Collection: Personalised Dutch Shepherd Gifts

While the Shepherd breed of dogs is well-known, the Dutch Shepherd is perhaps the least well-known, yet it remains one of the most intelligent and hard-working of them all. This is why these pups are most frequently seen performing in strength, speed (agility), and obedience trials, and working with police and military forces. While tough to look after, the loyalty you’ll get from this dog is unmatched.

It’s hard to know when the Dutch Shepherd first started to appear since the breed was often mistaken for the Belgian Shepherd, which does admittedly look very similar. However, there are reports that state Dutch Shepherds first started to be intentionally bred around the early 1800s throughout The Netherlands for farming and security purposes.

Sadly, it was during World War II when land and resources were destroyed that the numbers greatly diminished and many bloodlines became extinct, bar a handful. Organisations, such as The Dutch Shepherd Club have tried to resurrect the breed, but this is going to take a long time yet.

What’s sad about Dutch Shepherds is the fact that they’re incredibly capable dogs that are lovely, affectionate, and extremely loyal to their owners, but due to their incredible intelligence, they can be extremely difficult to train and will try and push their boundaries to see what they can get away with.

However, it’s because of this that these pups are not ideal for first-time owners, and even experienced dog owners could have trouble keeping them under control. This is another reason why numbers are dwindling, although there are dedicated efforts to bring them back and make this once great dog popular once more.