Dutch Smoushond - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Yellow Schnauzer
The exact ancestry and origin of Dutch Smoushond is unclear. One popular theory suggest, that its main ancestor is the Schnauzer and that the Dutch Smoushond might be a yellow variety of the Schnauzer. Schnauzers that were born yellow were euthanized. It is said, that one Dutch merchant called Abraas started buying and saving these yellow pups, brought them back to Amsterdam and sold them as good stable dogs and ratters.
2) Origin
If the Schnauzer is really the ancestor of this breed is unclear. It is also very possible, that they naturally evolved from some local Dutch terriers of unknown origins. For most of the time, these dogs were used as very good ratters, but lately in the early 1900s, they started to be viewed rather as gentleman’s companion rather than an actual ratter. The breeds club was finally formed in 1905 to document and register the small stable dog as a purebred breed.
3) Almost extinct
The Dutch Smoushond was always relatively rare, but the Second World War was absolutely devastating for the breed and the breed almost went extinct. When the war was over, the numbers of pure Dutch Smoushonds were extremely low and up until the 1970s the breed was considered to be extinct. In 1970s, a woman named Barkman attempted to restore the breed. She gathered several remaining Dutch Smoushonds and started the breed reconstruction and luckily she was succesful! Today the breed is still very rare and it is almost impossible to find them outside Netherlands, but they are not on the verge of extinction anymore.
4) Companion
As i mentioned earlier, the Dutch Smoushond was originally used as ratter, but today, it is almost exclusively companion pet. And they make amazing charming and loyal companions. These dogs have lively and playful personality, which can make them ideal companions for kids, but of course, the kid should be old enough to know how to treat dogs properly. They can also live with other dogs, but other smaller household pets might be problematic, because of its history as a ratter.
5) Training and exercise
The Dutch Smoushond is described as intelligent and eager to please dog, which makes them quite easily trainable. They can definitely learn all the basic obedience commands easily and quite fast. On the other hand, some individuals are very strong headed and independent, which can make the training little bit more difficult. Just like with any other breed, consistency and patience is the key for succesfull training. This is pretty energetic breed, that will always be ready for outdoor walks, jog, vigorous playtime or fun training session, but it is a very adaptable breed that is capable of living even in small apartment without problems. But few daily walks are absolutely a must, if you want to have healthy and happy Dutch Smoushond in your home.
6) Size
This is a small, strong and squarely built dog breed with average height between around 40 cm, which is 16 inch and weight is usually around 20 lbs, which is 9 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males, but the difference is not extremely large.
7) Coat
The first thing you will most likely notice about the Dutch Smoushond is its untidy appearance because of its shaggy and wiry coat. These dogs have visible eyebrows, mustache and beard. You can find Dutch Smoushond in any shades of yellow.
8) Maintenance
The grooming and overall maintenance of Dutch Smoushond is relatively simple. The coat should not be brushed to maintain its shaggy appearance. The coat can be combed once in a while to prevent matting and tangling and the coat should be hand plucked approximately twice a year. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.
9) Name
The Dutch Smoushound is sometimes also called as Dutch Ratter, Hollandse Smoushond, Dutch Terrier or just as Dutchie. The breeds name, Smoushound has unique origin. It is derived from the dutch word Smouzen, which can be translated as jewish, and it is because of the long beard and wiry hair of the dog resembling an orthodox jewish man.
10) Health
There are not enough studies about the breeds health, but so far, it seems, that this is rather healthy and hardy dog breed and with average lifespan around 14 years. Of course, they still may occasionally suffer from some health issues, such as patellar luxation, allergies and infections, some eye or joint problems, but none of those is extremely common in this breed.