Dutch Dog Names

Amongst innumerable things that the Dutch are famous for – the most well-known being windmills, tulips, and legalized marijuana – they are also a nation of people that devote a lot of effort into keeping their canine friends off the streets. To illustrate, out of 17 million citizens, 1 out of 5 people in the Netherlands are proud dog-owners, and even more importantly, over the years, adopting cross-breed dogs instead of buying a puppy with a pedigree became the usual practice.

This practice isn’t just a matter of activism and eco-prudence that is a prevalent preoccupation of the majority of Northerners in recent years. On the contrary, the amazing care and fellowship that the Dutch have with their dogs are almost as ancient as the nation itself.

The dog that changed it all was named Pompey, and his owner was none other than William the Silent, the Prince of Orange. We say none other because of the measly fact that the Dutch consider him to be their ‘Father of the Fatherland’, mainly because he was the one to organize an uprising against the Spanish rule and lead the Netherlands towards independence. As the legend goes, The Eighty Years’ War is the backdrop of the story of Pompey’s heroism, as if it hadn’t been for this vigilant doggo, the Dutch may not have become independent way back in the 16^th century.

According to the legend, it all happened in Hermigny, France. One night in 1572, William the Silent was resting in his tent in the midst of his camp, taking a break from the continuous battles with the Spanish during the Siege of Mons. Luckily for him, he was wise enough to sleep with his loyal Pompey at his side. Luckily, because a few men crept into his camp with the intention to take his life, and probably would have if Pompey hadn’t alarmed the Prince of Orange by barking, scratching him, and finally, jumping on his head to wake him up. This feat earned Pompey a monument placed at the Church of St. Ursula in Delft, where he is carved right next to his master’s feet, guarding him for all eternity.

If this story has taught us anything, apart from the amazing shrewdness that dogs possess, it’s the fact that you shouldn’t be ashamed of sleeping with your beloved pooch as it can indeed be a matter of life and death.