What is a kooikerhondje?
By way of introduction to this little-known breed with a strange-sounding name (koy-ker-hondt-chuh), we will offer you a short language lesson in Dutch.
Hamlet and Elsie
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 breed, and our individual 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. Please note that Rosewood breeds only one litter a year, and that kooiker pups are expensive and difficult to find.
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!
Wow, I hear that your kennel is expecting a new litter in June. Congrats! Please post some photos soon!
Hey Jorie,
Congrats on the new litter. I’ve never seen this breed of dogs before. They are beautiful. Have fun with the new little ones.
I have had a dutch decoy for the past almost 5 years. He was a neighborhood stray and very young. Who can turn away a puppy in the cold? We’ve been wondering what kind of dog he is until we saw a show on animal planet. Ours looks remarkably identical. However, Ringo, our dog, has a mostly black coloring with a lot of whispy hair. I’d love to send you a pic and maybe you can settle my family’s almost 5 year old question. He’s still my buddy no matter what, but I’m very curious.
Hello, Steve,
Send a picture to roseshenk@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to take a look! Congratulations on finding a true friend, no matter what his breed–sounds like you and he were both lucky!