The Keeshond is sometimes better remembered as the Dutch Barge Dog. A barge, a watercraft like a cross between a tug and a small freighter with a flat bottom, glides easily on the many rivers and canals intertwined across the Netherlands.
In the 1700's, the breed gained notoriety as a symbol of the Patriots (Keezen, which loosely means rabble) when Holland was divided in to two political factions. Cornelius de Gyselaar, a patriot leader who followed William of Orange, had one of these then popular spitz dogs as his companion. 'Kees' being a local nickname for Cornelius, and 'hond' the dutch word for dog, Cornelius is widely credited for having established the name of the breed as his dog, i.e. Kees' hond.
Unfortunately for many Keeshonden, when the rebellion was eventually lost, many of these beautiful dogs were destroyed to disavow any connection to the defeated rebel party. Thankfully, a small number of barge captains and farmers kept their hardworking and loyal companions, and as such the breed has now flourished in not only Holland, but in countries all over the world where breeders have faithfully maintained the breed in accordance with breed standards set by the Controlling Canine Bodies of which they are members.
Although the Keeshond has gained widespread recognition as a barge dog, there are few records of the dog having ventured in a sea-going boat, nor are there stories of Keeshonden being shipwrecked on foreign lands and crossing with local dogs to begin another variation of the breed.
The Keeshond spread to Germany via barges that cruised the Rhine and the Black Forest. There the Keeshond crossbred with existing spitz stock. Some of this stock was then imported into Great Britain as show and breeding stock, along with the stock brought directly from Holland by Mrs Wingfield-Digby, a breed founder in England. Although the breed had been shown (as an overweight pomeranian) in England prior to this, there are no records to show that those dogs were ever bred.
The Dutch are a gentle people, and more inclined to develop a family-orientated dog rather than a hunting or guard dog. It is noted that these people have often been the victim of other more aggressive countries, but are not known as a violent nation. The Keeshond developed with these people with the requirements that these folk had of their dogs, which was as a companion animal able to fulfill the duties of watchdog (as opposed to guard dog) and family pet.
The Keeshond's bark is often liked to that of a bell, and with its sharp ring, will alert his owners to any trespassers or perceived threat to his home and family. With the work of many dedicated breeders in the past, and now the present, the Keeshond is still known as a healthy, long-lived breed with a happy, exhuberant personality and a forever-young sense of humour.
