Keeshond are medium sized dogs with big personalities! They adapt well to different living situations, making them a good choice as companion pets. Keeshond’s are about 17-18 inches (40 – 46cm) in height, weigh 35 to 45 pounds (14 – 21 kilos) and have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
Keeshond are good-natured and very affectionate, good with children, and love their human family. They were not bred for hunting or as guard dogs, but can make good watchdogs due to their alert nature, doing a good job of raising the alarm when appropriate.
Keeshond’s bond strongly to their loved ones, and they like to be included in family activities. Keeshond prefer to be near to their human companions as often as is possible.
Keeshond’s are a member of the Spitz group of dogs which include Pomeranians, Samoyeds, Chow Chows and other breeds. Like all Spitz type dogs, they have a wedge shaped, fox like head, dense coats and curled tails carried high over their backs, with a thick ruff around the neck. The coat is a combination of black and grey, and the soft, thick undercoat is cream or pale grey. The shadings and markings around the eyes can give the impression that a Kees is wearing spectacles.
Keeshond (pronounced kayz-hawnd), also go by other names, they include: Dutch Barge Dogs, The Laughing Dutchman, Wolfspitz, Chien Loup, German Wolfspitz, and Kees.
History:
The Keeshond is said to have an arctic origin and be named after the 18th-century Dutch Patriot, Cornelis (Kees) de Gyselaer, leader of a rebellion against the House of Orange. The dog became the rebels’ symbol and when the House of Orange returned to power, the breed dwindled almost disappearing. The word ‘keeshond’ is a compound word: ‘Kees’ is a nickname for Cornelius (de Gyselaer), and ‘hond’ is the Dutch word for dog. The Keeshond was used as a watch dog on barges, traveling the Rhine between Germany and Holland. The Keeshond is the national dog of the Netherlands.
The first Keeshonds were imported into the UK in 1905 by Mrs Wingfield Digby of Sherborne Castle and the first UK breed club formed in 1925. In 1926, the Keeshond was accepted into the British Kennel Club as a unique breed.
In the 1920s, Baroness van Hardenbroek took an interest in saving the breed, and within 10 years, the Keeshond became so popular that the Dutch Keeshond Club was established.