Dutch Shepherds are native to the Netherlands and were originally used to herd and guard chickens, cows, and other livestock.  Descended from a similar group of ancestors as German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, they're well-suited to lives as military or police dogs. In 1898, a new breed of shepherd dog was declared in the Netherlands.  At first, the Dutch Shepherd could be any color, but in 1914, it was decided that only brindle dogs could be classified under that name.  This was done to make clear distinctions between the then-similar Belgian and German Shepherds and the Dutch Shepherd.  Today, Belgian and German Shepherds are very different from the breeds of the 1900s.  The Dutch Shepherd, however, has remained much the same over the last 100 plus years.  This is despite a short time during the 1950s that the breed nearly disappeared altogether. Today, the Dutch Shepherd is still a fairly rare breed, especially in America.  Most of these dogs found in the states are employed as military working dogs.  They're strong, independent dogs with a willingness to work hard.  Most are utilized for tracking and, because of their ancestry, are accustomed to overcoming adversity.  This makes them extremely valuable and versatile working dogs.