Keeshond

[Troy]

The Keeshond

ANKC Standard

(from http://www.ankc.org.au/Breed_Details.aspx?bid=193 )

Group: Group 7 (Non Sporting)

General Appearance:

Short, compact body, confident carriage. Fox-like head with small pointed ears, alert expression, large ruff, well feathered tail curled over back.

Characteristics:

Sturdy, intelligent and adaptable, ideal companion, good guard, shows boldly.

Temperament:

Bold, alert, friendly with marked guarding tendency.

Head And Skull:

Well proportioned, wedge shaped when seen from above; from side showing definite stop. Dark muzzle equal to length of flat skull. Neither coarse nor snipey. Nose black.

Eyes:

Dark, medium size, almond shaped, obliquely set. Well defined 'spectacles' shown as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct marking and shading forming expressive short eyebrows.

Ears:

Dark, small ivy-leafed in shape. Erect, velvety texture. Well set on head, neither too wide nor meeting.

Mouth:

Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips black.

Neck:

Moderately long and arched, covered with thick, profuse coat forming large ruff.

Forequarters:

Shoulders well sloped. Straight front of medium width with good bone.

Body:

Short, compact; length from withers to tail equal to height at withers, well sprung in rib. Good depth of brisket.

Hindquarters:

Strong muscled, hindlegs straight when viewed from behind. Hock showing slight angulation when viewed from side, profuse light coloured trousers down to hocks.

Feet:

Well padded, round, cat-like, tight, cream in colour; black nails.

Tail:

Moderately long, high set, tightly curled over back, double curl highly desirable. Light plume on top where curled, with black tip, carried closely at all times.

Gait/Movement:

Clean, brisk, straight and sharp.

Coat:

Harsh, off standing, straight. Dense ruff, well feathered on forelegs and profuse trousers, not feathered below hock. Soft, thick, light-coloured (not tawny) undercoat. Never silky, wavy or woolly, nor forming a parting on back. Any shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline should be penalised, with the exception of feet and pasterns which may be lightly trimmed.

Colour:

A mixture of grey and black. Undercoat very pale grey or cream (not tawny). All shades of grey acceptable, body hairs black tipped. Shoulder markings well defined and all markings definite. Forelegs and hocks cream with no black below wrist or hock. Pencilling acceptable.

Sizes:

Ideal height:

Dogs 46 cms (18 ins)

Bitches 43 cms (17 ins)

Faults:

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Notes: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

See Photos of the Keeshond

QUESTIONS

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

3. How common is it in Australia?

4. What is the average lifespan?

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

9. How much grooming is required?

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

If you wish to contribute to the knowledge about this breed, please answer the above questions. (Copy and paste them into a new post).

• Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed.
  
• You do not have to answer all questions
  
• Please keep posts limited to answering questions or for asking further questions if you require more (or expanded) information.
  

See Photos of the Keeshond

Keeshond Breeders

Keeshond Puppies For Sale

[Oceangirl]

No responses from Keeshond owners and breeders yet? Would love to know more about the Keeshond

[Bear&Duke]

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

First time owner of a keeshond

2. How common is it in Australia?

Not very common, we often get remarks about Bear when we are out for a walk.

3. What is the general temperament/personality?

Bear is lovable and mischievous. He is about 3 ½ now and has really settled down in to a more mature dog. As a puppy he was a handful but to be honest we weren’t skilled dog owners and we weren’t strong enough with him from the onset, but I am happy to say we recovered our leadership and have an amazing bond with him now. They can and do bark! He is very vocal and territorial to the point that he’ll let you know someone is there but if they entered the yard I think he would lick them to death. They crave human interaction and even with another dog crave your company, Bear will be under your feet while you’re on the couch but does not have to be in the same room as you (unlike our cock spaniel!).

4. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

They need exercise, but not huge amounts. A daily 30 minute walk is enough to give them stimulation and exercise. They easily overheat though so absolutely do not walk in the heat of the day during summer, evening or very early walks are best.

5. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

Personally I don’t think they are unless you are very aware on how to be a pack leader. Keeshonds will try you if they think you are not strong willed and a small win goes a long way for them. They need constant, consistent leadership from the onset.

6. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

In my experience they are not solo dogs. Bear has developed and settled a lot more since we bought another dog for company as we are out most of the day with work. In saying that he will still gravitate towards people, it hasn’t made him aloof.

7. How much grooming is required?

A fair amount, you need to give them a good brush each week to ensure they don’t get matted. They don’t drop much hair though.

8. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

They can be boisterous but with the correct training this can be curbed. I haven’t had him around small children so I can’t comment on suitability.

I love my boy to bits and wouldn't give him up for anything. He was a tough puppy and a steep learning curve but the hard times were so worth it as we have the most beautiful, loving dog now.

[brightstar123]

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

We owned a Keeshond as a family dog when I was younger.

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

Not sure about this one, I'll leave it to the breeders!

3. How common is it in Australia?

I've come across a few but generally not too common. I mainly see them at shows.

4. What is the average lifespan?

Our girl lived until 12yrs of age, I believe that's fairly typical.

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

Our Keeshond had a lovely temperament, very loving, gentle and happy. She was boisterous and needed exercise and training as a young dog. Quite naughty and cheeky - not a meek/mild type of dog! Not a couch potato dog until 7-8yrs old! Very food motivated, smart and easy to train. Not a great retriever! Good watchdog with a slight tendency to excessive barking if bored, like most dogs. She had a charming Keeshond smile and loved to be with people - a bit of a 'velcro' type. Very much an indoor/family dog - not one to live outside all the time. Great with strangers and children. Our dog was not a "one person dog", she bonded with the whole family. I've had many other breeds such as labradors, working German Shepherd, Beauceron, Malinois, Greyhounds and Jack Russells and she was most similar to a show/English-type labrador in temperament. As an older dog she couldn't have been a more perfect family dog - sweet, obedient, calm and loving.

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

As a young dog - 45min walk was ok, with a few zoomy episodes around the yard/house daily! Like the previous person commented, she very much felt the heat and this restricted exercise in summer. Swimming was also popular although the coat was a bit of a nightmare to dry regularly.

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

In my opinion, yes, so long as the owner has a good understanding of the requirements of the breed. If the owner is prepared to groom the dog daily or pay to have it professionally groomed frequently and provide a normal amount of exercise and training then I think it would be possible. I wouldn't buy a Keeshond unless I was going to have it inside and spend time with it.

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

Our dog was a solo dog and she coped ok, although she did get bored and rearrange a few things in the yard if we didn't provide enough exercise/mental stimulation. She seemed to love being with people more than other dogs. At the park, she was always the one sitting next to someone's BBQ or wandering onto another family's picnic blanket, rather than playing with the other dogs!

9. How much grooming is required?

Grooming is an important issue I believe. I think a prospective owner needs helpful advice about what type of brushes/combs to buy and how to use them correctly. This can save lots of time and anguish! We groomed our Keeshond daily or every other day with a range of brushes i.e. undercoat rake, slicker brush, dematting comb for about 20min daily. This reduced hair loss inside the house substantially.

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

This would depend on the individual dog. They aren't huge in size but could accidentally knock over a small child. Our girl was always very gentle and never jumped on children, but she would have been able to bowl over a very small child.

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

Unfortunately our Keeshond suffered a range of health problems, some hereditary and some not. Moderate hip dysplasia, atopic dermatitis with secondary pyoderma, flea allergy dermatitis, otitis externa, osteoarthritis, fibrocartilaginous emboli and eventual death by secondary lung cancer (primary cancer never found). Since it was about 15yrs ago that we bought her, perhaps hip/elbow rads were not as common back then? I believe we purchased her from a reputable breeder - this breeder is still showing/breeding today and is listed on DOL. She did suffer fairly constant skin problems throughout her life, which were markedly worse in summer.

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

Hip/elbow rads in the stud/bitch, history of skin/ear problems. I have also treated two Keeshonds with hypothyroidism, one of which wasn't diagnosed until the dog had a severe stroke and had to be PTS. I believe epilepsy can also be a problem, as can hyperA, mitral valve disease and PRA.