Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
Exercise needs: | 3/5 |
Easy to train: | 4/5 |
Tolerates being alone: | 2/5 |
Likes other pets: | 5/5 |
Energy level: | 4/5 |
Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
Shedding: | 5/5 |
- Dog suitable for owners with some experience
- Extra training required
- Need to be aware of potential health issues
- Enjoys active walks
- Enjoys one to two hours of walking a day
- Medium dog
- Some drool
- Requires grooming daily
- Chatty and vocal dog
- Barks, alerts and may be physically protective/suspicious of visitors
- Could have issues with unknown dogs but gets along with known dogs
- May need additional training to live with other pets
- Great family dog
- Needs a large garden
- Can live in semi-rural areas
- Can be left occasionally with training
The Keeshond breed can suffer from:
- Primary hyperparathyroidism which is a problem with the parathyroid gland which can affect the bones and kidneys.
- Epilepsy¹ which is a condition where abnormal brain function can lead to seizures which damage the brain.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- DNA testing for primary hyperparathyroidism which tests whether or not a dog has the potential to be affected by this condition.
Personality
Alert, cheerful and described as impertinent by those who know the breed well, the Keeshond is still a natural watchdog, and remains very keen to let their owners know that trouble is a-foot! Friendly and companionable and very adept at living in small spaces, they are often called the ‘Smiling Dutchman’ due to their appealing bright eyed, happy face.
Did You Know?
- One of the less obvious roles the Keeshond had on the barges was to act as a foghorn, sitting on the bows of the barge the Keeshond would bark as soon as they spotted another barge approaching through the fog. Since barges move slowly and are between 70 and 120ft long, this gave the bargee plenty of warning.
- Despite being relatively rare outside the Netherlands, the Keeshond has had some celebrity owners including Walt Disney, Irish poet W.B. Yeats and Princess Diana.
Found your perfect breed?