Grooming equipment required:


Steel comb - 5 cms long teeth
Steel comb - 2 cms long teeth
Wire Pin Brush
Small Slicker Brush Small pair of scissors
Dog nail clippers

The key to a glamorous coat is regular grooming - not bathing. Your Keeshond will not have a doggy smell and you will not have to bath them regularly. Should your Keeshond become muddy or dirty, wait for them to dry and the dirt will brush out.

If and when you must bath him/her use a good dog shampoo and conditioner or a natural shampoo/conditioner. Rinse well and add a flea rinse if necessary. Don't bath often. Bathing removes the natural oils that protect the coat.

After washing rinse thoroughly and dry with brush and hair drier (warm/cool only). Get your pup used to standing on a table while grooming. Make pup lay on side to brush underneath.

Special attention should be paid to the ruff, ears and trousers. Comb or brush these areas often.

Baboon/Monkey stage - between the ages of 3 and 8 months, your Keeshond puppy may go through what people in the "Keeshond world" call the baboon stage. This is where the puppy coat is being replaced by the adult coat and the puppy will look like a little monkey for a few weeks.

Grooming process itself:

Some experts prefer beginning at the tail and working forward to the head, whereas others recommend beginning at the head and working toward the tail. Either procedure is acceptable as long as you are sure to work the brush from the rear forward, pushing the hair always towards the front of the dog.

The Keeshond coat should stand out from the dog as much as possible as this produces the full regal appearance that is so prized.

Take plenty of time, lifting the hair and brushing as you go until the body hair is fully fluffed out. The dog will enjoy a pleasurable sensation as you do this and will stay still if at the outset you have taken precaution in calming your pet.

Some people prefer to place the dog on its side but most work with the dog standing up and begin by holding him gently but firmly around the neck while working first along the backbone then down the sides. The Keeshond coat does not have a part along the backbone, so be careful not to create one. The idea is simply to lift the hair, untangle it and allow it to fluff out as fully as possible.

There is little else you have to do. The coat itself is waterproof and has a natural glossy finish that repels dirt. The hair does not mat nor does it attract insects. A good stiff weekly brushing will keep the coat in top shape and also make your pet more alert and frisky.

Trimming of the feet and legs

The detailed work is not demanding but requires more care.

A monthly (or more regularly if needed) nail clipping is sufficient to keep the claws from becoming a nuisance. A simple nail clipper, designed for the purposes is readily available at most pet shops and is recommended as this will neatly severe the tip of the nail. It is better to cut too little rather than too much and risk hurting the dog i.e. bleeding of the nail (be careful how far back you cut). Should you cut too far back and the nail bleeds place the claw into some Potato Flour and this will congeal the blood.

Using a pair of scissors, trim away the stray hairs that issue from between the footpads and then scissor around the outside edges of the feet to given them a neat, rounded appearance (cat like).

A desirable touch because it provides a nice counterpoint to the natural shag of the body coat is to trim lightly the front paws up to the first joint and the back legs up to the hock. The idea is to impart a smooth appearance to the feet and lower section of the legs to offset the flowing and freshly brush coat.

Be sure not to remove too much hair when doing this or else the contrast will be overly stark.

Do not cut any of the feathered fur away - if you are not sure of this task check with your breeder before attempting to cut the bottom section of the legs.