What was the Keeshond first bred for?

Answer 1

The Keeshond has an arctic origin. In the eighteenth century the Keeshond was known as "a dog of the people." In its veins runs the blood of the Samoyed,Chow Chow, Finnish Spitz, Norwegian Elkhound, and Pomeranian. At the beginning of the French Revolution, it became the symbol of the Dutch Patriot political party who were led by the patriot Kees de Gyselaer. Gyselaer owned a dog named Kees, which gave the breed its name. The breed then suffered a long period of neglect. They were first introduced into the UK by Mrs. Wingfield-Digby and did not become popular again until 1920, when it arrived in the US. It became known as the Dutch Barge Dog, as it worked as a watch and guarddog on riverboats, barges and on farms. The Keeshond was recognized by the AKC in 1930.