Petzlover
Keeshond is originated from Netherlands but Ibizan Hound is originated from Spain. Keeshond may grow 26 cm / 10 inches shorter than Ibizan Hound. Keeshond may weigh 11 kg / 24 pounds lesser than Ibizan Hound. Both Keeshond and Ibizan Hound has almost same life span. Keeshond may have less litter size than Ibizan Hound. Keeshond requires Moderate Maintenance. But Ibizan Hound requires Low Maintenance
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.
This lean, speedy and agile hound dog looks and acts very much like a Pharaoh Hound except the Ibizan Hound is larger and a different color. The image of dogs that look like the Ibizan have been seen since 3400 BC in Egypt. The dogs were probably brought by sailors to Ibiza and surrounding islands. They came about 700-900 BC. It is believed that they actually came for the island of Elvissa and Spain, where they speak Catalan. It was also known in France as the le chanigue. There job was the same. To hunt rabbits.
They were fast hunting greyhound type dogs. They hunted for rabbit for the Ibizaners and themselves. These dogs hunt by day and by night. They are not just sight hounds, they also hunt by smell and hearing, in packs or by themselves. They use their sight to find and corner the prey. Then they act like retrievers and bring it back to the hunter. Their function and look is very similar to several other dogs such as the Pharaoh Hound, the Greyhound, the Portuguese Podengo, the Cimeco dellEtna and the Podence Canario. The Ibizan is larger than any of these, but all these breeds are considered to be “primitive”.
Within the breed itself there are smooth, wire and longhaired Ibizan Hounds. The Smooth is by far the most common. A great jumper, nimble runner built for stamina, the Ibizan Hound was just what the island people needed. The breed lived in isolation on the island for many centuries, under a variety of rulers including the Romans, Egyptians, Vandals, Carthaginians, Chaldeans, Arabs and Spanish. Because of the harsh island conditions, the farmers only allowed the best hunters among the Ibizan Hounds to procreate thus assuring a breed that is unchanged from ancient stock.
By 1950 the Ibizan Hound was brought to America. Because this dog is not a pet but a working machine, it took awhile for the breed to become popular enough to be recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1979. Still the Ibizan Hound is a rare breed with the female being a better hunter than the male. One of the most common activities of this breed in the U.S. is lure coursing. These events are sponsored by AKC and ASFA as well as racing events in the NOTRA and LGRA.
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.
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 breed is agile, elegant, athletic and graceful. At the same time the Ibizan Hound is a fierce hunter travelling at unreal speeds to catch his rabbit prey. They are a hardy breed with a lean and long neck, and a lean, muscled body with laid back shoulders. The ears are specific to the breed, with a broad base leading to long, beautiful ears. They have tan eye rims, nose, foot pads, and ears. The eyes themselves are an amber with an intelligent and alert expression.
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.
They love children but be careful they do not knock them over and don’t let the children play to rough.
Exceptional jumping ability, speed and stamina.
Must have a large fenced yard and a place to run full out.
Very intelligent with excellent learning ability.
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.
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.
Despite being isolated on the islands for all those years, the Ibizan Hound has several tendencies toward medical issues:
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.
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.
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.
Your Ibizan Hound is an athlete and needs to be fed like one. As a puppy he needs high quality breed or group (hound) specific food. Feed her 3-4 times a day based on calories. A puppy needs about 866 calories each day.
If your dog participates in sports as adults, they need between 1450 and 2900 calories each day. The exact amount depends on how much activity the dog is engaged in. Feed at least 2 times a day.
Great speed and stamina
Your Ibizan Hound is a working athlete. He needs a lot of exercise and he needs a chance to run full out so access to land is essential. It can be a large back yard, or it can be a dog park. No matter what it is, it is essential for the Ibizan Hound. She will also require long walks at least a couple times a day. However, do not over exercise your puppy. They are great jumpers as well as runners.
The sport of lure coursing was made for the Ibizan in the same way that it was made for the Greyhound. They are good at Flyball and agility as well.