Nederlandse Kooikerhondje Club of Southern California
HISTORY
The Kooikerhondje history begins centuries ago, when Dutch hunters used little blond and white dogs to lure ducks into "eendenkooi", complex cone-shaped structures on waterways with a cage at the end.
The ducks would wave their flag-like white tails and intice the ducks towards the cage, where the "kooiker", or duck trapper, would be waiting. At home, this little dog would also be used as a vermin-catcher and watchdog on the property or farm. As the industrial revolution changed the way humans hunted and trapped their food, the use of the little kooiker's dog became obsolete.
It wasn't until the 1930's that the breed was brought back from the brink of extinction by the Baronesse van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol, who developed the type that the breed standard is based upon.
Paintings by Rembrandt and Jan Steen also served as inspiration for the "look" of the Kooikerhondje, and the history of the breed can be seen through the brush strokes of these Dutch masters.
For more in-depth history and information, check out the links to other pages below:
