Sometimes called the Dutch Barge Dog, this breed is so closely associated with its native country that it was the symbol of the political party called the Patriots in the years immediately following the French Revolution.

The Keeshond was the dog of the people and as such, symbolized the Patriotten in their struggle against the Prinsgezinden (partisans of the Prince of Orange). The leader of the Patriots was Kees de Gyselaer of Dordrecht. He had a Dutch Barg Dog which he had named for himself, Kees. This dog, becoming the dog of the Patriots, the symbol of the common man, gave the breed its name.

The Keeshond, as a breed, is kept as a pet and house dog throughout Holland and has served for centuries on the rijnaken, small vessels used on the Rhine River. As a barge dog, they were simply pets and watch dogs.

Its connection with the Patriot party almost caused its undoing, for it symbolized the losing political party and few people wanted a living symbol in their home of the party that had opposed the Prince of Orange. The breed was at low ebb until adopted by the Baroness van Hardencrock who built the breed to prominence again.

The Keeshond is evidently a descendent of that hardy group of northern dogs that has given us the Spitz, Samoyed, Husky, Norwegian Elkhound, etc. It is probably in a direct line of descent from the Finnish Spitz.

Keeshonden are not hunting dogs or specialists in anything but their permanent role as house and companion dogs however, in spite of this, their bodies are firmly compact to the touch with the hard musculature of the breed. With their native intelligence and extremely fine temperament, they are superb at their jobs.