Recently my hooman has gotten a few emails asking where she got me from and what it’s like to have a Keeshond. I’m extra floof and always smiling at strangers, so it’s no wonder everyone wants to know how to get their very own Keeshond. That’s why my hooman and I put together this handy dandy blog post to talk about how pawsome I am, and explain how you can get a fluffy pupper just like me. Just ignore any of the bothersome things she says about me - I’m basically a cotton ball with a face (totes adorbs), so who cares if I have a taste for plaster and wooden molding.

The Realities of Owning a Keeshond

Let’s start with the obvious...

Grooming

Keeshonden require daily grooming. For Gotham this means 5-10 minutes of solid brushing every day as well as daily dental care (aka teeth brushing). You might find some other websites spouting lies about weekly or twice weekly brushings being all that is necessary, but I've found that if Gotham is brushed daily her fur almost never mats whereas if I only brush her 2-3 times per week I'll almost always find a small mat behind her ear or under her leg. For us, it's easier to spend 5 minutes brushing each day than an hour or more once per week. Your dog will likely be happier with this routine as well, since sitting/laying still for an hour straight is challenging for humans and dogs alike. Keep in mind puppies have softer, downier coats than adult Keeshonden, so as Gotham gets older we may be able to do 4-5x per week brushings instead of daily. If you're an experienced groomer, with a lower energy Keeshond you might be able to get away with twice per week grooming. Keeshonden also have sensitive skin; their fur protects them from the elements and should never be cut or shaved even in the summer.

We mainly use Chris Christensen brushes, which are not the cheapest but I've found work the best and end up having a competitive cost per use over their lifetime. We use both a pin brush and a slicker brush. Keeshonden have quite delicate fur (and personalities), so using an undercoat rake, Furminator, or the like is not recommended as their fur will break and then mat/tangle more easily.

Keeshonden also need their nails and the fur on their paw pads trimmed weekly or biweekly depending on their activity level (ex. a dog who spends several hours per day digging and running outside might need their nails trimmed less often). I use basic clippers and a dremel for Gotham's nails, plus some small shears for the fur around her paws.

Training and Exercise

Keeshonden are clever, resourceful dogs who will be best behaved when given meaningful mental and physical stimulation daily. For Gotham, this means daily off leash park trips (we get up between 6:30-7am to go to Central Park for off leash time where she plays with other dogs/runs around, and we stay for about an hour on weekdays, 2-3 hours on the weekends. We have a dog walker who takes her out for 30 minutes mid-day and then she gets 2 more walks in the evening (1 long walk when I get home from work around 5:30/6pm and a quick trip around the block around 10pm). If the weather is mild we might go hiking (off-leash) on the weekends - Gotham can easily do 5 miles of moderate hiking, or 10 miles of mild, walk in the woods type hiking. After a good hike she'll sleep for the rest of the day, and will usually be lazy for a day after.

We also do daily training - everything from obedience to tricks to agility. I would estimate we spend a cumulative 90 minutes per day on training. This includes some overlap in the morning when we practice recall and distance obedience in the park, plus at-home obedience games and tricks, and weekly formal training classes. We follow LIMA principals quite strictly, and do our best to use positive reinforcement only as Keeshonden are rather sensitive and don't respond well to punishment or correction.

My number one tip for getting enough mental stimulation is to ditch the bowl - get a vast array of puzzle toys and make your pup work for their food. Gotham is partial to Kong brand toys, the Odin, and SnufflePup brand Snuffle Mats. She rarely eats a meal from a bowl. Most meals during the week are out of Kong toys - they provide mental stimulation while she's home alone, and it can be a rather time consuming activity for her to get all the food out. Weeknights and weekends she does a lot of snuffling, and I feed her regular food as a reward for low-difficulty training exercises.

Adult Keeshonden will require less physical exercise, but the training/mental stimulation needs don't taper off as significantly. Gotham is about a year and a half old now, and I expect that by the time she's 3 or so she'll need less intense playtime and maybe we can cut our morning park trips to 30 minutes during the week. Keeshonden are not the type of dogs who will go out into your backyard and amuse themselves, unless you count digging up the garden or barking at the neighbors as the type of habits you'd like your pup to cultivate.

Attention and Behavior

Keeshonden demand lots of human attention. Even if you have another dog or two for your pup to play with, your Keeshond will want to be near you and interacting with you a lot of the time (especially as a puppy). Gotham is the type of dog that tries to get in the shower with me in the morning and refuses to walk away from me on the street (a pro if someone is trying to dog-nap her, a con if my wife is trying to get her to keep walking after I've gone into the dry cleaners/bakery/other shop), and I have to always be extra careful when opening the bathroom door since 99% of the time she's laying right up against the other side of it. Some of this type of behavior I've trained away (i.e. barking when anyone hugs me), but the desire to be around and interacting with humans is a big part of the breed. Some people think this will be cute, or sweet - I mean, who doesn't want their dog to love them? The flip side is that this behavior can manifest itself in undesirable ways like separation anxiety, jealousy, frustration/demand barking, or resource guarding (hint: you're their most desirable resource). Keeshonden are also famously mouthy breeds - they love to chew. The internet is full of photos of Keeshonden standing proudly in front of the wall or door-frame they chewed to pieces.

Even though Gotham has a virtually unlimited supply of chew toys, if she's bored or seeking attention she will try to chew on the walls or sofa.

Veterinary care

Vet care can get expensive. I mentioned that Keeshonden live a long time compared to some other breeds, and that they're also prone to skin issues. Most breeds have some inherent health risks (i.e. Frenchies and their squished in faces that cause breathing problems, Beagles and their increased cancer risk), but it's good to be aware of what you're in for. Even the most well bred Keeshond will require some level of preventative and reactive veterinary care.

The best things you can do to keep your Keeshond healthy is to feed her high quality food, provide meaningful exercise, mental stimulation, and lots of love. We try to head off any health problems by feeding Gotham high quality food (a mix of Orijen Six Fish kibble, Ollie, fresh cooked and raw meat and fish), giving her lots of exercise, mental stimulation, and proper preventative veterinary care.

Personality and Temperment

Keeshonden are lovely, sweet dogs. They're also rather sensitive. This means that they will love you and protect you fiercely. Whether that means demanding you wake up to pet them, barking at that scary other person who's always trying to attack/hug you (aka your husband or wife), or barking at the stranger who is slowly, quietly coming to murder you (aka the person who lives 2 doors down who dared to come home less than silently).

They are generally aloof with strangers, but have a soft spot for children and puppies. If you have other animals, Keeshonden are gentle and socially adept with cats/bunnies/and so on.

Gotham is exceedingly clever, as is typical of the breed. This means she's quick to learn new tricks and skills, but also quick to figure out how to manipulate the silly humans into doing her bidding (usually giving her extra treats). While I love this breed, they aren't for everyone and I wouldn't recommend a Keeshond for your first dog unless you have some other experience with animals (i.e. you grew up on a farm, are a vet, have a considerable amount of time and money to spare).

If you'd still like that breeder introduction feel free to send us an email.