Dutch Smoushond

The Dutch Smoushond is a scruffy yellow stable terrier from Amsterdam, rebuilt in the 1970s from almost nothing.

History

It was the gentleman's stable dog of nineteenth-century Amsterdam, kept to kill rats around coach houses — the same niche the Griffon Bruxellois came from in Brussels. It disappeared during the Second World War, and in 1973 a Dutch enthusiast, Mrs Barkman, set out to recreate it from dogs that resembled the old type, which means the modern breed is a reconstruction rather than a survival.

Temperament

The breed is known for being cheerful, affectionate and even-tempered, sociable with people and other dogs and less sharp than most terriers.

Care and training

Exercise needs are modest. The harsh yellow coat is hand-plucked rather than clipped and sheds little. Training is straightforward.

Health

Generally healthy; a reconstructed breed from a narrow base carries the genetic caution that implies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.