Dog Profile-Keeshond

This dog breed has been around since the sixteenth century.Its ancestor is the German Wolfspitz.Cornelius de Gyslaer,a leader of a Dutch political party that led an uprise against the Orange royal family, gave this dog its name and chose it as his personal symbol.After the uprise failed,Keeshonden have become less popular and risked extinction.However breeders managed to save this dog breed ,bringing it to Great Britain and the United States.Keeshonden have been later used as watchdogs,protecting barges and their load.They are considered to be the national breed of the Netherlands.The way to pronounce this dog's name correctly is Kayz-hond and the plural for Keeshond is "Keeshonden" not "Keeshonds".

Origins: Netherlands,Germany

Height: 42.0 - 45.0 cm

Weight: 14.0 - 21.0 kg

Physical Appearance: Keeshonden are robust, medium-sized dogs.Their head has a triangular shape,being very similar to the one of a fox.Their snout is dark coloured and isn't very long.Their tail is very furry and laid back.They have a double coat-their undercoat is fluffy and soft and their external coat is long and composed of long,dense hair follicles.Their neck is covered with a thick layer of fur forming a sort of "mane".They come in multiple colours:silver,white,black or beige.

Personality: Keeshonden are very tolerant,friendly and intelligent dogs.They are brilliant family dogs as their are extremely devout and attached to their owners.They need early socialising with cats and other small animals,though.They are brilliant watchdogs as they start barking frantically upon detecting an intruder.

Care: Keeshonden require daily grooming.During shedding period groom intensively!They are generally healthy dogs that have an average lifespan of 12 years, but may develop some health problems with time.Common health issues for Keeshonden are hip dysplasia,allergies,cataracts and patellar luxations.Other,less frequent conditions for Keeshonden are von Willebrand's Disease,Hypothyroidism and Addison's Disease.

Environment: Keeshonden are weather-resistant dogs that like roaming and moving freely.However they can adapt to an apartment lifestyle if their owners walk them a lot and are active.They do better in colder climates.

Training: Keeshonden are a very intelligent trainable dog breed.They are suitable for agility contests and any other canine competitions.Start training early and be gentle and consequent!

Utility: Keeshonden are brilliant family dogs and watchdogs.They are also useful for removing vermin from large properties.