Icelandic Sheepdog

The Icelandic Sheepdog is Iceland's only native breed — a small spitz herder that arrived with the Norse settlers and stayed.

History

It came to Iceland with Viking settlers in the ninth and tenth centuries and worked sheep and ponies on open ground, driving stock and finding animals lost in rough country. Disease and near-extinction in the nineteenth century reduced it to a few dogs, and the modern population descends from a deliberate rescue effort.

Temperament

The breed is known for being cheerful, friendly and notably vocal — barking is part of how it worked stock and it has not been bred out. It is affectionate with people and unusually unsuspicious of strangers for a spitz.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and enjoys herding, agility and any work that involves running. The double coat sheds heavily twice a year and needs brushing. The barking is worth planning for rather than fighting.

Health

Known tendencies include hip dysplasia and inherited eye conditions, with a small gene pool as the standing caution. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.