Keeshond dog

History of origin

When you look at these gray beauties, it seems that the breed throughout its history should have been in favor with the most noble, rich and privileged segments of the population, but this is far from being the case. A few centuries ago, the ancestors of Keeshonds were considered in Europe to be actually mongrels, which are convenient to use to protect gardens and private households. But the Dutch liked the dogs that looked like small fluffy wolves, they began to be used to guard barges. The breed owes its name to Kees de Guiselar, a patriot who supported the French Revolution. He was known as a great dog lover and it was this revolutionary who did the most to ensure that nondescript dogs with twisted tails turned into modern gray beauties. But he also did the breed a disservice: during the Restoration period, when the supporters of the coup were outlawed, Keeshonds began to be destroyed as a symbol of the revolution. Fortunately, it was not possible to completely eliminate the breed of lime, and the number of these dogs was restored. And in 1924, these Spitz were officially recognized as a separate breed, receiving the second name “Wolfspitz” or “Wolf Spitz”.

Today, Keeshonds are the national breed of the Netherlands, but the beauty of these dogs finds admirers not only there, but all over the world. In our country, these dogs began to appear in the 90s, and today they have already won the hearts of many s.

Breed description

The body is compact and short, the muzzle is “fox” shaped, evoking thoughts of the wild ancestors of this breed. The ears are erect, due to the rich fur coat they seem quite small. The look is smart and independent. The format is square, gives the impression of a massive. The tail is set high, twisted into a ring (preferably double), thrown over the back. And although the height of the dog does not grow above the knee, they look impressive, and they look like small indoor Spitz only in shape.

Wool is the decoration of any Keeshond, it is lush, long and very pleasant to the touch. A rich undercoat protects the four-legged owner from harsh winters, and in summer from the midday heat. Especially beautiful is the hair on the neck, where it forms a real lion’s mane, and on the tail, which makes it look like a precious sultan.

The color is luxurious wolf (a combination of gray, white and black hair with an admixture of cream), or black and silver, like black and brown foxes. The muzzle and tip of the tail are usually almost black, with expressive dark eyebrows above the eyes.

Photos

Character

Perhaps the Keeshond can compete with the Golden Retriever for the title of the ideal family dog. These are cheerful extroverts, ready to be friends with the whole world around them. They are easy-going, they will be happy to walk at least a day and a half and will take part in any business started by its owner. They are so “humanized” that, choosing between the society of dogs and humans, they will choose the latter without hesitation. After all, people are much more interesting!

Keeshonds adore children, they are ready to play with the kids as much as they want, and will endure any of their pranks. These dogs are very attached to the house, so you can not be afraid that they will run away, barely off the leash.

Their benevolence and contact became the reason that they decided to use the Wolfspitz as psychotherapists in working with autistic children and people with diseases of the nervous system.

Care and maintenance

The main difficulty in caring for Keeshondams is their luxurious fur coat. Being the pride of dogs of this breed, the coat must be kept in perfect condition: combed and washed on time. However, proper feeding also affects the condition of the coat. But in no case should you cut Wolfspitz (as well as all other representatives of this breed group). This will not only spoil their appearance, but also deprive the dog of natural protection from external factors. It should be understood that a luxurious fur coat does not warm, but simply maintains a constant body temperature – both in frost and in heat, and depriving the animal of this protection, you doom it to overheating.

Volshpits are very delicate in everyday life. They are real cleaners, so they will never stain your light-colored wallpaper and will not spread dirt on the floor. And if you also comb out their luxurious fur coat in time, you will get the perfect dog for a city apartment.

Keeshonds are very dependent on human society, so you should not leave them alone for a long time, and if you really had to do this, be sure to compensate for temporary loneliness with a long and active walk.

Education and training

Keeshonds are very smart dogs that understand the owner perfectly, but problems can arise with perseverance. They quickly light up with some business, but just as quickly cool down to it, switching to something else. And this must be taken into account in the training process. In no case should the lessons be too long and boring – it is better to alternate exercises with the game. Imagine that in front of you is not a dog, but a small child who needs to be taught to put two and two together.

If you need a dog to protect property, the Keeshond is definitely not your choice, he loves everyone in the world too much. The maximum that he can do with the thieves who have climbed into the house is to lick them to the state of a nervous tick.

But still, you should not neglect training in principle, and from the very childhood it is worth explaining the rules of behavior in the house and the basic commands to the puppy.

Health and disease

In principle, like all Spitz, Keeshonds are a fairly healthy breed, but still they have some breed diseases that are inherited. In particular, this is one of the most common diseases of dogs – joint dysplasia, as well as subluxation of the patella. Unfortunately, a fairly large number of gray beauties are susceptible to these ailments, therefore, when choosing a puppy, be sure to find out what his ancestors were ill with.

They also often have thyroid pathologies. Otherwise, Keeshonds are a trouble-free and fairly long-lived breed. Unless, of course, the owners do not neglect vaccinations and parasite prevention, as well as monitor the nutrition of their gray friends.

Word to the breeder

Svetlana Moskvina from the city of Pushkin, breeder of the Pushistikoff kennel: “The Keeshond is the big brother of the Pomeranian, a dog of medium size and great charm! An optimist, a merry fellow, a friendly and energetic companion for both a single person and a large family. Very contact, owner-oriented dogs are well trained in many areas, except for hunting and protection. Hair care – combing without a haircut is required on a regular basis, but it is quite within the power of the owner. A well-bred and well-groomed Keeshond is the pride of the owner and a source of positive wherever he appears.

Tatyana Frolenkova, breeder of the Grazia Celeste monobreed kennel from St. Petersburg: “I will give some advice to those who decide to have this fluffy handsome man. Firstly, if your pet decides to take a dip in a pond during the hot season, do not forget to dry it thoroughly with a towel after that, otherwise fungus may start in its coat. Secondly, any dog ​​needs education and socialization, and the responsibility for how the dog behaves lies entirely with the owner. Thirdly, choose collars for your dog carefully. Wool worn on the throat is restored for a very long time, so the collar should in no case rub. It is best that it be made of soft leather and have no seams on the inside. And in slushy weather, it is best to dress the dog in overalls so that its hair does not turn into dirty icicles, which will be very difficult to wash off.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of Keeshonds with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.