There was big news in Kooikers this week as the first breeding occurred as part of an outcross (crossbreeding) project initiated by Suomen Kooikerhondje ry, the Finnish Kooikerhondje Club. A Kooikerhondje in Finland was bred to a working line cocker spaniel in an effort to introduce new genetics to a breed that has been struggling … Continue reading Outcross program initiated for Kooikerhondjes

One of the major selling points for Kooikers is how little grooming they require - and it's true! But it doesn't mean NO grooming, and this post is about striking that happy medium. A Kooiker owner shouldn't need to take their dog to a professional groomer, but they should be prepared to do occasional maintenance … Continue reading Grooming Kooikerhondjes

This Christmas weekend, Casper and I went out with a friend for a reserve hunt, where I was able to focus on shooting photos instead of birds so I could write this post! We had a great time, and it was northern-dog Casper's first time on southern-bird bobwhite quail, so it took him a few … Continue reading Kooikerhondjes as bird dogs

As it's highly likely that a new Kooikerhondje owner's dog will be the first individual of the breed seen by any given veterinary clinic, a few years ago I drafted a "handout" for the H&G Committee, intended to be a brief summary of Kooiker health. This is not meant as medical advice, merely a primer … Continue reading Kooikerhondje Info for Veterinarians

The VHNK and Utrecht University have published a new survey attempting to gather behavioral data about your Kooikerhondje. This is an important opportunity to contribute to ongoing research towards the development of characterizing temperament in the developing Kooiker breeding management app. You'll need your dog's microchip #, registration # and registered name. Find links here: … Continue reading Contribute to Kooiker behavioral research

Last weekend we drove nearly 1000 miles to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to compete in a wonderful charity Flyball tournament in Escanaba, MI. It was a UFLI tournament and Casper got a Singles spot so he could officially go for the Kooikerhondje speed record, which was the only North American breed Flyball record he … Continue reading Casper has every breed Flyball record!

One of the "barriers to entry" for potential enthusiasts of Kooikerhondjes is that we as Americans aren't quite used to a structure where all of the information is "held" by a foreign organization. Most Americans also are unfamiliar with how to transfer money within the European system of bank accounts. It can be intimidating and … Continue reading Accessing Kooiker data in the Register/Zooeasy and joining the VHNK – AKA how to send Euros!

I just read a surprisingly good article by AKC called "Sign Right Here: Everything You Need to Know About Breeder Contracts" and wanted to share. Contracts are an area of study I find personally fascinating, and I have drafted quite a few (and am currently waiting on lawyer review of one!). It's hard or impossible … Continue reading Contracts

I found this post from nearly three years ago lurking in my "drafts" folder. I am publishing it in the stream-of-consciousness form as it was written at the time, and will add updates below. I wanted to write this down, primarily for future myself... because nobody talks about it! But we have recently undertaken the … Continue reading Semen Collection & Freezing Journey