Keeshond is the smiling, raccoon fox-faced dog. Its compact body and square stature make this dog a sturdy one.
Its intelligent nature gave it the propriety to be the main mascots of dutch families in the dark ages.
The keeshond facts will surprise you and enlighten you.
Keeshond
(Kayz-hawnd) is the proper pronunciation for the Keeshond. Its appearance is striking and its attitude is solemn and dignified. Being a guard dog was the prime profession of its ancestors. It will bark at any strangers in the vicinity of your home.
The tendency to bark may increase with the level of people surrounding your home. Which can, in turn, bother the neighbors around if left alone for a while unsupervised.
It also serves as a great companion and family dog. It gets along with family members and is quite faithful towards its owners. It can cope well in larger homes than smaller ones, like apartments.
Keeshond history
They were not the pompous and royal dogs but the guard dogs of the dutch family’s boats and barges. These vessels were in artificial waterways like rivers, like the Rhine river.
Due to its handsome and simple looks, it was often used in political campaigns as the mascot of the patriots. The opposition party to the royal house of orange. Both parties divided holland in two, the rebels and the royal house of oranges.
The name Keeshond came from the rebel party leader’s spitz-like hound companion, named “kees.” After the rebel party was snuffed out, the Keeshonds were hunted down to the level of extinction.
Keeshond personality
Keeshonds are quite intelligent and loyal dogs to have. They are not that good of a guard dog, if you can believe that. This is because they were never the stern or bulky muscle-headed dogs that can keep trespassers out.
They are simply more alert than an average dog, often barking out to any stranger in the vicinity. Causing many ruckuses is not out of the question for this dog, and it needs to be trained well to control it’s habits.
They are quite jolly and foolhardy dogs. Often being a great companion for singles and families alike. Keeshonds are very well-behaved dogs, and these dogs are often liked by the elderly and children alike.
Keeshond Training and exercise
It’s quite easy to train a keeshond, and they are fast learners. Keeshonds don’t have the aggressive behavior of hunter ancestry dogs. So, they show any predatory behavior towards smaller or weaker animals.
Although it’s always preferable to get them socializing very early in their lives. It will still need some supervision when left alone with newborn babies.
Keeshonds need to be walked for an hour or so in a day. They need more space on average than other dogs. These dogs will play and run around if they don’t get enough exercise in a day.
Keeshond Grooming
Grooming a keeshond is a bit messier than most other dogs. They often shed a lot and shed seasonally too. Brushing their coats 2 to 3 times a week with a pin brush is recommended.
This keeps the shedding at bay, but the individual hair will end up in the couch or rugs now and then.
The feet and the other overgrown parts of the coat need to be trimmed. It needs a bath once every month or so and needs blowdrying its coat afterward to keep it neat and fluffy.
Health of Keeshonds
Keeshonds are pure-breed dogs, high-ranking members of society often owned that in Europe in the 18th century. This caused a lot of them to be inbred and often have many genetical diseases.
Keeshonds are plagued with hip/elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, and other eye disorders. In Von Willebrands disease, cataracts hypothyroidism is also quite common for this dog and needs strict medical attention.
They need to be screened by vets at a very early age to get ahead of any diseases that might inflict them in the future.
To Conclude
Keeshonds are quite simple and more unique in pure-bred European dogs. They need more notoriety and attention because they absolutely deserve it.
