Does anyone have a Keeshond? I'm thinking of getting one.

[MelAnderson]

Inspired by the Jack Rusell thread....I have finally decided to get a puppy and after some research decided on a Keeshond for a couple of reasons (based upon what I've read) - good temperament, excellent with children (my son is 5) and their size (not too big, up to 45 lbs or so for males with females being lighter). Does anyone have one? Would you recommend them? TIA!

 

[shellyfive]

They are nice dogs to have in my experience, but need alot of maintenance as far as their coat goes--------hope you own a strong vacuum!!!!

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

I don't think it's easy to find a good breeder because they aren't a common dog- which is good in some ways, bad in locating/purchasing one...

I'd look things up in my book, but alas, my 2 year old stole it off my desk in his police car, so I don't know where it is- LOL!

 

[libinatorsmom]

I dont have one now but grew up with one... and he was a great dog... friendly, playful, fun... but hairy... LOL... he was an intact male too and we never had any trouble with him at all... he was a fun dog...

We have Australlian Cattle Dogs now and they are AWESOME... and very very loyal... and SMART... my 4 year old LOVES the new puppy we got... we have two now...

GOOD LUCK

 

[Lintasare]

A friend's parents got one a few years ago. Personally I would not recommend the breed. For one they are one of the rarer breeds and are very expensive. Their coats require alot of grooming and maintenance. They can be very high strung...at least the one I know is. Also he apparently was not easy to house train. They had to let him out every hour on the hour because he could not hold it and this was still going on 2 years after they got him.

And I am not sure this is true of all breeders but my friend's parents were required to sign a contract stating they would show the dog and breed him. If they did not then the dog would be taken away.

Personally that sounds like alot of work for a dog. I would do alot of research and talk to a few breeders before making a decision.

 

[Aneille]

I had one.

Mine was a little off but it was him not the breed. He would sometimes just flip out and try to bite(which he occasionally did suceed in doing, although only to family). And it wasn't the flipping out that was the "off" part. He sometimes just seemed out of it. He tried to bite out of the blue once a year or once every 2 years. Never at the kids, although I kept the kids far away from him.

His personality was awesome though despite this problem. He was loyal and friendly and very smart. I would get another one.

I got mine from some guy breeding them. I did little research and I bet his problems came from this breeding not the breed. It was some family in a nearby town. He came without any papers or anything. They were in the business of breeding them though.

He started having seizures at 12 years old and I had to put him to sleep last year. He also had hip dysplesia and his kneecap slipped (which was diagnosed at the age of 5). Like I said, probably bad breeding. After he started having seizures it got me thinking that maybe he had a tumor or was having smaller seizures his whole life which caused these flip outs. He would flip out then act like nothing was wrong and you could tell he didn't remember. He only was reacting to you being angry, and he would then not leave your side. It was really kind of sad.

My DH loved that dog and it started out as my dog. I got him when I was college.

His hair was totally manageble. He shed, but it went out in clumps. You would find a ball of hair in the corner of the room. He also got along with our other dog that we got when he was 6. I thought having another dog might help him with his "off" personality. And it did. We housed my sisters lab for 8 months rrecently and the dog shed far worse than my Keeshound.

Now I want another one!

My kids loved him too and still try to remember him.

 

[DVCJEN]

Inspired by the Jack Rusell thread....I have finally decided to get a puppy and after some research decided on a Keeshond for a couple of reasons (based upon what I've read) - good temperament, excellent with children (my son is 5) and their size (not too big, up to 45 lbs or so for males with females being lighter). Does anyone have one? Would you recommend them? TIA!

My good friend has had two of them. I would not recommend them with children. Both of hers were smart and friendly but also tended to be jealous. They also ran off frequently. She was forever letting them out and they would "disappear" for hours. One was hit by a car. The other disappeared and never came back. Care of the coat was a lot of work and they both had sensitive skin issues. Also, both of hers were males and they were quite a bit more than 45lbs.

 

[MelAnderson]

When I initally started researching, I almost got caught up in a "puppy mill". After some serious red flags and some research, I started to see the difference between a professional caring breeder and the PM folks.

From my recent conversations with the breeders and the contracts, they've asked if I wanted a show dog or a companion. If you select a companion, then there is a spay/neuter clause. I think that show dogs require a lot more work and I don't plan to do that! I also asked about the hip thing (I know that surgery can be expensive), and the parents of the litters that I am looking at are cleared of hip issues. It has been difficult finding a reputable breeder, but I finally manged to find some. I'm in IL and I'm looking a 3 breeders in 3 different states! So far they have all been very helpful and will to answer questions. Please keep your comments coming! I know that this is a long committment and I want to make the right choice.

 

[Aneille]

FYI - My crazy Kees never went past 45#. He maintained somewhere between 43-45.

If I got another one I would do what you are doing, very careful research. If you can try to meet the parents. Talk to other owners of your dogs siblings.

I learned my lesson and even when I got my dog now who is a mixed breed rescue, I choose her after meeting her and getting a good feel for her personality.


By far my mixed breed is the sweetest dog I have ever owned but the Kees held a special place due to his loyality.

 

[kacaju]

And I am not sure this is true of all breeders but my friend's parents were required to sign a contract stating they would show the dog and breed him. If they did not then the dog would be taken away.

That is not true, a breeder has a contract that states either show dog or pet dog. If you want a pet they require you to fix the dog.
The best way to find a breeder (besides online) is to go to a dog show. As I posted in the other thread. go to infodog.com, find their show schedule and find a show close to you. Breeders travel... we met our breeder in Southern NJ and she lives in VT.

 

[njsonja]

can you possibly think of looking into keeshound rescue? if you need help finding them, email me at njpetsitter@gmail.com

regards,

sonja

 

[Eviie]

Eh... kee's are kind of crazy, loud dogs. They need to be groomed everyday, they aren't good with kids either. They are beautiful dogs, but if your a first time owner i say STAY AWAY! If i were you don't have a certain dog in mind, go to your local shelter and see the dogs, i'm sure you'll fall in love with one...

If not check petfinder.com - they are a great company and i know my friend got all her 3 dogs from them


Goooooood luck!

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

OR they went through a bad breeder who just had a crazy contract- in regard to the person's friend who is required to show.

If you don't like a breeder, walk away. If you don't like what's in their contract, walk away. BUT if you want a healthy, well bred dog, expect at LEAST a spay/neuter clause in the contract.

 

[wheelcap]

We got our first Keeshond at a pet shop in 1988. We absolutely loved her, and decided it's among the best breeds in the world. She was six when she got a virus that the vet couldn't fight off. We waited a year or so, (mourning time?) then got another one.

We got Koby directly from a breeder in Butler, PA. She bread show Keeshonds, and really did it right! Koby's dad was a 5-time champion, as were the males for at least 3 generations back. The mother was well-awarded as well; both were gorgeous dogs. I think finding a good breeder is important!

To compare the two . . . Casey was a female, and was about 35 lbs; hair rarely needed to be brushed, and there was minimal shedding. Koby is a male, is currently about 65 lbs (not fat - just big). His hair is much thicker, so we bathe/brush once a month to keep it nice. Along with more hair also comes more shedding, but it's not enough to consider it a major problem.

From our experience, I would say that Keeshonden are great with adults and kids, as well as dogs and cats and other animals. They are intelligent and loyal -- I love the blustering! -- and make perfect companions. If you've got more questions, let me know, but I would encourage just about anybody to consider a Keeshond.

 

[keishashadow]

I used to breed Keeshonds , in fact; my screen name is in honor of my girl who had passed away shortly before I joined the DISboard

Lots of misconceptions here, last poster got it right

They do shed (basketfuls in the spring & fall) you don't have to brush them every day (unless they run thru the woods), highly intelligent and strong willed; yet VERY GENTLE with children and other animals, especially cats.

They are known for their famous keeshond smile...looks like they're baring their teeth; but they aren't . Consider yourself fortunate if one bestows a smile on you.

Mine never strayed or tried to run (i now am down to 1 very old Keeshie and a Schipperke "a loose schipperke is a lost schipperke " glad i have her chipped jik I can't catch here when she escapes lol

Def. get recommendations as to breeders. I only bred Keisha a few times and specifically searched to purchase a male to complement her (they come in different color shades from silver/black to copper accents and their size varies quite a bit depending on the parents) and to make sure the bloodline was not conflicted with hers. They do tend to have small litters.

FYI, i sold word of mouth and had a waiting list for our puppies mostly in West Virginia/Ohio area. Not very popular in Pittsburgh area for some reason. Will say I had more than a few inquiries from people who wanted to breed them with wolves , wackos...contracts are a necessity to protect the dogs imo.

 

[Eeyore1925]

BIL & SIL had one. Great dog when people were around but it had a separation anxiety problem.

While they were out of the house it did a lot of strange things - ate either artificial christmas tree, tried to chew throug the main electrical line into the house, squeezed itself through a 6" gap in the car window and got stuck (imagine what the inside of the car looked like.). I could go on and on and on.

After the baby came it went nuts. They actually found it in the crib one day eating the bumbers - fortunately baby was not in the crib.

They had to get rid of it. He is now living on a farm with other dogs and very happy.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

We had 2. First we got Kiesha. The dog love of my life. She was wonderful! She did have to be brushed regularly because otherwise the hair around her ears would become matted. Not every day though. And she did shed but so does my lab and corgi I have now, so for me that wouldn't be a deciding factor. When we had our daughter, Kiesha wasn't thrilled and wouldn't really interact with her but she wasn't mean or ugly about it either. Just indifferent. If our daughter came near she would just get up and walk away. This was our fault though because we never socialized her the way we should have. I would say the worst thing about her was her whining. I don't know if this is a breed trait or not. I heard that it is with certain breeds. She was a very well behaved dog and I loved taking her for walks. Kiesha died 9 years ago and I still miss her terribly. She was my baby.

Now the other one was another story! First let me say that she was the last left in the litter, we found out after we got her that where we got her from was a puppy mill and we didn't do the proper research before getting her. We could never house train her. She had an attitude and wouldn't be quiet when someone came to our house. She had the habit of chasing her tail and unfortunatly caught it one day! We came home to blood everywhere! Her tail was just hanging there. We had to take her to the vet and have it amputated the rest of the way. We ended up giving her away after our daughter was born. I don't blame ANY of her behavior on the breed. I think it was fully bad breeding and us not having the skills and knowledge of how to take care of a dog like her.

I think you are doing the smart and right thing by doing so much research. That is what we did when we got our corgi. It pays off. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[mickeyluvr004]

Hi I had a Kees his name was Spike he was the most gentle dog my boys were around 2 and 4 at the time and he was like 8 months old I would definetly put it through training as mine never roamed and the funny thi ng is if the boys were outside playing in the yard and the oil man came or the electric company he would run in circles around the boys barking as to say you better not come near them they belong to me he was the most gentle dog he passed away 9 years ago sure do miss him, we now own a Brittany Spaniel female and I have to admit I was unsure about getting her well she is the love of my life soooo gentle with my 4 year old she can do any thing to her and Sassy just licks her and wags her little stub of a tail, she is only 30 lbs and soo easy to train, we have invisible fencing as she did like to roam ( they are trained bird dogs ) so they love to sniff and we have alot of deer around here and horses so her nose is always sniffing something. good luck but for me I loved my Kees that is for sure but make sure you find a breeder go under dog breeders.com and put in your state see if that helps,

 

[labdogs42]

Where do you live? I know a breeder in PA that has beautiful Keeshonden. She shows them in conformation and agility. I can get you the info if you want it!

 

[MelAnderson]

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

I live in IL and apparently none of the breeders in my area had any planned litters One of them was nice enought to refer me to two breeders, one in MO and one in OH (both within driving distance from me) who have litters that will be available next month.

I have learned a lot from talking to them and going through the application process. They have asked a lot of questions about my family and personality so that after the puppies reach 8 weeks, they have a better idea of their personality. Kees, from what I've gathered does has separation anxiety and they don't like to be left alone a lot - every breeder highly recommended crate training. So far, so good, so I'm hoping that we will have a new puppy in a several weeks.

Talking to the siblings owners is a good idea - thanks for the tip!