- Solid black with white markings on the chest and / or toes and solid brown with white markings on the chest and / or toes.
- Permissible: Black patches and brown patches, ticking and roan
About the Wetterhoun
Origin: The Netherlands
- Typical life span
- 12-14 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 25-35 kg
- Female
- 20-30 kg
- Height
- Male
- 56-64 cm
- Female
- 52-61 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs
- Origin
- The Netherlands
- Also called
- Perro de Agua Frison
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Wetterhoun?
Medium-sized Dutch water dog from Friesland with a distinctive thick, curly, water-resistant coat. Originally bred for hunting otters and waterfowl, this robust breed combines independence with loyalty and serves as both a versatile hunting dog and natural watchdog.
Wetterhoun history and origins
Ancient Dutch breed from the province of Friesland, used for centuries to hunt otters and waterfowl. The name translates to 'water dog.' Nearly extinct after WWII but preserved through dedicated breeding programs and recognized by FCI as a rare national breed.
Wetterhoun appearance and size
Males typically weigh 25-35 kg and stand 56-64 cm at the shoulder; females 20-30 kg and 52-61 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hunting dog, water dog, traditionally otter hunting, guarding the yard
- Behaviour and 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”
Quoted from FCI standard n°221. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 2 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Wetterhoun
What you get with the Wetterhoun
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hunting dog, water dog, traditionally otter hunting, guarding the yard”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The Wetterhoun is self-willed by nature”
- Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “Head and legs are covered with short hair”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Wetterhoun
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
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
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°221 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Ideal size: Males: 59 cm Females: 55 cm Weight: Males: Approximately 34 kg Females: Approximately 28 kg”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°221. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Wetterhoun down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Lack of sexual dimorphism
- Missing multiple teeth (P1 and M3 are not taken into account)
- Any colour other than the colour as defined
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Wetterhoun in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Wetterhoun
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Wetterhoun on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Wetterhoun owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Wetterhoun breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.