| Country of Origin: Holland Breed Status: The Wetterhoun is an internationally recognized, though numerically rare, purebred. Distribution: Despite being recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the Wetterhoun is seldom found outside of Holland, where it remains most common in south central and southwestern Friesland. Etymology: It is generally believed that the name Wetterhoun is Friesian for water dog. Some authorities however, believe that it is a corruption of the German words wittern (to scent) and hund (dog). Other Names: Dutch Spaniel, Dutch Water Spaniel, Friesian Water Dog, Otterhoun Breed History: The Wetterhoun developed in northwestern Holland, in the province of Friesland. Like many other breeds of dog, the exact origin of the Wetterhoun is unknown. Friesland has for centuries had populations of spaniel-type dogs, however no evidence exists of a curly coated breed similar to the Wetterhoun before the nineteenth century. It is believed that at that time local Friesian farm dogs mixed with dogs of water spaniel and spitz ancestry to give rise to the breed of today. In 1942, the Raad van Beheer (national kennel club of Holland) recognized the Wetterhoun as a purebred. The breed was however, quiet variable in appearance and efforts were made to both standardize and promote it. A man named Jan Bos, who approached owners and breeders of what he considered to be ideal examples of the breed, led these efforts and set up the first breed inspections in the town of Leeuwarden. At these inspections, members of the breed with suitable confirmation were tested on their earthwork, water retrieval, and scenting abilities. Any Wetterhounen passing these tests was then placed in the breed book for future breeding. Additional inspections took place until the early 1960s, when the breed book was closed to further entries. Since then, however, attempts have been made to once again have the breed book opened in an effort to add new bloodlines and expand the gene pool. Appearance: The Wetterhoun is a well-balanced, square, thickset breed of water dog. The ideal height for males is 23.23 inches (59 cm) at the withers, while the ideal height for females is 21.65 inches (55 cm). The strong, dry head is proportional in size to the body. The slightly rounded skull gives the appearance of being wider than it is long. The stop is only slightly marked. The powerful muzzle is the same length as the skull and tapers slightly towards the nose. The well-developed nose may be either black (for dogs with a ground color of black) or brown (for dogs with a ground color of brown). The tight fitting lips are not pendulous. The Wetterhoun has a scissors bite. The medium sized, oval eyes are set slightly oblique. The color of the eyes may be either dark brown (for dogs with a black ground color) or brown (for dogs with a brown ground color). The low-set ears hang flat against the head without any break. The ears are moderately long and triangular shaped. The short, round neck is slightly arched and lacks any throatiness. The head is carried low. The body is very powerful. The wide, rounded chest should not reach past the elbow. The ribs are well rounded. The back is short and straight. The abdomen is slightly tucked up. The forefeet are wide apart due to the shape of the chest. The round feet have well developed, arched toes and thick pads. The long tail is carried as a ring over the back or alongside the hindquarters. The coat of the Wetterhoun is comprised of tight curls consisting of firm, strong tufts of hair on all parts of the body except the head and the legs. The hair on the ears is a characteristic of the breed; being curled at the base and decreasing in length until the lower third of the ear is covered with short hair. The hair itself is coarse in texture and greasy to the touch. The Wetterhoun may be either black or brown, with or without white markings. The white markings may possess either roan or ticking. Personality and Uses: The Wetterhoun was originally employed as a hunter of otters, but when its prey became rare, the breed was developed into a general-purpose hunting breed capable of tracking, flushing, retrieving, and earthwork. The breed is a natural retriever of both birds and mammals, but is often considered too stubborn to learn advanced retrieving techniques. The Wetterhoun takes well to the water and with its dense, oily coat is especially suited to rough terrain and climates. Despite this, the breed is not a popular choice as a hunting companion, due to inconsistent performances, and more commonly serves as a yard dog where it keeps farms free of polecats and moles. The Wetterhoun, while gentle with its family, is an independent, stoic breed that is reserved and cautious around strangers. Due to the breed’s dominant nature and large prey drive, they are not the ideal choice for a household with other pets, unless raised with them from an early age. The Wetterhoun needs patient training from an early age and this should continue throughout much of its life. The breed is not susceptible to the range of health problems that more popular breeds are, but because of the small size of the original population, hip dysplasia and epilepsy are common. |