Markiesje

The Markiesje is a small black Dutch companion dog, reconstructed in the twentieth century from the dogs in old Dutch paintings.

History

Small black spaniel-type dogs appear repeatedly in seventeenth-century Dutch interiors — Jan Steen and his contemporaries painted them in households across the social scale. The living type had faded by the twentieth century, and Dutch breeders from the 1970s gathered dogs resembling those paintings to rebuild it. The Netherlands recognised it in 1999.

Temperament

The breed is known for being gentle, cheerful and closely attached to its family, sensitive to atmosphere and easy with children and other dogs.

Care and training

Exercise needs are moderate. The medium coat needs regular brushing. Training suits gentle consistency; harshness does not suit it at all.

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.