THE KEESHOND A Brief History

This is a short history of the Keeshond taken from "Belonging to a Keeshond" by the late Barbara Glover. Hopefully in the future we will have a longer, more detailed version. There is an excellent site that covers the developement of the breed in the 20th century illustrated with contemporary newspaper cuttings; follow the link below.

Ch Hagedorn of Evenlode: pre-WW2 bitch breed record holder

www.keeshondarchives.co.uk

Keeshonds form one of the canine families known as "Spitz". The Spitz breeds originate from the Northern Hemisphere and are identified by their wedge-shaped heads, prick ears, dense, off-standing coats and tails carried over their backs.

In the middle of the eighteenth century mention was first made of the large Pomeranian in England and a Spitz type dog is to be seen in pictures from that time onwards; the forerunner of the Dutch Spitz, or Keeshond, which became so popular in the 20th century.

In Germany and Holland these dogs were used to guard the barges that plied up the Rhine. Keeshonds are essentially home or house dogs, guards of their owners and their owners' belongings. Their extremely sensitive hearing makes them invaluable to give warning of any sound and there are many who have experienced this trait from the canal sides in Holland. Dutch Barge Dogs, as they are often called for convenience sake, have lost that job now the days of mechanisation are with us, apart from a few exceptions.

 
Ch Volkrijk of Vorden - BIS at Crufts 1957 (Photos from 'Our Dogs' 1955 and 1956)

For the origin of Keeshond as a name there are many explanations, the most popular being that when Holland was divided by two major political parties, the leader of one, who was always accompanied by a group of Spitz hounds, was a man called Cornelius. Kees being the nickname for Cornelius, these dogs came to be known as Keeshonds. Kees is pronounced Caze in Dutch, so we call our dogs 'Kayshonds'.