01 Keeshond Breed Notes – January 2025

It’s now the end of the year and I had thought that 2022 was bad with just 60 puppies being born; but 2024 has proven to be the worst year ever for the number of Keesies being born in the UK since the 1940’s. There have been 15 litters resulting in just 56 puppies – 35 dogs, 21 bitches and 5 fatalities; and of the 15 litters born only 5 were of a decent size (1×8, 3×7 & 1×6) and there were 5 singletons. Even more concerning there have been at least 12 misses (7 maiden bitches & 2 unproven boys) and 20% of litters born (3) were by C section.

In September at the NoEKC’s Ch show, out of the 10 Champion males entered, only 3 have sired litters and at the Keeshond Club’s Ch show of 8 Champion bitches entered, again only 2 (both veterans) have had a litter. Of the dogs being used at stud this year, only two boys were being used for the first time, 2 males each sired 3 litters and there were 5 repeat matings.

I have been going on for years about our dwindling and virtually non-existent gene pool – with repeat, half sibling matings and using the same stud dogs only compounding the problem. With the breed’s true COI (20/20 generations complete) averaging 20% plus; it’s no wonder we are now seeing the consequences with overall poor fertility. Even the (highly misleading & inaccurate) 3 or 5/20 generation complete pedigrees as per the KC’s website now show some COIs are in the mid to high teens.

In terms of health, effects of inbreeding begin to become evident when COI’s reach around 5% – with levels of 5-10% having a modest detrimental effect on offspring. When COI’s go over 10%, significant loss of vitality in the offspring, as well as an increase in the expression of deleterious recessive mutations begins to show. This results in smaller litters, higher mortality rates and genetic defects – all of which have a negative effect on the size of the population and the rate of inbreeding going up, creating a vicious circle (aka an extinction vortex) which will eventually lead to a population becoming extinct.

Of the approx. 34 current affix holders, only 12 people have bred more than 1 litter in a 3-year period with less than half a dozen managing at least one litter a year. This is now being reflected in the number of exhibitors and dogs currently seen in the show ring. With everyone getting older and no new, younger people being interested, it really doesn’t bode well for Keeshonds to be a viable breed in this country. Although enquiries for well bred, carefully reared Keesie puppies have been a bit sparse, they do seem to be picking up; but what is the point when there are not going to be any puppies available in the foreseeable future?

Anji Marfleet