Drentse Patrijshond

The Drentse Patrijshond is a Dutch pointing dog from the province of Drenthe — a versatile farm gun dog that never fully separated from the farmyard.

History

It descends from spaniel types that reached the Netherlands from France and Spain, and worked on Drenthe farms as a partridge dog, ratter and watchdog at once. It was recognised as a breed in 1943 and remains largely a Dutch breed.

Temperament

The breed is known for being gentle, loyal and adaptable, softer than most pointing breeds and genuinely a family dog as well as a hunting one. It is sensitive and dislikes being separated from its people.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and does well with work that uses its nose. Training should be patient and encouraging; pressure makes it shut down. The medium coat needs regular brushing.

Health

Known tendencies include hip dysplasia and a hereditary kidney condition in some lines that breeders monitor. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.