Drentsche Patrijshond puppies

About the Drentsche Patrijshond

The Drentsche Patrijshond is a Dutch farm gundog from the province of Drenthe, kept as an all rounder that pointed and retrieved game, cleared vermin and watched the yard. It is a medium sized dog with a white coat marked in brown or orange, feathering on the legs and tail, and a soft, open expression. Drents are sociable and sensitive, stay close to their people, are notably quiet in the house, and rate at the top of the scale with both children and other pets.

This is not a breed for a sedentary home. A Drent wants a proper daily outing, hiking, running, canicross or scentwork, and it will keep going all day. The half long coat needs a weekly brush and heavier sessions when the undercoat drops, and the ear feathering needs stripping and checking. Training works through relationship rather than pressure, since a harsh correction shuts this dog down. The mistake is drilling it like a hard headed gundog.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Drentsche Patrijshond puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Progressive retinal atrophy and other inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist eye exam
• Entropion and ectropion of the eyelids, found on the same eye examination
• Von Willebrand's disease type I, detectable by DNA test, though affected Drents rarely show clinical bleeding
• Epilepsy, considered the breed's main health concern and diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
• Hypothyroidism, found on a thyroid blood panel

From Drentsche Patrijshond breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/drentsche-patrijshond/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Drentsche Patrijshond puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Drentsche Patrijshond.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 24.9 to 33.1 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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