The history of the Markisesje, also known as the Dutch Tulip
Hound or the Hollandse Tulphond, a small black companion animal from the
Netherlands, is somewhat contested. There are those fanciers that maintain that
this is a very old breed, as evidenced by images that look very much like this
little black dog that can be found in paintings that were created in the 1600s,
although some people contest this idea,
stating that this dog has a very similar appearance to many different kinds of
spaniel, many of whom may have shared a
common ancestor. There are several fanciers of the breed who believe that this
breed was a likely contributor to several other Dutch breeds, such as the
Wetterhoun, the Stabyhoun, and the Kooikerhondje, a claim made by the official
breed club as well. There were very few records kept in regards to the breeding
of these companionable little dogs, so an
accurate record of their ancestry became difficult to trace. Many people
believe that the Markisesje as it stands today is a recreation of the original
breed that was begun when the first breed club was founded by Mrs van Ederen
and Mrs. Westenbrink-Koning in 1979, due
to the recent inclusion to the breed of dogs such as Chinese Crested dogs that
have been utilized in order to widen the gene pool. While these elegant little
companion animals have not yet been recognized by any of the major kennel
clubs, they were officially recognized by the Dutch Kennel Club in the
Netherlands on May 1st, 1999.
