Breed History
It is generally accepted that the beginnings of this rare breed date back to the Spioenen (also called Spanjoelen) of Spain, which traveled northward, by way of the “Spanish Road” (a military supply and trade route) through what is now modern-day France, and eventually to the Netherlands in the early 16th century. The Small Munsterlander of Germany and the French Spaniel of France, which followed a similar development path, and are considered the closest relatives of the Drentsche Patrijshond.
The Dutch province of Drenthe may be most famous to outsiders for the many paintings of its dark, brooding stormy skies or possibly for its unofficial title as the “cycling province” of the Netherlands. Drenthe is also home to the legendary megalithic Hunebedden (funerary monuments), and where quintessential Dutch farm homes, built with thatched roofs, incredible brickwork, and timber frames, are found among beautiful rolling hills dotted with woodlands and fields. Among this backdrop is the birthplace of an archetypical European “do-it-all” hunting dog, the Drentsche Patrijshond.
In the time of the Drent's early development, Drenthe was unique among the seven provinces of De Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Provincien, in that the "common man" had the right to hunt. Unlike many other Continental hunting breeds, which were largely developed by and for the nobility and specializied in hunting a specific quarry under specific conditions, the "common man" of Drenthe could only afford one dog, and that dog was expected to do it all – hunt all game (feather and fur), pull duty as a watchdog on the small Dutch homestead, and be a playmate for the children – the very beginnings of the Drent’s “three pillars”. Drents were even used to pull the dog carts of the day, hauling milk from the farm to market.
Despite the Drent’s long and fabled history, it wasn't until rising feelings of patriotism following World War II that the Dutch farmer/hunter felt the impetus for pursuing kennel club recognition of the breed. The breed's first field trial and conformation show was held in April 1943; on May 15th, 1943, the Dutch Kennel Club officially recognized the Drentsche Patrijshond.
The first Drent to be exported to North America was likely by a returning serviceman in the 1960s, but it wasn't until the 1990s/early 2000s that the breed began to have a meaningful presence across the pond from its homeland. Today there are estimated to be about 4000 Drents worldwide and less than 150 individuals in North America.