- Self-coloured yellow in any shades with a preference for a dark straw colour.
- Ears, moustaches, beard and eyebrows may be of a darker nuance of yellow.
- Undesirable: Any other colour than yellow
About the Dutch Smoushond
Origin: The Netherlands
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Small — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 9-11 kg
- Female
- 8-10 kg
- Height
- Male
- 35.5-42 cm
- Female
- 33-42 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
- Origin
- The Netherlands
- Also called
- Perro Smous Holandes
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Dutch Smoushond?
A small, lively terrier-type companion dog of Dutch origin, characterized by its shaggy, wiry yellow coat, cheerful expression, and friendly disposition. Originally bred as a stable ratter in 19th century Amsterdam, it is now a cherished family companion.
Dutch Smoushond history and origins
Developed in 19th century Amsterdam as a stable dog for controlling vermin. Nearly faced extinction after World War II but was revived through dedicated breeding program led by Mrs. H.M. Barkman van der Weel in the 1970s. Recognized by FCI and UK Kennel Club.
Dutch Smoushond appearance and size
Males typically weigh 9-11 kg and stand 35.5-42 cm at the shoulder; females 8-10 kg and 33-42 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Companion Dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“The Dutch is affectionate, gay, friendly and free spirited by nature, has a lively disposition but is not nervously over-active, nor easily frightened. Smoushond”
Quoted from FCI standard n°308. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Small
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Companion Dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 2 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Dutch Smoushond
What you get with the Dutch Smoushond
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Companion Dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The Dutch is affectionate, gay, friendly and free spirited by nature, has a lively disposition but is not nervously…”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “The hair on legs is pointing backwards, thus suggesting a slight feathering”
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 · Dutch Smoushond
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged undesirable.
Coat
Hair on the body is coarse, wiry, harsh, straight and with an unkempt look about it, approx. 4-7 cms long with a sufficient undercoat.
Curly or woolly coat and tendencies to mat are undesirable.
Hair on the head is preferably of the same wiry texture as on the body.
The hair is longer on the cheeks and forms moustaches, beard and eyebrows.
The eyebrows may drop a little over the eyes as long as they do not hide the eyes or interfere with the sight.
The legs are covered with the same textured hair as on the body though slightly shorter.
The hair on legs is pointing backwards, thus suggesting a slight feathering
no dense or woolly coat must cover the legs, thus hiding the true outline.
The hair on the tail is bushy all over
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°308 — 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 standard penalises
What a judge marks the Dutch Smoushond 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.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Lack of breed type.
- Fraudulent modification of the dog or evidence of such practice by use of substances or surgery
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Dutch Smoushond in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Dutch Smoushond
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Dutch Smoushond 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 Dutch Smoushond 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 Dutch Smoushond 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.