Plate 167 · Continental Europe
Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
荷兰小猎犬
“The little dog of the Dutch duck decoys.”
- Origin
- Netherlands
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- By the 16th century, perhaps earlier
- Today
- Companion · Working dog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Netherlands
A small, red-and-white Dutch spaniel that lured ducks into decoy traps by waving its plumed tail.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Luring ducks along the channels of man-made duck decoys (eendenkooi), as a fox's movements do.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It appears in paintings by Dutch masters. As decoys declined after the First World War it nearly vanished; Baroness van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol saved it around the Second World War, and the Dutch Kennel Club recognized it in 1971.
04 · Today
Companion · Working dog
A companion and sports dog.
Personality
- Alert
- Friendly
- Quick
- Sensitive
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- An athletic explorer outdoors, a sweet companion indoors.
- Grooming
- Weekly grooming and regular nail trims.
- Training
- Clever and sensitive: firm but gentle training.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Medium-length, slightly wavy coat; orange-red patches on white
Field note
It is thought to be an ancestor of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, which lures ducks the same way.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 8, standard 314), Dutch Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Sporting Group, recognized 2018.
Became better known in the United States in the 2020s, partly through Decoy, baseball player Shohei Ohtani's dog. AKC registrations: ranked 158 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Nederlandse Kooikerhondje — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/nederlandse-kooikerhondje/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Kooikerhondje — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kooikerhondje
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Duck-decoy work, Dutch paintings, near extinction and the Baroness van Hardenbroek, Dutch recognition (1971), AKC (2018), link to the toller.
- Nederlandse Kooikerhondje — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/NEDERLANDSE-KOOIKERHONDJE-314.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin the Netherlands; Group 8, section "Flushing Dogs"; accepted 1990.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
