Hamlet and Elsie
What is a kooikerhondje?
By way of introduction to this little-known breed with a strange-sounding name (koy-ker-hond-jee), we will offer you a short language lesson in Dutch.
A “kooi” is a duck trap, used by hunters along the canals in the Netherlands. A “kooiker” is a duck hunter who uses such a trap. A “hond” is a hound or dog; “je” is an affectionate suffix meaning small. Thus, the kooikerhondje is the small dog that works with the hunter that uses the trap! (For more information about this elaborate hunting method, visit our Dutch Endenkooi slide show.)
Kooikerhondjes (sometimes called Dutch Decoy spaniels) appear in history as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, but did not become an officially recognized breed in Europe until 1966.
They are only now gaining recognition and visibility in North America thanks to their dedicated fans!!
Our site is full of useful information regarding the kooikerhondje and our dogs Hamlet, Elsinore, Yorick and Bianca. Please visit our other pages and contact us if you would like to know more about our plans for future pups.
Thanks for visiting!
The Artist’s Family, Jan Steen, c.1663
Courtesy of Web Gallery of Art
Awesome new website! It looks really great. Congrats on the litter!
If you wonder why reputable breeders insist on meeting clients in person and require new puppy parents to pick up their own puppies,take a look at the article below from the ASPCA newsletter.
1. Airline’s Puppy Deaths Spark Debate about Commercial Breeders
As animal lovers become more aware that purchasing a dog from a pet store supports the inhumane practices of puppy mills, commercial breeders are using online sources to get their dogs directly into homes across the country.
On August 3, seven puppies died of suspected heat-related complications in the cargo hold of a plane en route from Tulsa, OK, to Chicago, IL. The victims were seven of 14 pups transported by the airline, and reportedly came from a commercial breeder in Oklahoma—many of the puppies were booked on connecting flights, making it likely that they were purchased online by buyers in different cities.
“Puppy mill operators are creating professional looking websites that convincingly dupe consumers into thinking they are reputable breeders,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “A sure way to spot a scam is that they often offer to ship the dogs to the buyer without ever meeting in person. No reputable breeder would ever ship a puppy to a buyer sight unseen.”
Buying a puppy over the Internet is just as risky as buying from a pet store—you can’t see the puppy’s breeding premises or meet his parents. Furthermore, those who sell animals online are not held to regulations established by the Animal Welfare Act.
“The Animal Welfare Act requires breeders to be licensed and meet specific minimum standards of care for animals bred for resale, but a loophole allows puppy breeders who sell directly to the public—which includes over the Internet—to go unregulated,” says Menkin. “They are able to keep inspectors away and operate without being accountable to anyone.”
“The bottom line is the only way to be sure your new puppy isn’t a product of cruel and inhumane conditions is to see for yourself where he lives—visit the breeder’s facilities and meet the puppy’s parents,” Menkin states. “Or better yet, adopt from your local shelter.”
For more information on the risks associated with buying a puppy in a pet store or online, please visit our online Puppy Mill campaign.