Description. The Wetterhoun is a medium to large dog standing some 21-23 inches in height and weighing 33-44 pounds. It has fairly short hair covering its legs and head whereas the rest of its body is covered in a curly, thick, and coarse coat. The coat should not be woolly, but it is naturally oily. They can come in a variety of colours being a one colour in the liver or black, and dual colours of black and white, or liver and white. There is a square appearance to their body. Their eyes are alert and quite prominent there is a strong and large head. The front legs stand broadly apart due to the size of the chest. Their feet are large and round in shape with heavy pads. When they are alert the dog's tail curls tightly over its back.

History. The name Wetterhoun is from the Dutch and means water dog. The breed originated in the Friesland area of Holland, some 400 years ago. It is a rare breed and is not usually seen outside of Holland. It is believed their ancestry comes from the old water dog, which is now extinct. The old water dog contributed to many of today’s Spaniel type breeds. The Wetterhoun was bred specifically for the hunting and killing of otters, due to the impact otters had on the local fish population. Once the otter population was more controlled, the Wetterhoun started being used to hunt small land animals and in the guarding of farms. As a breed they are well built and rugged making them very good gun dogs they are excellent at both retrieving and flushing the game, whether it is in the water or on land. They are a fearless dog and have been known to go face-to-face with Wildcats.

Temperament. These are definitely not a breed you want as your first dog. Experience of how to handle dogs is vital with the Wetterhoun. They’re a strong dog with excellent stamina, which can make them very physically demanding. They are reliable watchful and very brave. They are quick to learn and very independent, in themselves. Due mostly to their inteligence any unreasonable request made of this dog is likely to just be ignored. This independence obviously has some impact upon their training. Training would need to be consistent and firm but very fair; shouting at this dog will only alienate them. They respond very well to praise, and this is of course one of the keys to training them well. As long as they are socialised from a young age and they know their place within the family they will make an excellent household pet, for an active family. As long as all these requirements are met they will be perfectly safe and happy with children, although they do not like to be teased, so should be supervised with particularly young children. They are good with other dogs and household pets, and many visitors to your house be given an enthusiastic welcome.

Health issues. Although the Wetterhoun has been around for a long time, because it is mostly restricted to Holland there are few health issues known about. This breed will live about 12 -13 years.

Grooming. A simple brush and combing, now and then is all this dog really needs. Because the Wetterhoun is a water dog it is necessary to check and clean their ears to prevent any infections.

Living conditions. Wetterhouns’ are not suited to apartment life and in fact do not do well in any city area. This is a breed which likes to be in the country setting. They can live outdoors as long as adequate shelter and provided for them, even in cold wet climates. However they would probably enjoy living with the family and taking part in the hustle and bustle of daily life in the home.