Hamlet and Elsie
What is a kooikerhondje?
By way of introduction to this little-known breed with a strange-sounding name (koy-ker-hon-dja), we will offer you a short language lesson in Dutch.
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!
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 and our 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.
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!