Yvet Opmeer

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1. Introduction The Kooiker dog, officially called ‘het Nederlands Kooikerhondje’, and hereafter called Kooiker dog, is a small Spaniel-type breed historically used to catch ducks in a decoy [ 1 ]. Although the breed most likely dates back to the 16th century [ 2 ], it faced extinction in the 20th century as it had lost its purpose. However, shortly after World War II, the breed was re-established by Baroness van Hardenbroek van Ammerstol by carefully selecting a small number of Kooiker dogs.