Dutch Smoushond

The Dutch Smoushond is affectionate, gay, friendly and free spirited by nature, has a lively disposition but is not nervously over-active, nor easily frightened.

In the middle of the nineteenth century it was very popular amongst the upper middle classes in the Netherlands to follow horse and carriage and to catch rats in the stables. Although the origin of the breed is uncertain it is generally believed that the yellow Schnauzer was one of the original dogs in the creation of the breed. A dog dealer in Amsterdam sold these dogs as ?Gentleman?s stable dogs? to visitors of the Amsterdam commodity exchange. Soon the name changed into ?Smous? i.e. rough bearded. This was to distinguish it from the Brussels Griffon. The first Standard dates back to 1905; it was drawn up by Messrs. H.A. Earl of Bylandt, A. Woltman Elpers and L. Seegers. After a long period in which popularity and decreasing public interest took turns, the last litter was registered in the Dutch Stud book, Nederlands Honden Stamboek (N.H.S.B.) in 1949. In 1973 Mrs H.M. Barkman van der Weel took the initiative to reconstruct the breed. She started with crossbreeds that looked like the Dutch Smousdog.

Since 1978 the interests of the Hollandse Smoushond is protected by the Hollandse Smoushonden Club. In 1980 the 1905 standard was revised.