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Keeshond Dog Breed Introduction
Keeshond ( in plural Keeshonden) is a medium-sized Spitz type of dog from the Netherlands that was initially used as a watchdog in barges. Previously, they were known as the Dutch Barge Dog. Keeshonden are popular for their lion-like mane and the distinctive spectacles (the shadings and markings around the eyes giving the impression that a Keeshond is wearing Spectacles). A Keeshond is eager to please, playful, fast learner, and intelligent dog.
This also means they also learn quickly things that their humans had not intended to teach them. These are also affectionate and empathetic dogs that are trained to serve as guide dogs for the blind. Although, their lack of size has prevented them from been widely used for this role. Keeshonden are velcro dogs that have a tendency to be clingy towards their owners. This breed has been popularly used as a watch dog on the barges on canals in middle Europe and Netherlands due to their distinctive loud bark.
Keeshond Origin | History
A Keeshond was descended in the Netherlands from the same prehistoric ancestry from which Pomeranians, Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhounds, and Huskies were evolved. During the 17th and 18 centuries, Keeshonden were used as watchdogs on barges, farms, and river boats. This dog was a symbol of the 18th-century Dutch Patriots Party during its long opposition to the royal House of Orange.
Some believe the name of this breed came from the leader of this Patriot Party, Kees De Gyselaer. However, some believe that the name of this dog might refer to a Patriot mascot dog called Kees. AKC registered Keeshonden in the Non-sporting Group in 1930 after the first American Keeshonden litter was bred by Carl Hinderer in 1929.
Keeshond Lifespan
A Keeshond has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years according to the American Kennel Club.
Keeshond Grooming
The Keeshond needs a weekly line brushing using a slicker brush to keep the coat looking neat and healthy. Before brushing, spritz the coat with a water conditioner solution to prevent hair breakage. During the heavy shedding season, daily brushing is recommended to prevent matting and keep the shed hair that falls on the floor to a minimum.
Keeshonden are relatively clean dogs that require a bath every 4 to 6 weeks unless they roll off into something stinky. Always brush the coat before bathing a Keeshond to remove dirt, loose hair, and mats that tend to get messier when they get wet. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the coat to prevent skin irritation. Wipe the face using a clean damp washcloth or friendly canine wipes instead of soapy water that tends to irritate the eyes. Trim the nails every 3 to 5 weeks using nail trimmers to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking.
Overly grown nails are painful for a Keeshond while running or walking. Brush the teeth of a Keeshond at least twice a week if not daily using a dog formulated toothpaste and toothbrush to remove excess tartar buildup. Clean the ears once a week using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls to remove debris and excess wax. While cleaning the ears, check out for odor, dark discharge, and redness that are signs of dog’s ear infection.
Keeshond Haircut
The coat of a Keeshond does not need trimming or shaving. The undercoat acts as a natural insulator against heat and cold. However, the owners can trim the hocks, feet, and pads for a neater appearance. The rear end should also be trimmed due to sanitary purposes. Some parents may find it necessary to clip the coat during hot weather. However, the coat will lose its distinct color as the black tipping on the fur will be shorn off.
Keeshond Shedding
A Keeshond has double thick coat that sheds at moderate levels all-year round. However, the dog blows off its undercoat or sheds heavily once or twice a year. The Male Keeshonden sheds heavily once a year while the female Keeshonden sheds twice a year.
Keeshond Coat | Coat Type
A Keeshond has a double-layered coat consisting of a top coat and undercoat. The top coat has straight, long, and harsh guard hair while the undercoat is thick and wooly.
Keeshond Hypoallergenic
A Keeshond is not a hypoallergenic breed. It has a moulting coat that sheds all-year round at moderate levels and heavily twice a year. Shedding releases dander and fur into the environment triggering allergic reactions. Apart from Keeshond’s dander and fur, urine, mucus, and saliva contain a protein allergen that triggers an allergic reaction.
Keeshond Training
A Keeshond is an easily trainable dog since it is intelligent, a faster learner, and it is willing to please the trainer. This breed require early training before it is inclined to learning bad habits. To raise a well-mannered, well-adjusted Keeshond, socialization training is a must. This training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks after the dog has already settled in its new home.
Normally, owners take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks. To socialize a Keeshond, expose it to a wide variety of people, surfaces, animals, sight, places, smell, experiences, situations, and sounds such as baby crying sounds, lawn mowers, washing machines, whistles, vacuum cleaners, and sirens. Enrolling Keeshonden in puppy classes will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes create a controlled environment where canines get to interact.
Puppy classes are also beneficial to parents. They enable them to not only identify and correct bad habits such as resource guarding but also have access to training information and assistance. A Keeshond is an intelligent dog that easily gets bored with repetitive training. Keep the training sessions short, fun, and challenging for a span of 5 minutes distributed throughout the day to avoid boredom and distraction.
Keeshonden thrives on positive reinforcements methods such as the use of treats, toys, playtime, verbal praise, and petting. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling, shoving, beating, or kicking. Start teaching basic commands words like come, sit, stay, lie down, leave it, wait, heel, etc. one at a time until the pooch is well-acquainted before proceeding to the next command word.
Owners are cautioned against issuing a command while too excited or frustrated since the command word will not sound the same for your pet. Effectively housebreak a Keeshond by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training. A crate has proven to be an indispensable tool while potty training. It allows the pet parent to closely monitor the dog for signs that it wants to eliminate such as whining, circling, squatting, restlessness, sniffing, and trying to lift a leg against the crate door.
Get positive outcomes while potty training by taking a Keeshond to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, after naptime, every 2 to 3 hours, following an exciting activity such as playtime and car ride, and before bedtime. The bladder and bowel muscles of young puppies strengthens as they mature. Therefore, after the age of 8 months, Keeshonden should go for potty breaks every 6 hours.
Keeshond Temperament | Personality | Traits
- Affectionate.
- Fast learner.
- Willing to Please.
- Easily trainable.
- Intelligent.
- Friendly.
- Outgoing.
- Alert.
- lively.
- Playful.
- Devoted.
- Empathetic.
- Intuitive.
- Vocal.
Keeshond Exercise
A Keeshond is an adaptable dog that will do well in a home that has a yard or in an apartment as long as it gets daily exercise. This dog has moderate energy levels. Keeshonden enjoy daily nice walks or a free run. After they have been exercised, they will be gland to join your on the sofa while you are reading or watching.
Keeshond Barking
A Keeshond is a vocal breed that is well-known for its distinctive loud bark. They were initially bred as watchdogs. This trait is still present. Keeshonden bark to warn their owners of new visitors. Although, barking may become a problem if this dog is not handled properly. A Keeshond that is kept in a yard and not allowed to be with its human is unhappy and often becomes a nuisance barker.
Keeshond Height
Female Keeshonden have height of 17 inches ( approx. 43 cm ) while male Keeshonden have a height of 18 inches ( approx. 46 cm ).
Keeshond Weight
A Keeshond has a weight of 35 to 45 pounds ( approx. 16 to 20 kg ).
Keeshond Size
Keeshonden are medium-sized dogs that have a height of 17 to 18 inches ( approx. 43 to 46 cm ) and a weight of 35 to 45 pounds ( approx. 16 to 20 kg ).
Keeshond Health Issues
Keeshonden are relatively health dogs that live up to the age of 15 years. However, they are affected by certain health issues such as epilepsy, luxating patella, hip dysplasia, Cushing’s disease, Von Willebrand’s disease, hypothyroidism, primary hyperparathyroidism, and elbow dysplasia.
Apart from Keeshonden, other dog breeds include:
Keeshond Names
A Keeshond parent may decide to get a name for the Keeshond puppy before taking it from the breeder or a few days after the puppy joins them home so that they may understand the personality of the particular dog. Pet parents get name inspirations from the heritage of the breed, coat colors, personality, celebrity Keeshonden, movies, music, food, books, historical figures, and nature.
Regardless of where you source the name, ensure that the name chosen will freely roll off your tongue without making your embarrassed when uttered out loud in the parks and malls. Keeshonden and other dog breeds better understand a name that has vowels. If a parent settles with a long name he or she should ensure that they find a cute nickname for the dog.
Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion. If a Keeshond shares a name with any family member or guest who frequent the house hold, it will result to unnecessary confusion. Some of the names that Keeshonden parents give to their pets include:
- Gucci.
- Orion.
- Kaiser.
- Omen.
- Mitzi.
- Kyra.
- Ezra.
- Jasmine.
- Zara.
- Annie.
- Duchess.
- Leah.
- Lady.
- Gus.
- Sasha.
- Riley.
- Max, etc.
Keeshond Food | Dog Food
The amount of food that Keeshonden feed on depend on their age, activity level, metabolism, size, and body build. Keeshond puppies tend to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and seniors. Therefore, a puppy eats small portions of food 3 or 4 times a day from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Keeshonden feed on a total of two meals in a day for the rest of their lives.
A Keeshond may feed on a raw diet, home made, dry food, or wet food depending on the budget of the owner and the time of preparation needed. Regardless of the food that the pet feeds on, owners should ensure that a Keeshond feed on the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats, amino acids, and fatty acids to maintain a healthy bone structure and weight. Fresh water should be available for your pooch at all times.
If the pet is feeding on dry or wet commercial food, owners should ensure that the first three listed ingredients are proteins from a known source. Commercial food should neither have meat by-products, fillers, preservatives, chemicals, additives, nor generic meat products. Feed a Keeshond with formulated dry or wet food for medium-sized puppies, adults, and seniors depending on its age. Check the physique of your pooch to tell whether it is underweight or overweight.
The dog is underweight if the ribs are visible. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, a Keeshond has an ideal weight. Although, if the ribs cannot be felt after pressing, the dog is overweight and should be exercised. Owners who want to switch to another pet food should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing old food with new food. As the week progresses, the amount of old food decreases as the amount of the new food increases until the Keeshond is only feeding on the new food.
Keeshond Colors
AKC Standard describes Keeshond as a dramatically marker dog that has a mixture of gray, black, and cream. This combination may vary from light to dark.
Are Keeshonds Hypoallergenic
No. Keeshonden sheds all-year round at moderate levels and heavily once or twice a year. Female Keeshonden sheds twice a year while their male counterparts shed once a year.
Do Keeshonds Shed
Yes. Keeshonden sheds at moderate levels all-year round and heavily while blowing off their undercoats in Spring and Fall.
Do Keeshonds Bark A Lot
Yes. Keeshonden are vocal and alert dogs that bark to notify the owner when visitors are approaching. However, they may develop a habit of barking excessively is they are isolated outside from their humans.
How Big Does A Keeshond Get
A Mature Keeshond has a weight of 35 to 45 pounds ( approx. 16 to 20 kg ) and a height of 17 to 18 inches ( approx. 43 to 46 cm ).
Keeshonden Quick Facts
- They are known for their charming hallmark ‘spectacles’. These are the slightly shaded lines slanting upward from the outer portion of the eye to the lower corner of the ears.
- Keeshonden rank 18th in Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs.
- They are fast learners that will quickly get inclined to bad habits if they are not properly trained from an early age.
