needs & Requirements:

These dogs really need to have routine daily rigorous exercise and mental stimulation.  One great option given the breeds amazing intelligence, agility, athletic ability, and trainability, would be to consider competing in organized canine sports and or competitions.  Such as agility & obedience competitions.  Or sports such as fly ball, or herding competitions.  As long as this breed gets lots of daily exercise & mental stimulation, they would make an amazing companion both for a family or an individual. 

(Socializing done regularly at a young age as always is so important.  As well as positive training reinforcement with boundaries and leadership clearly defined).

Check out the North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue Facebook Page

Physical Description:

The dutch shepherd has an athletic appearance. It possesses a very lean compact body with a strong and  muscular build for its size.    They come in three different types of coats.  The most common seen today is the short haired or "smooth" coat.  The second most common coat type is the rough coat.  And finally, their is a long haired type of coat which is hardly ever seen much today.  The Dutch shepherd's coat comes in three different color types of brindle.  Brindle, brown brindle, silver brindle, and gold brindle.   

Height: Males:   22.5-24.5 in (57cm-64 cm) Females:   22-23.5 in (55-60 cm)

Weight: 65-75 lbs (29.4-34.019 kg) 60-70 lbs (27.2-31.7 kg)

Dutch Shepherd Health Concerns:

The Dutch shepherd is one of the few dog breeds which does not have any common specific breed health issues to look out for.  This breed is widely considered to be a fairly healthy dog.  Average lifespan is about 12-14 years.    

Interesting Facts:

• The Dutch shepherd is a "natural dog breed",  in that it developed over time working alongside people as opposed to being manipulated over time by introducing one breed of dog to another("crossbreeding") for specific desired looks and traits.
• The breed almost went extinct as a result of all the damage done to Europe and The Netherlands following World War 2.  
• The Dutch shepherd is very apt and versatile, through out the world it is widely used as a military, police, search and rescue, and even as a seeing eye dog.
• The breed is cousins with the Belgian Malinois, and German shepherd.   

Place Or Origin:

The Dutch shepherd originates from the Netherlands.

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