For as long as I can remember we have had dogs in our home and they have always meant so much to me.  I cherish the memory of me  in Canada walking hand in hand with my grandfather at the age of 6 with a pail of oatmeal that my grandmother had cooked for the puppies.  We had many animal friends in our home and I think they added to our childhood pleasures and good memories, they saw our smiles ... and our tears.

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It is because of this positive experience that we have chosen to let our children experience the benefits of growing up with a dog.    According to the American Kennel Association, there may be some benefits for your family  when growing up with a pet, as Nienke Endenburg and Ben Baarda outlined in a research on The Role of Pets In Enhancing Well-being on Child-Development.  (Source PubMed 2010) Studies show that children that grow up with pets in the home may have higher self-esteem, are more compassionate, feel more supported, have better cognitive skills, have less stress, feel happier, be healthier and feel more responsible. After doing research and speaking to professionals, we decided a Kooikerhond was the dog we were looking for. 

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The long wait was awarded in 2017 when it was finally our turn to buy a puppy from Roel and Angelien Steenhuis from the Altforsterhof.  All the wating and talks and advice gotten from them has meant so much to us and has been so much worth it all.

 

Senna is very loving, affectionate, calm, playful, alert, and listens very well and she is very eager to learn. We put alot of effort into socialising her by taking her all over to give new impressions.  She was at the horse stables, school, daycare, the old age home and made friends with chickens and cats and most important, all sorts of people. We believe that this has contributed to the caring dog she is today.