Happy Barksday Yodi!

It is hard to believe that 13 years ago I picked up a precious ball of fur. I bought her sight unseen and she was delivered to a truck stop along I-40. I really didn't know what to expect since I had never even seen a picture of her. Her little ears did not stand up yet. But then when they got big enough to stand up, they seemed to never stop growing! She had some major bat-wing ears! I prayed that she would grow into those things or she would blow away. Luckily she did grow into those ears and became a great show dog.

Yodi was a great mom. She was only bred once and had three puppies. But she mothers everything she can catch. The cat was not safe when she was around. Yodi caught him and would proceed to clean his ears and totally slime him from nose to tail. That cat hated to be washed!

For her birthday, Yodi and Sadie got Peanut Butter Paw Lickers. Those are peanut butter bone shaped treats that they both love. I think Yodi would walk over hot coals to get one.

Now that some info has been given about the breed and the main subject of this blog, a little bit about the writers. This is a mother/daughter team and will be mostly about their three girls. The oldest and youngest dogs live with the mother and the middle one lives with the duaghter as an only child. The oldest at 13 is lovingly refered to as the "old lady" but her name is Yodie. Next in line is DeDe, who is more spoiled and spends more time inside than out. With six months separating the youngest two, the baby is Sadie who is the most timid of the three but because of this works as a therapy dog helping people to read. She is also called "hussy" for she is also the most boy crazy of the three. DeDe is the most self centered, which is why she is an only child, and she prefers to have little to do with others, short vists are fine but nothing long term.

The girls are all show dogs, though some show more then others. Also, there might be some talk of other dogs, past and present, but these will be the three main ladies. There will be lots of information shared but it is not going to be all serious all the time, for the girls are not serious themselves.

Sadie is on the left in the picture (you can tell because of the smile), Yodi is in the middle and DeDe is on the right.

Very Short History

The Keeshond, pronounced Kayz-hond, is first and foremost a companion dog. The name derives from a late 1700s Dutch Patriot Rebel leader by the name of Cornelius de Gyselaar. The breed became a symbol of the Rebel Party and was very popular with the common people. When the rebels were overthrown, it was no longer popular to own such a symbol.

The breed was still used on Dutch farms and on barges. Their jobs included chasing vermin and taking care of children. The keeshond was brought back to popularity by Mrs. Wingfield-Digby after her family purchased two puppies to take home to England in 1905. The "Dutch Barge Dog" was first shown in England in 1925.

Today's keesonden are friendly and outgoing. They do well in any activities where there is human interaction, even if it is just being a couch potato. Because of their intelligence and eagerness to please, they do well in agility and rally. Don't be surprised that sometimes, because of their intelligence, they have been known to make up their own rules as they go along.

Studies show that having a pet of any kind is very good for you. Just petting soft fur can lower your blood pressure and give a better sense of well-being. A pet of any kind can teach responsibility to a child and give companionship to the elderly. Pets are cheaper and more effective than therapists and personal trainers (an overweight dog is a sign of an overweight owner). I am sure that all kinds of pets give the same kinds of benefits, however, here, we will talk about dogs in general and specifically keeshonden (the world's most perfect pet).