Hollandse Herder

Hollandse Herder

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The Dutch Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog. The breed is an old land-breed, of Dutch origins. In times gone by, shepherds and farmers needed a versatile dog. A jack-of-all-trades, with few demands and adapted to the harsh and sparse existence of the time. From those working dogs the Dutch Shepherd Dog as we know it today, evolved. This also explains the character traits that have been preserved virtually unchanged to the present day. 

The breed standard mentions about disposition: affectionate, obedient, tractable, alert, faithful and reliable. The breed standard also mentions “intelligent expression and lively temperament”. And this intelligence and temperament should not be underestimated. It is not a dog for everyone. It needs clear guidance and leadership. If that leadership is not given, the dog will try to take over. The dog cannot be blamed for this and it is even desirable to some extent, since it comes from all of those traits that the true working dog needed.

Appearance: The Dutch Shepherd Dog comes in three varieties: shorthaired, longhaired, and rough haired. Although the coat types vary, the permissible colors are the same in all these three types. The longhaired Dutch Shepherd is a rare variety. 

The shorthaired variety is rather widespread in the Netherlands. The rough haired (or wire haired) type is less common than the shorthaired.

The Dutch Shepherd’s body is rather muscular and symmetrical. The chest is deep. The dog’s muzzle is long.

Unlike the Belgian Shepherds or the German Shepherd Dog, the Dutch Shepherd is not known for its beauty.

  • Height: around 22-25 inches.
  • Weight: around 65-67 pounds.

Temperament: The Dutch Shepherd is intelligent, brave, loyal, and affectionate. It can have strong protective instincts, and excells as a guard dog. It tends to be dominant by nature, however once its trainer has the dog’s respect it is very tractable and obedient, and because of its intelligence it responds very quickly to firm, consistent training methodes. 

Dutch Shepherds are often “one person” dogs, being the most loyal to one just person. However, they make good family dogs as they are playful, affectionate, and active.

Care: Dutch Shepherds are very active dogs. They need a job to do in order to be happy, and easily become bored and destructive. They have a strong “work ethic”, constantly wanting to work and move. 

Thus, it is acceptionally well suited for all types of dog sports, particularly schutzhund, competitive obedience, agility, flyball, and sheepdog trials. The Dutch Shepherd is also used as a police dog and a sniffer dog in Europe. It makes an excellent guard dog, and is loyal, detirmined, and brave to the point of being reckless when it fells that its master is threatened.

Health: This breed typically lives 12 to 14 years.

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