The Dutch Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog. The breed is an old herding breed of Dutch origin. In the old days shepherds and farmers needed a versatile dog, a jack-of-all-trades, with few demands and adapted to the harsh and meager existence of that time.
A medium-sized, medium weight, well-proportioned, well-muscled dog of powerful, well-balanced structure, with intelligent expression and lively temperament. Depending on the coat the breed is distinguished in the following varieties: short-hair, long-hair, and rough-hair.
Very loyal and reliable, always alert, watchful, active, independent, with persistence, intelligence, prepared to be obedient and gifted with the true shepherding temperament. The Dutch Shepherd Dog works willingly together with its owner and he deals independently with any task which is assigned to him. He is neither aggressive nor shy.[15]
He has a strong character and independence passed down from his herding ancestry. In the Dutch Shepherd we have the combination of a “nice housedog” and “afraid of nothing and nobody”, therefore the owner needs to be a strong and fair leader. While there is a potential for doing police work, care should be taken that it is not the sole purpose of the dog overshadowing its overall character.[16]
While there is no perfect dog for everybody, the Dutch Shepherd needs an active life and an owner willing to make a commitment of proper socialization and training.
