Keeshond Care: Coat Maintenance, Barking and Health Checks

By Dr Duncan Houston

A Keeshond’s abundant coat and alert expression can be irresistible, but caring for one involves more than keeping the fluff tidy. Owners also need a plan for barking, comfortable activity and health monitoring beneath that coat.

The most useful breed information helps you prepare for daily life without assuming every Keeshond will behave or develop illness in the same way.

Quick Answer

Keeshonden need regular coat maintenance, companionship, reward-based training and exercise adjusted to weather and fitness. Ask about joint, eye and primary hyperparathyroidism screening, while recognising that genetic tests have limits. Increased thirst, weakness or unexplained appetite changes warrant veterinary assessment.

Temperament and home life

The breed is associated with Dutch barge life and an alert companion role. Many Keeshonden enjoy close involvement with their household and readily announce activity around them. Friendliness varies, so supervise children and introduce other animals thoughtfully.

An apartment can work if you can manage toilet access, daily activity and noise. A garden does not replace company or training. Provide a quiet resting place and introduce comfortable alone time gradually rather than assuming a sociable dog will cope with prolonged isolation.

How should you manage barking?

First identify the trigger: visitors, noises, excitement, frustration or distress when alone. These need different responses. Reduce unnecessary window patrols, use barriers when visitors enter and reward turning away from the trigger or settling on a mat.

Practise when the dog can still respond, not at peak arousal. Shouting may add excitement or fear. The AVSAB training guidance supports reward-based methods and welfare-focused behaviour support.

New barking at night, unusual clinginess or reduced tolerance of handling can have medical explanations, including pain or sensory change. Seek veterinary assessment when behaviour changes abruptly.

Coat care that reaches the undercoat

Part the coat and work through it in sections so you can check skin and tangles. Areas behind the ears, beneath the legs and around the hindquarters deserve particular attention. Grooming needs increase during heavy shedding.

Ask a groomer to demonstrate suitable tools and technique. Regular short sessions are often easier than a long struggle with established mats. Do not pull hard on tangled hair or cut close to skin with scissors.

Routine close clipping is generally unnecessary for a maintained double coat. However, a blanket rule that the coat must never be clipped is inappropriate: serious matting, skin treatment or surgery may justify it. Let comfort and veterinary needs guide the decision.

A thick coat does not make heat exposure safe. Provide shade, water and a cool resting area, choose suitable weather for activity and stop when the dog is struggling. Never rely on grooming alone to prevent heat illness.

What is primary hyperparathyroidism?

Primary hyperparathyroidism, or PHPT, involves excessive parathyroid hormone and can raise blood calcium. The Keeshond Club of America’s health information identifies it as an important inherited concern in the breed.

Possible signs include increased drinking and urination, reduced appetite, weakness or vomiting, although some cases are found on blood tests. These signs also occur with kidney disease, diabetes and other problems, so breed alone cannot establish the diagnosis.

Discuss screening with your vet. Cornell’s PHPTQ test information specifically cautions that clinical interpretation requires care: the assay detects a genetic insertion and its clinical validation has limitations. A result should not replace assessment of symptoms or blood calcium.

Health checks and action points

Request actual parental records for recommended joint and eye screening, not simply reassurance that the dogs appeared healthy. The AKC breed profile summarises relevant screening areas.

A practical daily routine

Combine walks and sniffing with short lessons and food-search games. Adjust intensity for age, health and weather, with adequate uninterrupted rest. Food puzzles should use part of the daily ration rather than becoming an extra meal.

Feed a complete life-stage diet, measure portions and feel body condition beneath the coat. Maintain toothbrushing, comfortable nail length and a locally appropriate parasite and vaccination plan. Repeated ear odour or itching requires a diagnosis rather than automatic weekly cleaning.

Common mistakes

• Judging weight entirely by appearance through a heavy coat.
• Expecting exercise alone to resolve barking or separation distress.
• Ignoring thirst changes because the dog still seems cheerful.
• Treating a genetic result as a complete health certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Do Keeshonden shed?

Yes. Regular coat care and extra attention during shedding periods are part of ownership.

Can a Keeshond live in a warm climate?

Only with appropriate temperature control, careful activity choices and close attention to comfort.

Does more drinking mean PHPT?

No. Several diseases cause increased thirst, and testing is needed.

Can barking be reduced?

Often, through identifying triggers, teaching alternatives and addressing fear or distress when present.

Look beneath the cheerful expression and thick coat: comfortable movement, normal thirst and the ability to settle tell you far more about wellbeing.

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For support organising your Keeshond’s care routine and health observations, visit ASK A VET™.