They’ve been described as “uncouth,” sturdy and large, and sometimes pig-headed. Perspective, however, is everything. The Wetterhoun (pronounced Vetterhoun), has legions of fans who’ve come to understand the modus operandi of these gentle dogs. Is it really stubbornness, or is it just that a Wetterhoun works at its own speed? Of course the dog will fetch the ball you just threw. It may take an hour, but he’ll get it done. If there is a delectable smell, the Wetterhoun will take however long it takes to sort it out, but he will sort it out.  He’s is absolutely your dog when there’s a task to be done, but he’ll do the job his way and in his time. Perhaps the better word for this characteristic is perseverance.

As for uncouth, well, it’s just that the breed simply doesn’t know it’s own size and weight. It means well, and because the most important thing to a Wetterhoun is a happy owner, it will work hard to please (see above for, “in its own way and time”).

Despite a rather grim expression, this is a good natured dog described by the Dutch Wetterhoun Club as,  “A cautious Frysk with a heart of gold.”

Image by 23dingenvoormusea shared under  Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.