The Keeshond traces its roots to the wintry regions of Europe. The breed is descended from the same arctic strains that produced the Spitz breeds, the dogs that have thick, double coats, upright ears, wedge-shaped heads, deep chests, and usually carry their tails curled over their backs (e.g. Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound, Siberian Husky, Chow Chow, etc.) Keeshonden were developed as family pets, companions and watch dogs on canal barges and farms of Holland. The barges that plied up the Rhine through the Black Forest enabled the Keeshond to interbreed with German Spitz stock.

In the late 1700's, Cornelius de Gyselaar became the leader of the Dutch Patriot Party. (He led the Dutch Patriots against William of Orange and used his Dutch Barge Dog (Keeshond) as the emblem of his party.) When the Patriots fell to the House of Orange, the breed faced near extinction as they were abandoned or destroyed by owners who did not want to be associated with the rebellion.

In 1920, revival of the Keeshond began when it was registered with the British Kennel Club as the Dutch Barge Dog. In 1923, the first Keeshonden entered the show ring in Britain.

The first Keeshonden were brought to the United States in 1926 and that year the breed was also officially renamed. "Kees" is the Dutch nickname for Cornelius and "hond" if the Dutch word for dog, so the Dutch Barge Dog became "Kees" de Gyselaar's "hond" or Keeshond. The first Canadian Kennel Club registrations followed in 1928 and 1929, the first American Kennel Club registration followed in 1930 and, five years later, the adoption of the breed standard.