Markiesje - Dutch Tulip Hound - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
There are few theories about the history of the Markiesje dog breed. The most popular one claims, that this breeds date back to 1600s. There are paintings of dogs similar to Markiesje from 17th or 18th century, but there are no records about breeding of Markiesje dog and no one really knows its ancestors and exact origin, but it is very likely that the breed has its ancestry in the Dutch breed known as Dutch Spionen.

2) Recent history
What we know for sure is, that in 1970s, the Markiesje breed was reintroduced by several breeders. During this time, the Markiesje population was not absolutely homogenous and it would be impossible to create perfect breed standard. That is why the Dutch Kennel Club set up an intensive breeding program, where the Markiesje named Pom, owned by Mrs. van Ederen become the foundation dog. This breeding program resulted in homogenous population of Markiesje breed as we know it today.

3) Companion
The Markiesje is not used as a hunter, not sa guard dog, or as a herding dog. Its main purpose in life is to be the best companion dog as possible. And they are perfect companions, they are lively, playful, friendly with almost everyone and they thrive for attention. It is pretty gentle dog breed that can make good partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. They can typically be socialized to live with other dogs or other pets in the family. Majority of Markiesje dogs are very alert, which can make them okay watchdog, but they are too friendly and too small for a real guarding job.

4) Exercise
The Markiesje is a great companion pet, but it should not be confused with a lap dog. They love long walks, they love to run, retrieve, playing different games and they will enjoy fun training sessions. This is definitely not a coach potatoe and these dogs will be almost always ready for any kind of outdoor adventure. Without enough exercise, these dogs might develop some unwanted behaviour such as excessive barking or destruction

5) Name
The breed has a very unique name – Markiesje. It is believed that it is named after one of the most famous mistresses of the French king Louis XV, Markiezin de Pompadour. But some people say, that the name has its origin in french word „Maquer“ which means „standing dog“. Or possibly from a dog breeder Van he Veluws Markizaat. But you can always call this dog by its cute nickname – the Dutch Tulip Hound.

6) Size
The Markiesje is rather smaller dog breed with average height around 36 cm, which is 14 inch and weight between 11-13 lbs, which is 5-6 kg. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.

7) Coat
The coat of the Dutch Tulip Hound is a single layered coat in medium length that can either be straight or have slightly wave to it. It is very common to see feathering on Markiesje coat, especially on the ears, tails and hind legs.

8) Color
This dog breed is always in shiny solid black color or black color with white markings. Ticking within the white is allowed.

9) Maintenance
Speaking of the coat, lets mention the grooming and maintenance as well. Luckily, this is easy to take care for dog breed. Regular brushing is beneficial to remove loose hair from the coat and to prevent tangling and matting. No other grooming is required. Just like with all dog breeds, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

​10) Health
The Markiesje is usually healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 14 years. There are no studies about the breeds health, but they should not suffer much from any serious genetic health issues. Of course, just like all dogs, they might suffer from the typical doggy issues, such as various allergies, infections, joint problems or eye problems, but none of these problems should not be very common in Markiesje dog breed.