Welcome to the Keeshond | Cornelis de Gyselaer

That Smiling Dutch Dog aka The Keeshond

For those of you who haven't met a Keeshond, you are in for a treat! They are so much more than a vaguely Spitz looking dog with wolf-like coloring. Their history is fascinating and runs the gamut from hard-working, sea-faring roots to political intrigue to family dog extraordinaire! 

People who know me are aware that it doesn't take much to lead me down a dog-related rabbit hole. One click leads to another and before I know it I'm 20 websites deep ferreting out some random factoid that fascinates me and whomever wrote the article. Anyway, as I looked for images to purchase from the half-dozen or so sources I use I was surprised at how few Keeshond images there were. Then I realized most of the stock photography sites are European. When I searched Wolf Spitz, Wolfspitz, German Spitz, I found a lot more images. Who knew?

So here is what I learned about the Keeshond name. The Keeshond was named after the 18th-century Dutch patriot Cornelis de Gyselaer. Kees, as he was called, led the Dutch rebellion against the House of Orange in the 1780s. His dog was with him all the time and soon became the rebels' symbol. The Orange had a fawn Pug as their symbol. The dog was soon called - Kees (after the Dutch patriot) and hond for well, dog in Dutch. As you might imagine the breed almost disappeared after the House of Orange stayed in power. Luckily, the Keeshond was saved due to the efforts of a group of dedicated fanciers.

In the Netherlands, the name Keeshond refers to all of the German Spitz dogs from Pomeranian to Keeshond. Coloring and size is all that differentiates the dogs we in the US consider entirely different breeds in the Netherlands. The FCI considers the Keeshond to be a member of the German Spitz family. They also consider Pomeranians and American Eskimos as part of this group.

Of course, we have several of our Blissful Best with Keeshond labels.