Meet the Three of Us
Claasje with Martina + Hans-Werner
Here, you see us on holiday in Berchtesgadener Land, we were there for 1 week this year.
We love to be out in the beautiful nature and went for some great hikes in the gorgeous mountains.
It goes without saying that Claasje had lots of fun. The unknown, new environment triggered his excitment and had him do a lot of sniffing work, trying to work out what was going on there. He especially loved the crystal clear waters of the lake and the rivers. He paddled about in the water and went for shells and other things with his little paws.
He was especially brave to get up on top of one of the mountains, which is where this photo was taken: Claasje rode on the chairlift with us, for the first time in his dog's life!
And he did it with flying colours! - At first he looked a little anxious when the lift was setting off uphill, but he soon snuggled up to us and looked around with interest. - Well done, Claasje!
Where We Live
Although we don't live near the Alps or upon Ameland by the sea, this rural countryside at the foot of the rolling green Rothaar hills is a place not too bad at all if you enjoy being out and about. The small town of Netphen lies on the outskirts of the district town of Siegen and is easy to reach via the A45 from both the north and the south.
Right on the outskirts of Netphen, the Rothaar ridge rises to form a still well-wooded low mountain range, where it is wonderful to hike on the many marked trails.
The Rothaarsteig hike runs for around 155 km from Dillenburg/Hessen to Brilon/ Sauerland. There are many hiking trails and circular routes on the Rothaarsteig and Claasje has already explored some of the routes with us here on his four paws.
How It All Began
My husband Hans-Werner and I, Martina, noticed at some point in our lives that somehow something was missing during our walks together. We kept meeting people with dogs on the way, and soon it became clear to us what it was that would enrich our lives - and our hikes together - so much...
After we had considered and discussed this thoroughly, we finally decided to enrich our life together with a four-legged family member.
From 2020 onwards we informed ourselves in various ways about the different dog breeds, read about typical breed characteristics, size, temperament and experiences of dog owners.
In the end, we liked the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje best. And the topic of sensitivity, instead of putting us off, rather enchanted us.
Now the search began for a good and responsible kennel that would entrust us with one of their puppies.
Here, the breeder list on the DCK homepage helped us all along the line. With it we could be sure that the puppies raised there came from a responsible breeder.
Finally, after we had written many applications, we finally found a very nice and competent kennel, namely "Von der Fliederbrücke" of Christine and Stefan Ochs. To our great joy, we got indeed shortlisted here soon.
Their adorable female Bonni "Brillant Bonita of Young Diamonds" and her best friends Felya and Caisy found us worthy to be included in the circle of positive prospects after careful examination and a thorough tasting and lick check in the garden pavillion of the Fliederbrücke.
Fortunately, the breeder couple had no objections against their choice.
From then on, we kept receiving regular and much loved information about mum Bonni, the birth of her sweet puppies and their further development.
So from the very beginning we were privy to the growing and thriving of the little ones, as well as to the socialisation, play, fun and learning of the growing tiny ones under the loving care and nurturing their loving and caring mum Bonni and her owners Christine & Stefan.
At first, we had taken the smallest of the puppies to our hearts. On our first visit to the garden of the Fliederbrücke, however, it soon became apparent to our great dismay that the chemistry here unfortunately did not seem to be right at all: The little one did not care to take to us at all, he repeatedly and consistently resisted our advances.
Instead, as soon as I (Martina) sat down, little Claasje came running towards me with his ears bobbing, jumped into my lap and lovingly began to nibble my earlobe! My heart melted. - We had always liked the cute Claasje too, but he had already had his future family visiting the day before and was promised to these people. But the sweet little guy always came back to us and afterwards he fell asleep comfortably and contentedly in Hans-Werner's lap.
Sadly, I told Christine that unfortunately the wrong one had taken to us, but we realised that it was no use taking the pup we had chosen. Christine and Stefan absolutely agreed with us.
I told them that we had always been fond of the literally charming little Claasje, too, and that we would have liked to take him if he hadn't already been promised to another family.
After a mischievous exchange of silent looks with Stefan, she said with a broad smile: "You won't believe it, but the family who was here yesterday for Claasje had the same thing happen to them as you experienced today with your originally chosen pup! - The dogs have already decided between themselves. Claasje chose you."
At first they had slight reservations because they thought Claasje was rather a wilful little chap who needed consistent leadership. Now, as time has passed, they are happy to see how well he is developing and that their decision had been a good one. - We will definitely keep at it with Claasje, it is a common path, a common growth.
Christine and Stefan had also asked us if we could imagine to have Claasje registered as a stud dog one day -after all, he is a very beautiful male that they considered is well suited for this role. - We declined, because until then we had not dealt with this topic at all and could not imagine it at first.
Finally, when it was time for the puppies to move out, we were allowed to take Claasje into our arms and take him home. He had already won our hearts long ago. We were - and still are! - overjoyed with him!
Claasje is a happy hondje with a lot of joy in movement, and we always enjoy watching him he running off the leash in a stretched run with a happy grin on his doggy face and waving ear "bellen" across the meadow, in wild circles and always close to us. Since then, he has enriched our walks and hikes in a heart-warming way with his joie de vivre, playfulness and cheerful wagging of the tail.
He can stay on his own well for a few hours if we can't take him with us, and he has never broken anything - we can leave our shoes out in the room without without any worries. He waits there quietly in his spot for our return. - In the evenings, he snuggles up to Frauli's legs on the sofa or outside in the deck chair, and is on hand as an office helper in the home office, where he makes sure that Frauli will take a little break in between.
Office clerk
in the home office
After Claasje had settled in his new home with us, we soon started taking him to the puppy group at the dog school of our choice where he very much enjoyed playing with the other puppies - he was a little shy at first, but soon he was dashing about the meadow with them.
Claasje with Hans-Werner at the dog school of our choice
(Hundeschule Terzyk, Friesenhagen)
This was followed by the youngsters' dog class and the first training group. To this day, he always participates with great joy and eagerness!
He particularly enjoys the group "Fun and Play with Dogs" with parcours leading through tunnels, over a high A-wall, across small jumps, through hoops or a slalom. Exercises such as having to wait and coming upon being called only are also on the agenda.
As we would like to learn to understand him even better, we enrolled as a team in a group called "Human-Dog Body Language" in July this year. A very recommendable topic.
We also keep booking individual classes between courses.
The proud winner Claasje with Christine Ochs who
handled him in the ring and led him to his first V1
Claasje accompanies us everywhere, in all situations, where it is possible and permitted without any danger for him:
From the daily extended walks and hikes in our beautiful surroundings to visits to relatives and friends, sometimes with many-voiced singing (which he attends in a very relaxed manner), and of course to our holidays, he shares and enriches our lives as a matter of course.
He enjoys venturing with a happy attidude and then dreams about his impressions of the day in the evening, tired and relaxed and snuggled up to us. - Whether at home, at the seaside or in the Alps - our heart's Hondje is with us everywhere.
Claasje has developed wonderfully and has grown into a handsome and healthy Kooiker male with an amiable character.
He himself has finally convinced us to have him approved as a stud dog for breeding in the DCK.
Especially the results of his examinations show that with his good lineage he is free of all of the examined health impairments.
On 29 April 2023 we registered him for his first show in the intermediate class in Bramsche. Handled by his breeder Christine Ochs (we ourselves had not yet felt ready for this!) and to the greatest joy of us all he finished with a grand V1.
That same day, he also passed the stud dog approval test with flying colours under the guidance of Barbara Schenck.
After our attendance of the breeders´seminar in Wardenburg near Oldenburg at the beginning of June, Claasje received his official approval
as a stud dog in the DCK/FCI from the Breeding Commission.
We are very proud of our Claasje!
We are also very happy to belong to the DCK community of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes with Claasje.
Now we look forward to the future with much appreciation in the hope that with his healthy line, Claasje may one day contribute to the healthy preservation and growth of this lovely dog breed of the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje.
In the meantime, we can no longer imagine what it was like without our hearts' and souls' hondje and are overjoyed that Claasje now belongs to us.
Whether he is a stud dog or not, we love our Charmant Claasje just the way he is, with everything that makes him special. For all his temperament, he is also an extremely sweet guy with a deep connection and trust in us.
Greetings from Netphen from the three of us, and a big hug to our phantastic breeders Christine and Stefan Ochs Von der Fliederbrücke, who have provided us with advice and support from the very first day whenever we needed it, with all of their big hearts, and who still continue to do so to this day.
