The Keeshond (pronounced kayz-hawnd) is a natural, handsome dog of well-balanced, short-coupled body, attracting attention not only by his coloration, alert carriage, and intelligent expression, but also by his stand-off coat, his richly plumed tail well curled over his back, his fox-like expression, and his small pointed ears. His coat is very thick around the neck, fore part of the shoulders and chest, forming a lion-like ruff-more profuse in the male. His rump and hind legs, down to the hocks, are also thickly coated, forming the characteristic "trousers." His head, ears, and lower legs are covered with thick, short hair.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The Keeshond is a medium-sized, square-appearing, sturdy
dog, neither coarse nor lightly made. The ideal height of
fully matured dogs when measured from top of withers to the
ground is 18 inches for males and 17 inches for bitches--a
one inch variance either way is acceptable. While correct
size is very important, it should not outweigh that of type.
Head
Expression Expression is
largely dependent on the distinctive characteristic called
"spectacles"--a combination of markings and shadings in the
orbital area which must include a delicate, dark line
slanting from the outer corner of each eye toward the lower
corner of each ear coupled with expressive eyebrows.
Markings (or shadings) on face and head must present a
pleasing appearance, imparting to the dog an alert and
intelligent expression. Very Serious Fault: Absence
of dark lines which form the "spectacles."
Eyes Eyes should be dark brown in
color, of medium size, almond shaped, set obliquely and
neither too wide apart nor too close together. Eye rims are
black. Faults: Round and/or protruding eyes or eyes
light of color. Ears Ears should be
small, triangular in shape, mounted high on head and carried
erect. Size should be proportionate to the head--length
approximating the distance from the outer corner of the eye
to the nearest edge of the ear. Fault: Ears not
carried erect when at attention.
Skull The head should be
well-proportioned to the body and wedge-shaped when viewed
from above-not only the muzzle, but the whole head should
give this impression when the ears are drawn back by
covering the nape of the neck and the ears with one hand.
Head in profile should exhibit a definite stop.
Faults: Apple head or absence of stop.
Muzzle Of medium length, neither
coarse nor snipey, and well proportioned to the skull.
Mouth The mouth should be neither
overshot nor undershot. Lips should be black and closely
meeting--not thick, coarse or sagging, and with no
wrinkle at the corner of the mouth. Faults: Overshot,
undershot or wry mouth. Teeth The
teeth should be white, sound and strong meeting in a
scissors bite. Fault: Misaligned teeth.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be moderately long,
well-shaped and well set on shoulders. The body should be
compact with a short, straight back sloping slightly
downward toward the hindquarters: well ribbed, barrel well
rounded, short in loin, belly moderately tucked up, deep and
strong of chest. Tail The tail
should be moderately long and well feathered, set on high
and tightly curled over the back. It should lie flat and
close to the body. The tail must form a part of the
"silhouette" of the dog's body, rather than give the
appearance of an appendage. Fault: Tail not lying
close to the back.
Forequarters Forelegs should
be straight seen from any angle. Pasterns are strong with a
slight slope. Legs must be of good bone in proportion to the
overall dog. Shoulder to upper arm angulation is between
slight to moderate. Hindquarter
Angulation in rear should be between slight to moderate
to complement the forequarters, creating balance and typical
gait. Hindquarters are well muscled with hocks perpendicular
to the ground. Feet The feet should
be compact, well rounded, cat-like. Toes are nicely arched,
with black nails.
Coat
The body should be abundantly covered with long, straight,
harsh hair standing well out from a thick, downy undercoat.
Head, including muzzle, skull and ears, should be covered
with smooth, soft, short hair--velvety in texture on the
ears. The neck is covered with a mane, more profuse in the
male, sweeping from under the jaw and covering the whole of
the front part of the shoulders and chest, as well as the
top part of the shoulders. The hair on the legs should be
smooth and short, except for feathering on the front legs
and "trousers" on the hind legs. Hind legs should be
profusely feathered down to the hocks, not below. The hair
on the tail should form a rich plume. Coat must not part
down the back. The Keeshond is to be shown in a natural
state with trimming permissible only on feet, pasterns,
hocks, and, if desired, whiskers. TRIMMING OTHER THAN AS
DESCRIBED TO BE SEVERELY PENALIZED. Faults: Silky,
wavy, or curly coats. Part in coat down the back.
Color and Markings
A dramatically marked dog, the Keeshond is a mixture of
gray, black and cream. This coloration may vary from light
to dark. The hair of the outer coat is black tipped, the
length of the black tips producing the characteristic
shading of color. Puppies are often less intensely marked.
The undercoat is very pale gray or cream, never tawny.
Head The muzzle should be dark
in color. "Spectacles" and shadings, as previously described,
are characteristic of the breed and must be present to some
degree. Ears should be very dark, almost black.
Ruff, Shoulders and "Trousers" The
color of the ruff and "trousers" is lighter than that of the
body. The shoulder line markings of light gray must be well
defined. Tail The plume of the
tail is very light in color when curled on the back, and the
tip of the tail should be black.
Legs and Feet Legs and feet are
cream. Faults: Pronounced white markings. Black
markings more than halfway down the foreleg, penciling
excepted. White foot or feet. Very Serious Faults
Entirely black or white or any solid color; any pronounced
deviation from the color as described.
Gait
The distinctive gait of the Keeshond is unique to the
breed. Dogs should move boldly and keep tails curled over
the back. They should move cleanly and briskly; the movement
should be straight and sharp with reach and drive between
slight to moderate.
Temperament
Temperament is of primary importance. The Keeshond is
neither timid nor aggressive but, instead, is outgoing and
friendly with both people and other dogs. The Keeshond is a
lively, intelligent, alert and affectionate companion.
Approved November 14, 1989
Effective January 1, 1990
© 1998 American Kennel Club
Copyright © 1999-2002 Keeshond Club of America. All rights reserved