This year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will feature two new breeds competing for Best in Show. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes and Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen were both welcomed into the AKC in 2018, and are ready to strut their stuff on the big stage on February 12th.
Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
Pronounced: Koi-ker-hond-yuh
Dutch for ‘little caging hound’, the Kooikerhondje is a small hunting dog hailing from the Netherlands and bred to lure ducks into nets and traps.
The Kooikerhondje has a beautiful, silky, and waterproof red and white coat, with distinctively long ear feathering known as ‘earrings’ and a fluffy tail that lures in the ducks with its sassy waggle.
Meet the Kooikerhondje
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen aka GBGV
Pronounced: Grand-Bah-SAY Gree-FOHN VON-day-uhn
The name translates to ‘large, low, wire-haired dog from the Vendée region of France’.
This shaggy, medium-sized hound was bred for hunting in packs with their humans on foot. The good-natured and friendly GBGV is great with kids and other dogs, but may be a little too independent for first-time dog parents.
Meet the Grand Basset Griffon
Hat Tip: MSN