10 posts tagged “keeshond”

I have a dog. She is kind of an unusual breed and quite striking-looking. When we walk around San Francisco - especially in crowded areas - we can't get more than five feet without someone wanting to stop us to exclaim over her appearance, touch her, and ask me questions (which I guess is better than them wanting to touch me and ask her questions). I thought I would answer these questions here.

• She's a Keeshond.
• Bliss.
• Girl.
• Keeshond.
• K-E-E-S-H-O-N-D.
  
• Eight years old. She'll be nine in September.
• I got her when she was four months old.
• Yes, she sheds a lot, especially when she "blows her coat" a couple of times a year.
• The cottony undercoat thins out (I show the person the undercoat at this point).
• I'm supposed to brush her weekly. I don't.
• It takes about an hour or so and requires four different instruments (comb, brush, undercoat rake, slicker brush).
• She doesn't really need to be bathed more than once a year.
• Yes, she has a tail. It's just curly and hides. We call it "retractable."
• About 30 pounds. Not much dog under all that fur.
• No, she's not a Chow mix.
• She does okay in the heat, as long as she's not out too long.
• No, I've never shaved her. The coat protects her from both heat and cold.
• Holland.
• Very friendly.
• Too smart for her own good.
• Yes, your son/daughter may pet her. She's great with kids.
• No, she's not a giant Pomeranian. But they're related.
• Yes, she barks. A lot.
• Yes, she's very happy. And a very good girl.

Bliss

It was a glorious morning, so we walked up to Tartine, waited in the massive line, procured yummy things for a "family style" brunch, and headed over to Dolores Park. The food was incredible, Bliss had no interest in the ball (which she tried to grab out of my hand as I was packing it for the trip, but once at the park, decided sniffing was much more interesting), and we relaxed a bit.

California truly sucks.

First of all, thanks so much to everyone who commented on my post about Bliss. There was a lot of good advice in there; now I just have to see what works for her. Here is what we've done so far:

1. We sent the neighbors a bottle of wine with an apologetic note. If we were smarter, we would have sent them hard liquor. You can't hear my dog bark when you're passed out.
   
   
2. I take Bliss out first thing in the morning (and on longer walks) instead of right before I go to work. This helps her to calm down in between the time I take her out and the time I leave; she's always pretty hyper and wants to play when we come back inside.
   
   
3. We got a little baby gate to seal off the kitchen from the rest of the house. It's one of the darker rooms in the flat, and having a baby gate instead of a closed door doesn't make her as frantic as being "shut away in a room." This also keeps her over our neighbors' kitchen instead of their bedrooms, and away from the street-facing windows.
   
   
4. The kitchen turns into "doggie spa" when we leave. We set up a radio and are using dog appeasing pheremone, or "D.A.P."; I have a diffuser and I also spray it on the kitchen rugs. She also got a KongTime that dispenses treat-filled Kongs every two hours. This should help her stay somewhat calmer and entertained.
   
   
5. We set up an ultrasonic bark deterrent; it's supposed to emit a high-frequency sound when she barks. I don't think it works that well.
   
   
6. When I leave in the morning, it's kept very low-key. I hand her a Kong (if you're counting, that's Kong number FIVE), stuffed with a little peanut butter (it's frozen the night before). I tell her, "You stay here today," which is what we have always told her when we're leaving. Then I leave very quietly and calmly.
   
   
7. She's scheduled to go to doggie day care once a week with the wonderful, wonderful boarder I mentioned who is willing to try her again. I'm hoping the socialization with the other dogs will help. She'll even pick her up and drop her off!
   
   
8. I got a list of behaviorists from SFSPCA. We'll see how that goes.

It's hard to say after only a few days how it's going, but I can say that she's not nearly as frantic when I leave in the morning (today she didn't bark at all; yesterday she barked for about three minutes then stopped). And it seems as if she's calmer and not so clingy at night. I wish there was a way I could view her during the day (hmm... webcam?), but we'll ask our neighbors if they're seeing (hearing?) improvement.

Whew! Maybe this seems like a lot to do for a dog, but how could you possibly stand to see this face unhappy?

What a face

2 comments

Show us your favorite animal.
Inspired by the Emporer.

Is there even a question?

Bliss

5 comments

I can't believe my puppy is six years old. At the same time, it seems like she's been with us forever, a permanent family member since the very beginning (she was, in fact, born four days before Paul and I got married, but we wouldn't meet her until four months later).

Bliss at 4 Months

I went back and read the story of getting Bliss. I remembered how depressed I was because I had been laid off, and the days searching for a new job were long and lonely. I also remembered how unsure I was about getting a dog with a known health issue - our previous dog had seizures from 11 weeks old, and died at two years. He needed constant supervision and health care, and it was just a heartbreaking experience. I couldn't go through that again.

I am so, so glad I got Bliss. She's happy, healthy, and makes me laugh. She manages to charm everyone she meets - even "non-dog" people like her. I got lucky. I got a good one.

Happy birthday, little girl. Eggs and cheese await you tonight!

Introducing Dog Bliss!

This is my little side blog about all dog products sublime and ridiculous. It's hosted by myself and Bliss. Hence the name.

If you have a dog product you can't live without or have seen a product we should feature, please let me know.

Hey, look! It's "Bring Your Dog to Work" day!

Some comments heard upon arriving to the office:

"What is that?"

"It's a Tribble!"

"It's floofy!"

"Where are her ears?"

"It's a puffball!"

"Is there a dog in there?"

"Does she have a tail?

"Do you ever shave her?"

...and then punctuated by, "Awwwwwwww!"

Bliss and I thank you for the warm welcome to the office today.

...And we're sorry about the dog hair you'll be fishing out of your keyboards for the next five weeks.

Bliss peeks around the corner at me leaving for the day. Because of her bum leg, I try not to let her come downstairs, so this is what I see as I'm leaving:

Where are you going?

Wonder Keeshond

1 comment

I never see my breed of choice anywhere. And here it is on Cute Overload!

Her Lasso of Truth will make you admit that yes, she is indeed the cutest.