The Dutch Partridge Dog, or Dretsche Patrijshond, had their beginnings in the Netherlands around the 16th century. These dogs were bred from Spionen, which arrived in the Netherlands via France and Spain. Drents were bred to be agile and adept hunters with excellent stamina. For centuries, the Ductch Partridge Dog was widely used for hunting and coursing game, though they remained undocumented until the 20th century. By the early 1900’s, enough of these dogs had traveled abroad that numbers of them were finally beginning to be documented. In 1943, a formal breed standard was drafted and accepted for the breed, and they gained official recognition the same year. In 2010, the AKC would also recognize the breed, as well as adding the breed to their Foundation Stock Program. This allows the Dutch Partridge Dog to participate in AKC events as of 2011.