Van Horushuis Dutch Shepherds

10/09/2026

I finally put together a merch store with our logo!

Check out van Horushuis Dutch Shepherds on Bonfire and shop official merchandise today! Featuring limited edition custom apparel, printed with care in the USA just for you.

08/10/2026

The Gemstones litter is 3 weeks old!

Males
💛 Yellow – Jasper Forge van Horushuis
❤️ Red – Kyanite Valor van Horushuis
💜 Purple – Obsidian Edge van Horushuis
💙 Blue – Tiger's Eye van Horushuis
🥇 Gold – Black Onyx van Horushuis

Females
🩵 Teal – Golden Sunstone van Horushuis
🩷 Pink – Iolite Eclipse van Horushuis
❤️‍🩹 Maroon – Morganite Dawn van Horushuis
🖤 Black – Moonstone Shadow van Horushuis

08/10/2026

Weaning is about more than simply getting puppies to eat. It’s an opportunity to build adaptable, confident eaters.

As our puppies transition to solid food, we gradually introduce a variety of quality protein sources. Exposure to different proteins, flavors, smells, and textures can encourage food acceptance, make future diet changes easier, and potentially support broader food tolerance as puppies become accustomed to a variety of ingredients.

Different proteins also provide different nutritional profiles, adding variety to an appropriately balanced diet.

The key is gradual introduction. We introduce new proteins one at a time and monitor each puppy’s digestion and stool quality rather than overwhelming their developing digestive systems.

And at 3 weeks of age, we begin introducing potty training. Puppies are naturally beginning to move away from their sleeping area to eliminate, so we take advantage of this developmental stage by providing an appropriate potty area and encouraging those natural instincts.

Weaning,, potty training, and early experiences all play a role in helping our puppies become adaptable, confident, and successful working dogs. ❤️

08/03/2026

The gemstones litter is 16 days old!

Males
💛 Yellow – Jasper Forge van Horushuis
❤️ Red – Kyanite Valor van Horushuis
💜 Purple – Obsidian Edge van Horushuis
💙 Blue – Tiger's Eye van Horushuis
🥇 Gold – Black Onyx van Horushuis

Females
🩵 Teal – Golden Sunstone van Horushuis
🩷 Pink – Iolite Eclipse van Horushuis
❤️‍🩹 Maroon – Morganite Dawn van Horushuis
🖤 Black – Moonstone Shadow van Horushuis

07/30/2026

The Gemstones litter is 13 days old!

Two weeks old marks a huge milestone in puppy development!

Eyes are opening, hearing is beginning to develop, and puppies are becoming more aware of the world around them. Their movements are getting stronger as they start wobbling around the whelping box and interacting more with their littermates.

This is the beginning of an important developmental period. While puppies still need lots of sleep and should not be overstimulated, gentle handling, careful observation, and a clean environment help lay the foundation for healthy physical and behavioral development.

07/30/2026

"How did two brindle Dutch Shepherds produce a fawn or sable puppy?"

Well, the answer lies in genetics.

Many people think brindle is a color. It isn't. Brindle is a pattern that overlays a dog's base coat color.

The K locus controls whether a dog can express brindle:
• Kᵇ = dominant solid black
• kᵇʳ = brindle
• kʸ = allows the A locus (agouti) pattern, such as sable or fawn, to show

If two brindle dogs are both kᵇʳ/kʸ, each puppy has a 25% chance of inheriting kʸ/kʸ. Those puppies cannot express brindle, so their underlying color, often fawn or sable, is visible instead.

This doesn't mean another breed was introduced, and it doesn't mean the litter is "incorrect." It simply means both parents carried the recessive kʸ allele, and the right genetic combination came together in that puppy.

This is why DNA testing and an understanding of canine coat color genetics are so valuable. The dogs in front of us don't always reveal everything they're carrying genetically, and every litter is a reminder that genetics can still surprise even experienced breeders.

It's not magic, and it's not a mistake.
It's genetics doing exactly what genetics do. 🧬

07/28/2026

Resource guarding is a normal canine behavior rooted in survival. Their instincts tell them that protecting valuable resources like food can be the difference between life and death. The goal isn't to punish this instinct, it's to help prevent it from becoming a problem.

From the very beginning, I create positive associations with people approaching while puppies are eating. Instead of taking food away, I add something even better, teaching them that human hands bring good things, not competition or loss.

Early puppy raising matters. Every positive experience helps build confident, trusting dogs and reduces the likelihood of preventable behavior issues later in life.

The secret to no resource guarding? There's always more of the resource than there are puppies! No need to fight over one beef trachea when there are 8 to choose from!

Enjoy your treats my loves! 💕

07/27/2026

One of the most important parts of being a breeder isn't just planning pedigrees, health testing, or raising puppies—it's observing them.

From the day they're born, I'm constantly watching. I watch how they recover from new experiences, how they interact with their littermates, how they solve problems, how confident they are, how they handle frustration, and how their personalities begin to develop.

Those little moments tell me so much.

Every puppy is an individual. Some are naturally bold, some are thoughtful, some are incredibly people-focused, and others are independent. My job is to recognize those differences—not try to change them.

These observations help me make the best possible matches between my puppies and their future families. A high drive puppy destined for sport or working homes may not be the best fit for a first time owner looking for an active companion. Likewise, a quieter puppy might thrive in an environment where a more intense puppy wouldn't.

Matching puppies isn't about who picks first or who has the favorite color collar. It's about setting both the puppy and the family up for a lifetime of success.

This morning the puppies experienced a change in their environment, and a new brain game toy. I sat quietly and watched them, taking notes. 💕

07/27/2026

Then there were 6!
The Assassin's Creed litter turned 8 weeks old yesterday, and 5 of them left to start their adventures with their people! The other puppies are waiting for their people to fly here and pick them up over the next couple weeks.
I'm cherishing every moment with them!

07/25/2026

This litter was all placed before they were born, but life happens sometimes and I had a couple people have to move their deposits to next year. That means I unexpectedly have some availability for the Rival and Ryko litter!

5 males, 4 females were born on 7/17/2026
I expect very social, medium to high drive puppies from this combination! Hoping to find some homes that are open to showing in conformation, but preference will go to performance homes! Both parents have offspring currently doing performance sports and real world work!

Please submit an application if interested!⬇️
https://form.jotform.com/242080166667156?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv0&fbclid=IwY2xjawTR_BRwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMTJVRTRoOTBhWEpkcGlnT1RzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeN3tuJqNRbESD9mbvRkUiaqIMsSugKNue-qwfs0OZDL0YTlOS_jl9er2lqhM_aem_hMEzgzZvFn5Mn4Z25HQwuQ

Pedigree ⬇️
https://www.working-dog.com/breed/van-Horushuis-330411