Complete Dog Breed Profile and Information
By Janice Jones |Last Updated 02-28-2020
If the ultimate shaggy dog is what you want, then the Dutch Smoushond is just right for you.
Originally bred in the 1800s to rid stables of mice and rats, the Dutch Ratter or Hollandse Smoushond as it is also called is a companion dog today.
If you think these dogs look like yellow schnauzers, you would not be far off. It is uncertain what breeds were involved in creating this remarkable breed, but Schnauzers is a definite possibility.
The modern recreation of the breed also incorporated Border Terriers to improve coat texture.
Very loyal and bonded to their family, these dogs are less outwardly friendly to strangers. They make excellent watch dogs because they are very alert, tend to bark, and wary of anyone they do not know.
Considered to be related to the Schnauzer, they are exceedingly rare outside of their home country of The Netherlands.
So unless you are a Dutch citizen, you might have a very difficult time finding one of these charming dogs for yourself.
Quick Facts About the Dutch Smoushond
Other Names Used: Hollandse Smoushond, Dutch Ratter
Affiliation: FCI: Group 2, Section 1; UKC: Terriers; American Rare Breed Association
Size
Height: 14-16.5 inches (35 – 42 cm)
Weight: 19 to 22 pounds(9-10 kg)
Coat Type: Rough, waterproof, shaggy, double-coated
Colors: Yellow in all shades: Preferably a dark straw color
Country of Origin: The Netherlands
Activity Level: Active
Life Expectancy: 13-15 years
Good with Children: Yes
Good with other Pets: Yes
History
Like many breeds, the exact origin of the breed is obscure.
It is
thought that they are related to German Schnauzers.
Once very popular,
they were called the “Gentlemen’s breed” and used as ratters in the
1800s in their native country, The Netherlands.
There are two theories as to how these dogs got their name. Some people believe that they received the name, “Smous” because many people who owned these dogs were Jewish. The term Smous, is a term of abuse for Jews.
Others believe that the word Smous was derived from the dog’s moustache and beard. The dutch name for this is Smousbaard.
They became nearly or entirely extinct during World War II. It wasn’t until 1973 that several breeders attempted to recreate the breed with a few of the remaining dogs. By this time, those remaining does have been crossed with other breeds.
Two Dutch ladies, Mrs. Mia van Woerden and Mrs. Riek Barkman-van traveled around the country looking for good samples of what they believed the Smoushound to be.
Their first litter was born in 1972; the father of this litter was discovered in an animal shelter! They kept good records and slowly began to develop a breed that had a good bite and was the appropriately color of yellow. They also incorporated Border Terriers to help improve the coat texture.
Although popular in the Netherlands, the breed is not well known elsewhere in the world. It was recognized in 2001 by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and placed in Group 2, Section 1, Pinscher and Schnauzer.
Personality / Training
These dogs are charming, friendly, playful, and adaptable, which means they will feel comfortable in the country or an urban setting.
They tend to bark so they may not be the perfect apartment dog unless you have trained them from a very early age.
Totally devoted to their family, they prefer to be close and may suffer from separation anxiety if left for extended periods of time. They are affectionate and loving, which makes them a popular choice of pet in their country of origin.
They do exceptionally well with children who understand how to relate to a dog, but no dog should be subjected to insensitive children who do not know how to handle dogs gently. They also do well with other family pets including cats if raised together.
Early socialization is necessary especially if the puppy is shy or timid. They are naturally aloof around strangers, but should be friendly around family members and those they know well.
They are considered to be very smart and respond quickly to training. Training methods that work best with this breed tend to be positive and reward driven. Like other terriers, they prefer to be in charge so they will need a firm, consistent but gentle pack leader.
The Dutch Smoushond is a terrier and as such expect them to have a high energy level. They need several daily walks or some rigorous play. They do well in agility and they also love water!
This is not the breed for a couch potato. Lack of exercise will cause behavioral problems such as excessive barking.
Grooming
If you like that shaggy dog appearance, be aware that it does come with some maintenance. They do shed but are not considered to be heavy shedders.
According to the breed standard, their coat should be coarse, rugged, hard, straight but never wavy or woolly. There should also be a decent undercoat and the coat should ideally be a dark straw yellow.
To maintain that classic look, brushing and combing the coat is crucial. A steel comb with long teeth works best to prevent small mats or tangles from becoming problems. A good brushing and combing once per week should keep them looking great.
Hand plucking the coat is also recommended for better growth. This procedure is similar to that used on most wire-haired terriers and can be learned and done at home. If not, professional groomers can do the job for you.
Other than that, nails need to be kept short and teeth brushed. This breed has a water-proof coat so it is not necessary to bathe often.
Health Concerns
Since the Dutch Smoushond is very rare, no genetic diseases have been reported so far. They are very healthy, but just because no conditions have been reported does not mean they are entirely free of problems.
It just means that the gene pool is small and Breeders have been very careful. Their life expectancy is 13 to 15 years.
Pros and Cons of the DutchSmoushond
Pros
- Excellent family Pets:
- Good with Children and other Pets
- Fairly easy to maintain
- Very healthy
- Easy to Train
Cons
- Can be barkers
- Need Plenty of Exercise
- Very rare: Difficult to find outside of The Netherlands
Breed Clubs
There are no English language breed club websites at the time of this writing.
Does This Article Deserve Your Thumbs Up?
We always appreciate your support and encouragement. Your thumbs up means so much to us.
Free Monthly Newsletter
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter and get our Free Gift to You.
my E-book, The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Dog (and how to avoid them)
If you enjoyed this page, I’d love it if you’d let me know. Just click the button below. Thank you.
Sharing is Caring
Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your
favorite justification appeared to be on the
net the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to
you, I certainly get annoyed while people think
about worries that they just do not know about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole
thing without having side-effects , people could take a signal.
Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful article. Thanks for providing these details.
Hello, i feel that i noticed you visited my blog thus i came to go back the want?.I’m trying
to to find things to improve my website!I suppose its good enough to use a few of your concepts!!
Good post. I absolutely love this website. Thanks!
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It’s the little changes that produce the greatest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer.
I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to
do with web browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know.
The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem resolved soon. Many thanks
Helpful information. Lucky me I found your
site by accident, and I’m surprised why this accident did not took place in advance!
I bookmarked it.
I believe everything published made a ton of sense.
But, what about this? what if you were to create a awesome headline?
I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your website, however what
if you added a title that grabbed folk’s attention? I mean Complete Dog Breed Profile and Information –
ruffeodrive is kinda boring. You might peek at Yahoo’s home page
and note how they create news headlines to get people to open the links.
You might add a related video or a related pic or two to get people excited about what you’ve written. In my opinion,
it would make your website a little bit more interesting.
Heya just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a
few of the pictures aren’t loading properly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.
Simply wish to say your article is as astounding. The clarity for your post is simply excellent and that i can think you’re a professional in this subject.
Fine together with your permission let me to snatch your feed
to keep updated with coming near near post. Thank you one million and please
keep up the rewarding work.
If you want to take a good deal from this post then you have to apply these
strategies to your won website.
Thank you, I’ve just been searching for info approximately this subject for a while and
yours is the best I’ve discovered till now.
However, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you positive concerning the supply?
Excellent article. Keep writing such kind of info on your blog.
Im really impressed by it.
Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will certainly digg it and
individually recommend to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from
this site.
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Chrome.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or
something to do with browser compatibility but I figured I’d
post to let you know. The style and design look great though!
Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Cheers
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with
the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s
rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.
It’s difficult to find knowledgeable people in this particular subject,
however, you sound like you know what you’re
talking about! Thanks
It’s going to be end of mine day, however before end I am reading this
wonderful piece of writing to improve my knowledge.
Awesome article.
Hi, I do think your web site might be having internet browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Apart from that, wonderful site!
For instance, in Spain alone, the gaming business generated revenue of around
€4,567 million in the third quarter of 2019.
My web site – Online Casino Slots
Discover the Intricacies of Insurance Protection! Illuminate your perspective on disability insurance in Ontario with insights from seasoned [url=https://long-termdisabilitylawyer.ca]Personal Injury Lawyers Toronto[/url]. Explore the varied provisions and components of disability benefits, enhance your understanding of policies, and reinforce your capability to safeguard your entitlements!
Everything is very open with a really clear description of
the issues. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful.
Many thanks for sharing!
I go to see everyday a few websites and information sites to read posts, but this webpage gives feature based content.
Just desire to say your article is as astounding. The clarity
in your post is just cool and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject.
Well with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with
forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
Wow! At last I got a website from where I be able to in fact
obtain valuable facts regarding my study and knowledge.
Nice blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog
stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme.
Appreciate it
Particularly the licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority
and UK Gambling Commission.
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew
of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some
experience with something like this. Please let
me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your
blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Superb post however I was wanting to know if you could
write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little
bit more. Thank you!
Hello to every body, it’s my first visit of this website; this webpage contains amazing and in fact good information in support
of visitors.
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all of us you actually recognise
what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Please additionally seek
advice from my site =). We may have a link change arrangement between us
My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites for about a year and am nervous about
switching to another platform. I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it?
Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your information. This great article has
really peaked my interest. I am going to bookmark your website and keep
checking for new information about once per week. I opted in for your Feed too.
I have been exploring for a little bit for any
high quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of area .
Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i’m glad to show that I’ve a very good uncanny
feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I such a lot indisputably will make
sure to don?t omit this site and give it a glance regularly.
Hello would you mind letting me know which web host you’re working with?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads
a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good hosting provider at a honest price?
Cheers, I appreciate it!
When it comes to no-wager bonuses, casinos are most generous with the wager absolutely free spins.