Frisian Water Dog

		Frisian Water Dog
		FCI standard Nº 221

Origin		The Netherlands
Translation		Diana Striegel-Oskam (Official language: EN)
Group		Group 8 Retrievers-Flushing Dogs- Water Dogs
Section		Section 3 Water Dogs
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Monday 21 December 1959
Publication of the official valid standard		Thursday 08 June 2023
Last update		Thursday 06 July 2023
En français, cette race se dit		Chien d'eau frison
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Friesischer Wasserhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro de agua frisón
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Wetterhoun

Usage

Hunting dog, water dog, traditionally otter hunting, guarding the yard.

Brief historical summary

Supposedly brought by gypsies and / or sailors from countries around the Baltic Sea. In the 19th and 20th century they were used to pull dog carts, but were mostly used as a hunting dog on the otter and other small predators. The Wetterhoun was mainly found in water rich areas in Friesland; the northern part of the Netherlands. In the early 20th century, the Wetterhoun and the Stabijhoun were regularly crossbred with each other, threatening to undermine the unique variety of each.
In 1938, a group of enthusiasts of the ‘Kynologenclub Fryslân’ began purifying the breed again and, in 1942, both breeds were officially recognized. Important names connected with this process were : J. Bos, T. van Dijk, B. de Graaf and W. Hoeksema. The first standard was dated February 10, 1944. The current population (2013) is about 1000 dogs worldwide.

General appearance

A simple dog, overall picture square, powerful build, compact without being heavy or cumbersome.

Important proportions

The withers height compared to body length, measured from prosternum to the point of the buttock, has a ratio of 1: 1.
The distance between the withers to the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbow to the ground.

Behaviour / temperament

The Wetterhoun is self-willed by nature. As a family pet, the Wetterhoun is affectionate. In and around the house, the Wetterhoun is watchful and keen to catch vermin. The Wetterhoun can initially be reserved with strangers, but should not be fearful.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Dry. Size in proportion to the body, robust and powerful. Must clearly show its gender. Skull (from stop to occiput) is slightly longer than the muzzle (from stop to point of nose).
Skull		Shape of skull, direction of axes of skull and muzzle should be parallel. Slightly arched, giving the impression of being broader than long, gently sloping into the cheeks.
Stop		The transition from skull to muzzle is gradual and only marked slightly.

Facial region
Nose		Black for dogs with a black basecoat colour. Brown for dogs with a brown basecoat colour. Well developed, with well opened nostrils.
Muzzle		Broad and firm with a straight nasal bridge.
Lips		Tightly fitting.
Jaws and teeth		Powerful scissor bite and complete. According to the teeth formula.
Cheeks		Cheek muscles are moderately developed.
Eyes		Medium sized, oval shaped with tight fitting eyelids. The eyes are placed slightly oblique, which is part of creating a grim expression. Colour dark brown for dogs with a black base colour and brown for dogs with a brown base colour.
Ears		Set moderately low. The ear auricle is not too wide open, so the ears are worn smoothly against the head without a fold. The ears are moderately long and have the shape of a mason’s trowel. The hair of the ear is a typical characteristic of the breed. It is curled, rather long at the base of the ear, decreasing in length to the lower 1/3 part where the ear is covered with short hair.

Neck

Short and powerful, round, merging into the topline with a very blunt angle, resulting in the head being carried low while moving. The neck is slightly arched without throatiness.

Body
Body		Very powerful, muscular.
Topline		Level.
Withers		Strong, not prominent.
Back		Straight and short.
Loin		Powerful.
Croup		Slightly sloping.
Chest		Viewed from the front, the chest is rather broad, showing more width than depth, so the fore legs are rather wide apart. The underside of the ribcage should not be pointy nor lower than the elbow.
Ribs		Ribs well-rounded with well developed last ribs.
Underline and belly		Contour of underline, shape of belly and flanks smooth lined and the belly moderately tucked up.

Tail

Long, and rolled into a spiral carried over or alongside of the croup.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Muscular and sufficient angulation, straight legs, fairly far apart.
Shoulders		Well connected to the body. Shoulder blade moderately inclined.
Upper arm		Sufficient angulated relative to the scapula.
Elbows		Fitting closely to the ribs.
Forearm		Strong, straight and parallel.
Carpal		Powerful, straight when seen from the front, slightly sloping when seen from the side.
Pastern		Slightly sloping.
Forefeet		Powerful, round feet, toes well developed and arched and pointing forward. Closed. Paw pads strong.

Hindquarters
Generality		Moderate angulated. Hocks parallel as seen from the rear.
Upper thigh		Strong, moderate angulation with the hip joint.
Lower thigh		Of good length.
Stifle		Slightly angulated.
Metatarsus		Relatively short.
Hock		Set low.
Hind feet		Similar to forefeet.

Gait and movement

Powerful, sufficient drive. When viewed from the front, the Wetterhoun has fairly broad movement. While moving, the head is carried slightly above the topline. Tends to pace, which is less desirable, but acceptable.

Skin

Firm, well fitting, without wrinkles or folds.

Coat
Hair		Dense curls : these are solid, firm curls of hair bundles. The hair itself is quite coarse and feels greasy. Head and legs are covered with short hair.
Colour		Solid black with white markings on the chest and / or toes and solid brown with white markings on the chest and / or toes. Black patches and brown patches, ticking and roan is allowed.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Ideal size : Males : 59 cm, Females : 55 cm.
Weight		Approximately 34 kg, Females : Approximately 28 kg .

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Too narrow skull.

Sagging feet.

Lips too loose and heavy.

Bulging or deep set eyes.

Yellow bird or prey-like eyes.

Muzzle not straight.

Ears, not close to the head.

Ears with a thick auricle.

Serious faults

Lack of sexual dimorphism.

Missing multiple teeth (P1 and M3 are not taken into account).

Any colour other than the colour as defined.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

Under- or overbite.

Insufficient breed type.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Additional information from visitors

Created in Friesland in the 17th century, the Dutch Wetterhoun is believed by some to be a result of crossing the Stabyhoun with the Otterhound, but there are also other theories, tracing its heritage to imported Spanish water spaniels. Regardless of its origin, this Dutch working breed was established as a superb hunter of otters and other small game, as well as a versatile gundog and retriever. Its strong guarding instincts make it a good watchdog, but some specimens can be overly territorial if not socialized properly. The Wetterhoun is intelligent and loyal, although it can be quite stubborn and difficult to train. Deep-chested and agile, it is an excellent swimmer and a very fast runner. The curly coat is dense and rough, reasonably easy to maintain and fully waterproof. Most dogs are black, but liver, brown and bicoloured specimens are fairly common. Average height is around 22 inches.

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Frisian Water Dog