The Friendly Keeshond
“Wolf Spitz”

Dog breed info
Keeshond
Weight: Male 40 — 45 lbs
Weight: Female 30 — 35 lbs
Height: Male: 17” — 19”
Height: Female: 16 — 18”
AKC Rank 2008 #93
Lifespan: 12—14 yrs
Group Non Sporting
Origin: The Netherlands

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Dog Breed Info – The Keeshond

A good looking Keeshond!

Breed Overview

Origin: 1700’s. Original function: Barge watchdog. Today, Companion dog.

The Keeshond established itself as a worthy companion and watchdog on the small barges on the Rhine River in the 1700’s.

The dog is likely descended from the Pomeranian and Norwegian Elkhounds and maybe the Samoyed, but records are unclear. At one time the breed was a status symbol of the middle and upper class citizens. In the eighteenth century, the leader of the Dutch Revolution was Kees de Gyzelaer who owned a barge and dog. The barge was named “Kees.” The name of his dog and the breed comes from Kees. By 1920, Baroness van Hardenbroek began an effort to rescue the breed. She was successful and by 1930 the AKC registered the breed in America. The dog has since become the national dog of Holland.

A Keeshond with a bone

Trainable with a little patience. She’s a bit sensitive so use clicker training with positive reinforcement and lots of praise. She can be taught just about anything using that method.

Crate Training

Want to crate train your Keeshond puppy? It’s easy and if you’re interested, take a look and you’ll see what to do. Crate training your puppy will save many headaches and problems.

Potty Training

The Keeshond puppy can be a little difficult to house train, potty train, toilet train, housebreak or whatever you want to call it. If you have a puppy, decide if you want to crate or paper potty train it. For the best results, we have a page at Crate vs Paper Potty Training which will help you decide and from there you can get all the information you need to get the job done. Always praise the pup profusely when she goes potty in the RIGHT PLACE so she knows she has done a good thing. Either method will work for this breed.

If you have an older dog, take the dog outside every two hours until she gets the idea which door leads to her potty area. Older dogs catch on to the potty or housebreaking pretty fast once they are shown what to do.

Keeshond’s are one of the better family dogs available among the medium size breeds. This is a playful, affectionate and tolerant breed that does very well with the children in the family. The dog gets along quite well with just about everyone, is intelligent, friendly and loves to be part of anything the family is doing, indoors our out. As a spitz-based dog, the Keeshond needs to be well socialized starting very young as a puppy and continued through her life. She is trainable with a little patience and a clicker. This energetic, companionable playmate is a fun dog to own.

If you happen to get a dog with a separation anxiety problem, that can be dealt with by investing a few hours of work on your part and some “tough love.”

Friendly Toward Other Dogs

Somewhat accepting. Will pick and choose dog friends. Not very aggressive though. Top

Friendly Toward Other Pets

Yes, does well with pets. Introduce other dogs on common ground, cats gradually. This breed is know for acclimating with household pets.

Friendly Toward Strangers

Yes, friendly. Bring on the relatives, neighbors and friends. Have a party and be sure the Keeshond is in the middle of it all.

Playfulness

Yes, quite playful.

Yes, VERY affectionate.

Yes. Excellent with children, but supervise very young children and make sure all the kids know how to respect the rights of a dog.

Good with Seniors over 65?

Yes, The Keeshond and seniors are a good match. The dog has plenty of affection and love to give and the senior has plenty of time to maintain the beautiful double coat. If longevity or training are an issue, find a Keeshond Rescue group or dog kennel and adopt a 2 or 3 year old dog that is house trained and knows a few commands. This will save some headaches for the senior.

Living environment

Apartment, house, farm, ranch, all okay as long as she gets outdoors for her exercise and some air. The Keeshond is a very social dog and needs to be indoors with her family most of the time.

If y9ou can, provide the Keeshond with a medium size fenced yard so she can play fetch with a ball or Frisbee. Good exercise.

6 year old Keeshond/Sheltie mix.

Energy level

Moderate. Score her 6 bars out of 10.

Moderate. A good walk or two on leash and a vigorous game of fetch will keep her in good shape mentally and physically.

Yes. She’;s a great watchdog with a big voice.

No, not so good here. Just not aggressive enough.

Yes, definitely sheds.

She has a double coat and needs brushing three times a week…. More when shedding to keep the dead hair from accumulating. She’ll love the extra attention. Get a stiff bristle brush from the pet store. Top

The book on the right is by the American National Red Cross and deals with dog emergencies, illnesses and injuries. It’s a valuable reference manual for all dog owners to keep close at hand. ________________________________________________ Top

In the event you decide to go looking for Keeshond puppies, be SURE to find reputable breeders that really know what they are doing. Be sure the puppy has been well socialized and started in obedience training..
Keeshond Breeders with puppies for sale.

Keeshond Rescue

In the event you are seriously considering the adoption of an older dog and are looking for a Keeshond Rescue group or groups in your state, here are several links that might help:
Petfinder – Keeshond Rescue – (Nationwide)At the time of this writing, Petfinder is showing only 156 Keeshond’s available for adoption in the country. That figure can vary, of course. If you do adopt, try to locate past dog health records for possible future use.
Adopt A Pet This is an interesting site but it appears this is a difficult breed to locate. Go online and search for Keeshond Rescue groups or kennels. Try your local newspaper classifieds too and dog kennels too.

This is basically a healthy breed. Don’t let the list below scare you! Your own dog will probably never have ANY of these problems. These are dog illness and medical problems this breed is prone to that have been listed by various veterinarians at different times over the past decade or so and some pertain to puppies and very young dogs that a breeder would deal with.

The information contained herein has been gathered from numerous books by veterinarians and is intended as general information only. Every dog and situation is different. You must see your vet. Our information is for general interest only and not intended to replace the advice provided by your own veterinarian.

Cataracts—Hazy or cloudy vision similar to humans and can lead to blindness if not treated.

Other health problems could occur with your Keeshond. If you notice any problems with your dog, take it to the vet immediately. This website is for general information only and is not intended to, in any way, be a medical guide.

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