meet the...Dutch Shepherd
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 10: Pastoral and Stock Dog Breeds
Sub-group 10-B: Large Pastoral Dogs
Origin Country Netherlands
Weight Males: 60-67 pounds. Females: 60-67 pounds.
Height Males: 22-26 inches. Females: 22-24 inches.
Other Name(s) Dutch Shepherd Dog, Holland Shepherd, Hollandse HerDer, Hollandse HerDershond
Breed Type Pure
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Origins
Like their cousins, the Belgian Sheepdogs, Dutch Shepherds were developed to be working dogs and the companions of sheepherders. The breed was born in the pastoral Netherlands inland and along the Belgium and German borders. Because these countries are geographical neighbors and because of the similarities between Belgian Sheepdogs and Dutch Shepherds in terms of their shared phenotype and working styles, it is believed that the dogs were at one point regularly interbred.
For centuries, the Netherlands’ culture and economy was sustained largely by sheep herding. The ancestors of the Dutch Shepherds served many roles, including herding and moving the animals from area to area, patrolling pastures and property to locate lost animals, and protecting the herds from thieves and predators. The dogs were prized for their versatility and trainability. They were found throughout the Netherlands in abundance.
Although the dogs ranged in appearance due to the variation of coat type, including smooth, rough, long, and anything in between, they all possessed the essential elements of a hard-working shepherd dog: sound conformation, sound temperament, agile movement, and a keen mind. So prized were the dogs that in 1898, a breed standard was developed to ensure that their qualities were preserved. This first breed standard allowed any coat color, but it was revised in 1914 to only include brindle in an effort to distinguish them from their close relatives, the Belgian Sheepdogs and the German Shepherd Dogs.
The Netherlands was one of the last European countries to industrialize, but progress and changes in agriculture finally came to the Netherlands in the mid-twentieth century. The vast sheep herds, as had the dogs that moved and protected them, had diminished. For what sheep remained, automobiles and trains were the new form of transport. World War II further impeded any breeding programs of the dogs, and many great bloodlines were completely exterminated. Many dogs were seized by the Germans and used as war dogs, effectively putting the Dutch herding dogs on the brink of extinction.
Following WWII, breeders in the Netherlands began to revive their beloved breed. The few remaining farm dogs that survived the war were used, many of unknown origin. Their close relatives, the Belgian Sheepdogs, were also incorporated. The dogs' versatility, agility, and trainability allowed them a new lot in life, making for an excellent police dog. Today the breed is still prized by many European police programs. While not as popular as the Belgian Malinois, they are steadily gaining popularity.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, shaped as a somewhat elongated wedge. It is always in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is moderately wide, with a flat plane when viewed in profile or from the front. The median furrow is not well defined. The occiput, brow, and zygomatic arches are only slightly developed. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, obliquely set, and medium to dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Medium in size, triangular in shape, firmly erect, mobile, and set high on the skull. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, of a moderately long length, and strongly developed. It tapers gradually toward the tip of the nose, giving the head the appearance of an elongated wedge. The plane of the muzzle is straight. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance and appear strong and well-developed, never appearing snipey or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened.
Neck: Moderate length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is fairly well-developed.
Body: Compact, solid, and of good substance without appearing bulky or coarse. The body is never racy or refined but capable of stamina, endurance, and strength. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level. When working, it is carried out or up (never curled over the back); at rest, it is carried lowered in a neutral position (never tucked). The tail is of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight or gently curved.
Movement: Free, effortless, efficient, and energetic, never exaggerated. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: Often described as cunningly intelligent, the Dutch Shepherd breed is a breed that loves to work. They are high-energy and highly driven dogs. They do poorly in close confinement for extended periods of time and are known to develop behavioral issues if not permitted to exercise their body and senses through regular exercise. They are loyal companions, although they can become territorial of what they perceive to be “their” property. They do well with active families that can keep up with their workaholic nature. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed. If not properly bonded with their owners, they can develop their own ideas about rules and boundaries. Therefore, early positive reinforcement training and socialization should be implemented from day one of bringing a new puppy home.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 10: Pastoral and Stock Dog Breeds
Proportions: Somewhat off-square to slightly rectangular with the length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being just slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal length-to-height ratio is 5:4. When measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the rump. The length-to-height ratio is 10:9. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well put together, with sturdy substance and moderate-yet-sturdy bone. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type. The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, shaped as a somewhat elongated wedge. It is always in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is moderately wide, with a flat plane when viewed in profile or from the front. The median furrow is not well defined. The occiput, brow, and zygomatic arches are only slightly developed. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles.
Expression: Lively, alert, attentive, anticipatory, keen, and curious.
Stop: The stop is slight yet discernible.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 1:1 and 9:10 with the topskull being equal to or just greater than the muzzle length.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, of a moderately long length, and strongly developed. It tapers gradually toward the tip of the nose, giving the head the appearance of an elongated wedge. The plane of the muzzle is straight. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance and appear strong and well-developed, never appearing snipey or weak.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks are powerful yet smoothly muscled. They should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, obliquely set, and medium to dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Medium in size, triangular in shape, firmly erect, mobile, and set high on the skull. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, solid, and of good substance without appearing bulky or coarse. The body is never racy or refined but capable of stamina, endurance, and strength. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is fairly well-developed.
Topline: Level from slightly prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut and may be flat, level, or slightly arched yet supportive. The back is never long, swayed, or roached.
Croup: Broad and gently sloped.
Underline: A slight tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level. When working, it is carried out or up (never curled over the back); at rest, it is carried lowered in a neutral position (never tucked). The tail is of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight or gently curved.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate-yet-sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, moderate, yet sturdy bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The Dutch Shepherd breed comes in four coat varieties: the smooth coat, the long coat, the rough coat, and the inter-varieties. All varieties of coats are dense double coats with a woolly undercoat and protective outer coat.
Smooth-coat: Short, straight, hard, dense, close-fitting throughout, shorter on the head, ears, and lower legs. Fuller on the tail and neck, forming a light ruff and collar, backs of the thighs, and underside of the tail.
Long-coat: The coat is long, smooth, straight, and profuse throughout the body. It is short on the face, forehead, ears, and front of the lower forelimbs and hindlimbs. The coat is fullest on the neck, chest, and back of the front and hindlimbs and tail, forming well-developed fringe, ruff, frill, and plume. Undercoats may or may not be present. The coat should never be abundantly thick, abundantly long, or silky.
Rough-coat: Rough, dense, coarse, harsh, close-fitting outer coat with dense, woolly undercoat. The hair appears disheveled and tousled. The coat should be approximately 1.5-3 inches throughout the body, with a light beard. The coat on the head should not be so long as to form distinct brows or obstruct the dog’s eyes or vision. The coat is shortest on the bridge of the muzzle, the forehead, and the lower legs. The tail should never be plumed.
Inter-varieties: Outcrossing between the varieties can produce a range of in-between coat types.
Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the Dutch Shepherd breed: the standard and nonstandard.
Standard coat color variety: Any shade of brindle, including fawn brindle, gold brindle, black brindle, silver brindle, blue brindle, and pepper brindle, all with (preferred) or without a melanistic mask. Note: Brindle is difficult to distinguish on long coats and especially rough coats.
Non-standard coat color variety: Brindle with white markings on chest and feet.
Movement
Free, effortless, efficient, and energetic, never exaggerated. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
Often described as cunningly intelligent, the Dutch Shepherd breed is a breed that loves to work. They are high-energy and highly driven dogs. They do poorly in close confinement for extended periods of time and are known to develop behavioral issues if not permitted to exercise their body and senses through regular exercise. They are loyal companions, although they can become territorial of what they perceive to be “their” property. They do well with active families that can keep up with their workaholic nature. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed. If not properly bonded with their owners, they can develop their own ideas about rules and boundaries. Therefore, early positive reinforcement training and socialization should be implemented from day one of bringing a new puppy home.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
