Page 24 - Online Spring 2022 Newsletter

My own love affair with the breed Many years later whilst visiting Miss
started in 1957 when a chance Davidson, of Ch Hans Silver Myst
conversation with a friend of one of fame, she confirmed that the dogs
my mother’s friends resulted in a trip living in the children’s home were Van
to the local children's home to see a Zaandam breeding. It is because of
litter of Keeshond puppies who were Sally that I have enjoyed a lifetime
n e e d i n g with our exceptional breed for the
homes. My past 65 years.
mother was
sent with Sally was somewhat of a throwback
the strict to some of the early Dutch type. The
instruction photo of Barkles with Zaandam and
from my their pups shows that Barkles was not
father that dissimilar to Sally.
it had to be
a male. My
mum had
grown up
with males
but on
Sally, my first Keeshond
arrival at the home was enchanted
by the only bitch in the litter.
Mentioning her dilemma to the
matron the suggestion that she and Barkles and Zaandam with puppies
some of the older boys could take the
pups for my dad and I to see was One of my first litter back in 1986
accepted. With the puppies running went to live with an Austrian lady who
around on our kitchen floor, Dad and was a neighbour of an aunt. Lia had
I soon agreed on the one we would at one time been a kennel maid to
like and it was the little bitch. From Mark Watson of Wensum kennels.
that day our fate was sealed. An American, he had the Norwich
Terrier, as both ear types were then
I mention this because Sally was not known, but had also imported some
what people would recognise now as Iceland dogs. Lia gave me his book
a Kees although in the 50’s, when our ‘The Iceland Dog’ which included
breed was much more popular, it was information about Mrs Wingfield
not uncommon for people to stop us Digby who had also imported two
and acknowledge that she was a Iceland dogs. Amongst other images
Keeshond.
there was one of the first two
Keeshonden our founder imported.

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