|
|
|
National Breed Club:
This site made by WebSurfin.com
|
Founding of the Keeshond In the 1770s, when Europe faced turmoil similar to that confronted in this country on the eve of our own Revolution, Dutch Patriots challenged the House of Orange in the low countries and enjoyed a brief triumph over the royalists. The Patriots, a political party of the common people, had as their mascot a medium-sized, furry, spitz-like gray dog that was the constant escort of party leader Cornelis de Gyselaer. The breed had been known in Holland for centuries as a barge guard and a household companion, but its identification as a dog of the people gave it new status and a new breed name. De Gyselaer's dog was called Kees (pronounced Kaze), a diminutive of Cornelis, and it became a symbol of commoners' attempts to overthrow the aristocracy. The breed became known as Keeshond, pronounced "Kazehawnd," a combination of "Kees" and "hond," the Dutch word for dog. Unfortunately for the Keeshond, the aristocracy eventually prevailed, and the breed sank into obscurity when owners no longer wished to be associated with the symbol of a politically incorrect philosophy. The Keeshond (plural Keeshonden) is a member of the spitz group of dogs that developed in northern climates and is related to the Samoyed, the Norwegian Elkhound, the Chow Chow, the Finnish Spitz, and its closest relative, the Pomeranian. For perhaps hundreds of years, the Kees served as a watchdog and rat killer on small boats that plied the Rhine River in its native Holland and as watchdogs and companions on farms and vineyards. Following the political debacle and the increasing use of larger boats that accommodated larger dogs, the Kees fell from favor for nearly 100 years. The breed was revived by Baroness van Hardenbroek, who found several fine individuals still kept by farmers, boat captains, and truckers. The Baroness successfully fought an attempt to rename the breed the German Spitz, even though it was considered from the earliest times to be the same breed. The Keeshond was exhibited in England in 1870 as the "Overweight Pomeranian" and later as the "Dutch Barge Dog." The name was officially changed to Keeshond in 1925, and the breed was recognized in the US by the American Kennel Club in 1930. The Kees ranked 39th in number of dogs registered in 1992 out of the 135 breeds recognized by AKC. |
|
|
|
