Appearance: A medium sized, middle weighted, well-muscled dog of powerful and well-balanced structure. A dog with lots of endurance, a lively temperament and an intelligent expression. Depending on the coat the breed is distinguished in the following varieties; short, long and wire haired.
Temperament: Very loyal and reliable, always alert, watchful, active, independent, with persistence, intelligence, prepared to be obedient and gifted with true shepherding temperament, The Dutch Shepherd Dog works willingly together with its owner and deals independently with any task which is assigned to him.
When herding larger flocks he must have the capacity to work together with several other dogs.
Colour: Brindle: The basic colour is golden or silver. Golden can vary from light sand-coloured to chestnut red, the brindle is clearly present all over the body, in the ruff, breeches and tail. Too much black is undesirable. A black mask is preferable.
Grooming: Short haired variety needs just the occasional combing, with the exception during the shedding period in the spring and fall when a daily thorough brushing is needed.
Long haired variety needs to be groomed about once a week, or more frequently depending on work and environment.
Wire hair variety needs to be thoroughly brushed once a week, and twice a year the dead hair will need to be hand stripped. Over-bathing should be avoided to prevent dry itchy skin.