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The Keeshond Breed Standard
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The Keeshond Breed Standard
Presented below are both the written Breed Standard, as approved by The Kennel Club, and The Keeshond Clubs’ own Illustrated Breed Standard which comprehensively describes through text, drawings and photographs the individual elements of the Kennel Club’s written Breed Standard.
Clicking  ‘Illustrate It’ alongside each of the individual elements of the written standard will allow you to view the accompanying explanation from the Illustrated Breed Standard. When viewing these explanations it should be remembered that the photographs used are considered, by breed specialists, to be typical examples of the breed and are not meant to depict the 'perfect dog'.
The Illustrated Breed Standard ‘The Keeshond - An Illustrated Standard’ is available as a free download. For details, please click here.
The Breed Standard
A breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for purpose. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be in any way detrimental to the health, welfare and soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the KC web site for details of such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.
General Appearance
Short, compact body, confident carriage. Fox-like head with small, pointed ears, alert expression, large ruff, well feathered tail curled over back.
Characteristics
Sturdy, intelligent and adaptable, ideal companion, good watchdog.
Temperament
Confident, alert, and friendly. Always ready to raise the alarm.
Head and Skull
Well proportioned, wedge shaped when seen from above; from side showing definite stop. Dark muzzle equal to length of flat skull. Neither coarse nor snipey. Nose black.
Eyes
Dark, medium size, almond shaped, obliquely set. Well defined ‘spectacles’ as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct marking and shading forming expressive short eyebrows.
Ears
Dark, small, ivy-leafed in shape. Erect, velvety texture. Well set on head, neither too wide nor meeting.
Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips black.
Neck
Moderately long and arched, covered with thick, profuse coat forming large ruff.
Forequarters
Shoulders well sloped. Straight front of medium width with good bone.
Body
Short, compact; length from the withers to tail equal to height at withers, well sprung in rib. Good depth of brisket.
Hindquarters
Strong muscled, hindlegs straight when viewed from behind. Hock showing slight angulation when viewed from side, profuse light coloured trousers down to hocks.
Feet
Well padded, round, cat-like, tight, cream in colour; black nails.
Tail
Moderately long, high set, tightly curled over back, double curl highly desirable. Light plume on top where curled, with black tip, carried closely at all times.
Gait/Movement
Clean, brisk, straight and sharp.
Coat
Harsh, off standing, straight. Dense ruff, well feathered forelegs and profuse trousers, not feathered below hock. Soft, thick light-coloured (not tawny) undercoat. Never silky, wavy or woolly, nor forming a parting on the back. Any shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline should be penalised, with the exception of feet and pasterns which may be lightly trimmed.
Colour
A mixture of grey and black. Undercoat very pale grey or cream (not tawny). All shades of grey acceptable, body hairs black tipped. Shoulder markings well defined and all markings definite. Forelegs and hocks cream with no black below wrist or hock. Pencilling accepted.
Size
Ideal height: Dogs 45.7 cm (18 inches); Bitches 43.2 cm (17 inches)
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum
The Keeshond - An Illustrated Standard
This handy pocket-sized ringside companion, ideally suited to all with an interest in the Keeshond, containing all the above invaluable ‘Illustrate It’ explanations as well as other useful information is available, as a free download, in Adobe (PDF) format.
To download your copy, please click here
Adobe Reader is needed, to view/print this download, and if required this free software can be downloaded from here.
Acknowledgements
The Keeshond Breed Standard
Copyright © The Kennel Club
Reproduced with their permission
The Keeshond - An Illustrated Standard
Copyright © The Keeshond Club
The whole publication or extracts thereof are not to be reproduced without the permission of The Keeshond Club.
The Keeshond Club gratefully acknowledges
Mrs. Jeane Waller, for providing some of the drawings used in the publication.
Sally Anne Thompson, for the photographs featured on the front cover and used within the publication.
Page Last Updated: February 2010
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