Keeshond vs Eurasier - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Keeshond is the term used for German Spitzes and although many American references have it that the Keeshond originated in the Netherlands, some say the dog originated in Germany and is a member of the German Spitz family.

The Club for German Spitzes was founded in 1899. The Nederlandse Keeshond Club was formed in 1924. The Keeshond is also referred to as ‘The Smiling Dutchman’.

It was in the 17th and 18th centuries that the Keeshond was used greatly as a watchdog, appearing in England in the late 1800s, but after the turn of the 20th century, Mrs. Wingfield Digby of Dorset, England and Mrs. Alice Gatacre, a Dutch breed authority, living in England, stirred interest in the breed with their kennels.

An English breed Club was formed in 1926, and the first Keeshond was registered with The American Kennel Club in 1930.

The Eurasier is a dog which hails from Germany and is a cross between the Wolf Spitz, the Chow Chow and the Samoyed.

The puppies of the dog could reproduce themselves, so that a new breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Internationale.

It is believed that the name was chosen as a referral to the dog’s European and Asian background. Today the Eurasier is found in most European Union countries as well as in Canada and the United States, but still the breed’s population is low, with efforts in place to raise its numbers.

The Keeshond is a medium-sized dog and a member of the Spitz group of dogs. He stands at 43 – 48cm in height and weighs 14 – 18kg.

He has a 2-layered, dense coat which is fairly long, straight and coarse and colors are grey, silver, black and cream. His undercoat is a very light cream color. He has erect ears, a fairly shop muzzle and a feathery, plumed tail which curves over his back.

The hair on his legs is fairly short accompanied with some feathering. A typical marking-feature of the Keeshond is the dark line which runs from the outer corner of each eye to the lower corner of each ear. It's what gives the dog his well known keeshond expression. The eyes of the dog are dark brown.

Temperament:

The Keeshond, just like other Spitz dogs, are playful, affectionate, friendly and eager to please. He is intelligent too and will respond well to training and socialization.

He makes a wonderful family pet as he is friendly and playful with children, loving all their games. He gets on well with other pets too. He is a social dog, thriving on being with his human family, wanting to participate in all family activities.

They are sensitive, loving pets and become very attached to their owners. They have even been used as comfort dogs in rescue situations, as they bond so well with people.

He makes a good watchdog too with his loud bark which he uses to deter intruders. He may well be a good watch- and guard dog but he isn't an aggressive dog.

The Eurasier is a medium-sized dog, standing at roughly 48cm to 60cm in height and weighing 18kg to 32kg. He has a medium to long length coat in a range of different colors – fawn, black and tan as well as a mix of colors such as silver and black.

He has medium-sized, erect ears and the tail is always held over the back. The nose is black and the eyes are also medium in size and dark and should never be obscured by the dog’s hair.

Temperament:

Confident while being reserved around strangers, the calm Eurasier isn’t an aggressive dog.Bred as a companion animal, he is tolerant of other pets in the house as well as with children, and having him socialized and trained will ensure that he is obedient, relaxed and amicable. He is an intelligent dog and responds well to training.

He loves to be with his human family and will adapt happily to city- or country life. He doesn’t have high activity levels so daily walks and ball games will be sufficient for him.

He isn’t the kind of dog that you can keep in your backyard as a watchdog and then just neglect him. He’ll become bored and destructive through no fault of his own.

The Keeshond, with his thick double coat, loves to be outdoors in cool weather. He won't be there too long however, because he will be missing his human family. He is such a social dog, craving human company and therefore isn't a dog to be put out in the backyard and left day after day.

He loves games and being totally involved with his human family. Look after your Keeshond well – he is a companion dog - and you will find him to be a most exceptional friend of yours.

You can just see on the face of the Eurasier that he is a loving, gentle dog who wants to be part of a loving human family.

As a companion dog he makes a splendidly devoted and loyal pet, wanting to be involved in everything his human ‘pack members’ are doing. He is healthy, intelligent, playful and loving and when you invest in such a pet, you’re investing in a close, loving relationship for many years.

With good food, fresh water, exercise and lots of interaction with your Keeshond, he can reach 12 to 14 years of age.

No matter how healthy your dog is, he can still get ill, but the chances are less likely when he is feed nutritionally. Nonetheless look out for hip dysplasia, bloat, ear infections, skin rashes and eye diseases.

Cataract:

This is a problem in the lens of the eye. Your dog has a cloudy look to the eye. A cataract can occur when the cells are damaged. A disease such as diabetes can also cause a cataract and high blood sugar levels can change the metabolism of the cells in the lens.

The lens should be crystal clear, but with a cataract, the vision of the dog is obscured. It can cause blindness. Thankfully, cataracts aren't painful and most times dogs with cataracts can still see. There is the option of surgery to remove them too.

To a large extent, we have the health of our pets in our hands. The way we treat them – the food we give, the activities he takes part in, his sleeping facilities and the attention we give him all contribute to whether he will be healthy or not.

Nonetheless there are dogs who enjoy the best life and yet they still get sick. The Eurasier is a healthy dog breed who can push 12, 13 or 14 years, but still there are some common dog diseases to look out for.

Problems which are of concern are hip- and elbow dysplasia and patellar Luxation. Patellar luxation is when the dog's kneecap becomes dislocated and you see your pet holding up his hind leg for a while. These dislocated kneecaps are quite common in dogs and can lead to arthritis and even lameness.

Your vet can diagnose this problem through different means to help your pet.

Grooming:

With his double coat, your Keeshond will need regular brushing to get rid of all those loose hairs. He is a dog which doesn't have that typical dog odor about him so bathing him is discouraged. Too much bathing irritates a dog's skin and dries it out.

Check the inside of his mouth and make sure that his teeth are in a healthy state. If you are unsure, speak to your vet about dental hygiene as bad teeth won't only cause pain and discomfort for your pet, the teeth can affect his immune system and other body parts.

Check his claws too and have them cut when they become too long. When they are long they can hook on things and injure the sensitive area of the paws.

Exercise:

The Keeshond is a sturdy dog, loving all the activities and games that his family are involved in. He will love to be your walking companion and looks forward to his walk every day.

He is such a playful, adventurous dog and is always willing to join you in new games. Never put him in your back garden and forget about him, as this will make him ill and depressed. He must be part of the family to be healthy and happy and relies on you to include him in all your activities. He can live in the city or the countryside but will require being exercised wherever he is.

Diet:

Top quality dry kibble will work for your Keeshond. If you want to keep him bright eyed and bushy tailed, mix in some quality home-made food too such as cooked chicken, rice and vegetables. You can also try to sometimes include a little bit of raw meat as well.

He is an active dog and will need a diet high in protein. Also, his thick coat needs to be maintained, and apart from regular brushing, look for quality dog foods that have Omega-3 fatty acids in them so as to maintain the skin and coat of the dog. Make sure he always has access to fresh, cool water.

Diet:

The Eurasier, just like any other dog, requires high quality food. Luckily, as far as convenience goes, there are some excellent commercially manufactured foods, but you still need to check out the ingredients on the packaging as you want to avoid some of the dog foods high in chemicals and fillers.

The best pet foods are the ones that are high in protein, and meat sources such as chicken, beef or salmon for instance should show up among the top 5 ingredients.

Your Eurasier won’t want to eat kibble every day of his life so add in your own homemade cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken from time to time. Also, every now and again, it will be of tremendous value to your pet’s immune system to include some raw meat.

Grooming:

Brush your Eurasier twice a week to keep his coat shiny and healthy. Grooming your pet has a number of benefits apart from making him look good. It infuses him with a healthy glow – he literally glows with a sense of wellbeing and confidence because you care for him.

The benefits of brushing your pet include better blood circulation and a shinier, healthier coat. Also check your dog’s nails, check his ears inside and out and make sure to attend to his teeth 2 or 3x a week. There are special toothbrush and toothpaste designed specifically for dogs.