Wetterhoun

Wetterhoun
Frisian Water Dog

Black and white Wetterhoun
Other names	Otterhoun Dutch "Spaniel"
Origin	Netherlands
Classification / standards FCI Group 8, Section 3 Water Dogs #221 standard UKC Gun dogs standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Wetterhoun (FCI No.221, translated into English as the Frisian Water Dog) is a breed of dog traditionally used as a hunting dog for hunting small mammals and waterfowl in the province of Fryslan in the Netherlands. The name of the dog comes from the West Frisian Wetterhûn meaning "water dog." Plural of Wetterhoun is Wetterhounen in Dutch. The breed may also be called the Otterhoun (not to be confused with the Otterhound) or Dutch Spaniel, although it is not a Spaniel-type dog.

The Wetterhoun is a medium-sized dog between 55 and 59 centimeters (21.6-23 inches) at the withers. They weigh between 25 and 35 kilos (55 and 77 pounds). Their coat is thick and curly except for the head, ears and legs, where the coat is smoother; the water repellant coat is described as having a greasy feel. Coat colour may be solid black or brown, or black with white, or brown with white, with or without white ticking or roan marks. The texture of the coat should not be woolly, as such fur will not resist water. The ears are low set and hang flat to the head, and the tail curls tightly over the back. The breed has an unusual, somewhat grim expression due to the shape of the eyes, which marks it as different from other dog breeds.

The ancestral type of the Wetterhoun was developed at least 400 years ago in the Dutch province of Fryslan. The origins of the Wetterhoun are conjectured to be from Gypsy dogs, crossed with an indigenous Frisian dog, perhaps the Old Water Dog, a type which is now extinct. Dogs of this type were kept for the difficult and dangerous hunting of fitch (Mustela putorius) and otter (Lutra lutra) in the water. The dogs were also used for retrieving waterfowl and as watch dogs. Although the dogs almost disappeared during World War II, fanciers were able to bring the breed back through careful breeding, and it is gaining in popularity.