Swedish Vallhund

The Swedish Vallhund is a low, powerful herding spitz — the Viking dog, and a close relative of the Welsh Corgi across a thousand years of North Sea traffic.

History

It has driven cattle in Sweden since at least the Viking age, and the resemblance to the Corgi is not coincidence: dogs travelled in both directions between Scandinavia and Britain, though which way this type went is unsettled. The breed was down to a handful of dogs in the 1940s and was rebuilt by two Swedish enthusiasts who searched the countryside for survivors.

Temperament

The breed is known for being alert, cheerful and busy, attached to its family, watchful with strangers and distinctly vocal — the barking is part of how it moves cattle.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and mental work, and it learns very quickly. The barking needs shaping early. The double coat sheds heavily twice a year.

Health

Known tendencies include a breed-specific retinopathy the clubs test for, hip dysplasia and, from the long back, disc problems. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.