The Wetterhoun (translated into English as the Frisian Water Dog) is a

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

traditionally used as a

hunting dog A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...

for

small game Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, thou ...

and

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

and native to the province of

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The name of the breed comes from the West Frisian ''Wetterhûn'', meaning "

water dog A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds. Description Water dogs are usually medium-sized, active dogs; their most distinctive ...

." The plural of Wetterhoun is ''Wetterhounen'' in Frisian. The breed may also be called the ''Otterhoun'' (not to be confused with the

Otterhound The Otterhound is a British dog breed. It is a scent hound and is currently recognised by the Kennel Club as a Vulnerable Native Breed with around 600 animals worldwide.

) or ''Dutch Spaniel'', although it is not a

Spaniel A spaniel is a type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retrieve water ...

- type dog.

Appearance

The Wetterhoun is a medium-sized dog, measuring at 55-59 centimeters (21.6-23 inches) at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ar ...

and weighing between 25 and 35 kilos (55 and 77 pounds) at maturity. Their

coat A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...

is thick and curly except for the head, ears, and legs, where it is smoother in texture; the water repellant coat is described as feeling oily to the touch. Coat colour may be solid black or brown, black and white, or brown and white, with or without

ticking Ticking is a type of cloth, traditionally a tightly-woven cotton or linen textile. It is traditionally used to cover tick mattresses and bed pillows. The tight weave makes it more durable and hinders the stuffing (straw, chaff, hair, down feathers, ...

roaning Roan is a coat color found in many animals, including horses, cattle, antelope, cat and dogs. It is defined generally as an even mixture of white and pigmented hairs that do not "gray out" or fade as the animal ages."''roan'', ''a''. and ''n.1' ...

. The texture of the coat should not be woolly, as such hair is not water repellent. The ears are low-set and hang flat to the head, and the tail curls tightly over the back. The breed has an unusual, somewhat stern expression due to the shape of the eyes,Fédération Cynologique Internationale
/ref> which distinguishes this breed from others.History in brief (in Dutch)
/ref>

History

The first Wetterhouns lived at least 400 years ago in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

of Friesland. The breed is believed to have originated from

Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

dogs, crossed with an indigenous Frisian dog, perhaps the now extinct Old Water Dog. Dogs of this type were kept for the difficult and dangerous hunting of fitch (''Mustela putorius'') and

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

(''Lutra lutra'') in the water. The dogs were also used for retrieving

and served as watch dogs. Although the dogs almost disappeared during World War II, fanciers were able to bring the breed back through careful breeding, and it has since gained popularity. Wetterhond

Databases are maintained by the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Stabij- en Wetterhounen (The Dutch Club for the Stabij and Wetterhoun) and De Wetterhoun Vereniging Nederland (The Dutch Wetterhoun Club) for assessing pedigrees and computing inbreeding coefficients. Internationally, the breed is recognised by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

in the water dogs section of Group 8. The

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

recognises the breed in the gun dog group. The breed is also recognised by a number of minor registries, hunting clubs, and internet-based dog registry businesses and promoted as a

rare breed In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation statu ...

for those seeking an unusual pet.

Temperament

The Wetterhoun is an excellent

gun dog Gun dogs, or bird dogs, are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually quail, dove, or duck. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. Types ...

, effectively retrieving across both land and water; however, its strong will and natural guarding abilities make early training imperative.Fogle, Bruce. ''The New Encyclopedia of the Dog.'' New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2000. The

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

describes the Wetterhoun as reserved, remarking that it is "the ideal guard dog," despite never being aggressive and enjoying the company of its family. Although it is described as strong willed, the Wetterhoun is never stubborn or willfully disobedient. They do demonstrate tenacity and a desire to complete tasks, no matter the challenge. They remain focused to complete whatever they believe to be their task. The breed is sensitive and should never be treated harshly or trained using punishment. Give proper socialisation and exposure to different people, animals, and environments in early life, the Wetterhoun is extremely tolerant—so much so that adults should be mindful that children do not take advantage of the Wetterhoun's gentle nature.

References

External links

Search The Open Directory Project (DMOZ) links for clubs and information about the Wetterhoun
{{Dutch dogs FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in the Netherlands Gundogs Water dogs Rare dog breeds

Appearance

History

Temperament

See also

References

External links