Keeshond Breed Information

The Keeshond is a medium breed of dog originating from Germany and Holland. It is a member of the Spitz group of dogs which include Pomeranians, Chow Chows and Alaskan Malamutes. The breed came to prominence during the Dutch Revolution as the symbol of the Dutch Patriot political party. The leader of this party, Cornelius (Kees) de Gyselaer, kept one of these dogs (then known as a Wolfspitz) as a pet. Because of Gyselaer’s love of the breed, the dogs were given the name “Keeshond”: “Kees” was Gyselaer’s nickname, and “hond” is the Dutch word for dog. The correct pronunciation of this breed is ‘kayz-hond’ with the plural being, ‘kayz-honden’.

After the rebellion, the breed dwindled. Years later they were introduced to the UK and the US, where interest in them picked up again. Today they can be found as affectionate family pets around the world.

The Keeshond is a medium sized dog, usually standing between 44 and 48 centimetres and weighs between 15 and 22 kilograms. Like all Spitz, they are identifiable by their wedge shaped heads, dense off standing coats and curled tails characteristically carried high over their backs. The general, overall appearance of a Keeshond in full coat can only be described as impressive. The huge ruff that surrounds his wedge shaped, fox like head makes him stand out from the crowd! His natural stance, ears pricked and erect, feet firmly planted and tail tightly curled and held high on the back has that stamp of alertness of the wonderful watch dog and companion that he truly is.

The coat is double layered, with a soft, cream-coloured undercoat and a harsh top coat. The top coat comes in shades of grey with black on the tips. Keeshonden need weekly grooming, but do not need to be washed all that often. Expect a Keeshond to shed twice a year.
They are alert, lively and extremely intelligent dogs, making them a good choice for competition and obedience tasks. This breed is very empathic and intuitive, which has led to their use as comfort dogs for victims of traumatic experiences.

Keeshonden truly love people. In fact, they’ve earned themselves the nickname “velcro dog” because of their tendency to stick to the people they love. If their owner leaves, a Keeshond may sit by the door and wait for them to come back, even if there are other people in the room. They love children and make excellent family pets.

Like all Spitz breeds This breed loves to bark. They’ve been used as watch dogs for many years and even family dogs are skilled at letting you know when a stranger is at the doorstep. While your Keeshond may bark at someone they don’t know, they will never be aggressive and once they have been introduced to the new person they will be extremely friendly and sociable.

Keeshonden are a relatively healthy breed, although the breed now has a DNA test for Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and all puppies now born in the UK are negative by descent. Epilepsy and Alopecia X are also known in the breed. Their average life expectancy is 13 years plus.

Training is important with this breed as with all dogs. The Keeshond can be very inventive when bored and they generally do not adapt well to repetitive routine obedience exercises, preferring to be challenged with new exercises and games once one command is learned. They are not always the best choice for strict precision obedience, as they tend to have a sense of humour and to enjoy ‘clowning around’.

Other Keeshond Websites:

Allforus Keeshonds – Site with pictures and links relevant to the Keeshond breed.

Kichigai – A real personal feel to this site so well worth a visit.

Flatmeer – A great resource dedicated to the breed, although it’s also worth checking out the North of England Keeshond Club which has a great information leaflet which is available to download.

Find Keeshond Dogs for Adoption at Adopt-a-Pet.com

Find Keeshond Dogs for Adoption at Adopt-a-Pet.com

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4 Responses to “Keeshond Breed Information”

  1. Chris says:

    I disagree that a kees needs daily grooming – their coats are not hard to look after. They do need weekly grooming as leaving them longer makes the job harder. What is important is to ensure that when you do groom you get right down to the skin. The coat does not matt easily like some long-haired breeds.

  2. Donna says:

    They definitely don’t need daily brushing. They also do not have “doggy odor” like so many other breeds do.
    They are also not a small breed – they are a medium size breed. The height range looks ok but the weight range should really be more like 30lbs to 45lbs.
    Also, they were never used as a guard dog but they were used as a watch dog ( for the reasons you explain above).
    I would also add patellar luxation, elbow dysplasia, Primary Hyperparathyroidism, thyroid problems, Alopecia X, Cushings, Epilepsy, and allergies to the health problems.

  3. Joanne says:

    They are not a “small” breed. They are of medium size. Thirty Five to forty pounds. I do not consider this small!

  4. Pet Pupz says:

    Hi All,

    Thank you for your comments about the Keeshond – we’ve now updated the profile :)

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