| Icelandic Sheepdog | ||
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| Alternative names | ||
| Icelandic Spitz Iceland Dog Íslenskur fjárhundur Islandsk Farehond Friaar Dog Canis islandicus |
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| Country of origin | ||
| Iceland | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 5 Section 3 #289 | Stds |
| AKC: | Herding (FSS) | Stds |
| The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration. | ||
| CKC: | Group 7 - Herding | Stds |
| UKC: | Northern Breeds | Stds |
The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of spitz dog originating from the dogs brought to Iceland by the Vikings. It is of similar type to the Norwegian Buhund and to the ancestor of the modern Shetland Sheepdog. The Icelandic sheepdog is often described as a large dog in the body of a small dog.
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Appearance
These are current breed standards: neck: moderately long, muscular, arched, carried high. back: level, muscular, strong. chest: long, deep, well sprung. belly: only a slight tuck upwards. tail: high-set, curled, touching back. FOREQUARTERS: straight, parallel, strong forelegs. forefeet: oval-shaped toes, arched, tight, with well-developed pads. shoulders: oblique, muscular. HIND LEGS: With one or often two dew claws on each leg. GAIT: displays endurance and agility, driving action, covers ground effortlessly. HEAD: strongly built, close-fitting skin, skull slightly longer than muzzle making it look triangular from side or above. nose: black, or dark brown in lighter-color breeds. muzzle: nasal bridge straight, slightly shorter than skull, tapers evenly towards nose to form triangle. lips: black, close-fitting. bite: scissor. cheeks: flat. eyes: medium, almond-shaped, brown, eye-rims are black. ears: erect, medium in size, triangular, very mobile as they move in sensitivity with dog's moods. HEIGHT: male: 46 cm female: 42 cm COLOR: tan, reddish-brown, chocolate, grey, black, white is a prominent color, and is required. FROM SIDE: rectangular, length from shoulder to base of tail is greater than height at withers. depth of chest: equal to length of foreleg. COAT: two types: long and short, both thick and waterproof.
History
The Icelandic sheepdog very much resembles dogs found in graves in Denmark and Sweden from about 8000 B.C. Dog imports to Iceland were limited and from 1901 even forbidden. In 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland ... a type of dog resembling a fox ... Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!" Plague and canine distemper destroyed over 75% of the breed in the late 19th century, leading to a ban on the importation of dogs. The purebred Icelandic sheepdog was again bordering extinction in the late 20th century and in 1969 the Icelandic Dog Breeder Association (HRFÍ) was established, which had among other aims to preserve the breed.
Miscellaneous
The breed is sometimes denoted in Latin as canis islandicus even though it is a breed and not a species.
Like the name implies it's a sheep dog, but it was also used as a guard dog and general working dog. When herding, the Icelandic sheepdogs were not mainly used to take the sheep from one point to another. However, the dogs were in charge of moving horses and other animals as well. When herding failed, the dogs "drove" the animals by barking. Although this can be trained out of Icies (as they are affectionately referred to), they have a natural tendency to bark when they want something. In the Icelandic landscape sheep often got lost and it was the job of the dog to find them and bring them back to the pack. They are used to work on their own and they figure out things for themselves so owners have to beware so that they don't learn things they shouldn't. As a guard dog their main task was to alert the inhabitants that somebody was coming so the Icelandic sheepdog tends to bark a lot when it sees people approaching. Icelandic Sheepdogs bark, but don't bite. The only predators in Iceland that were a threat to the sheep were eagles so an Icelandic sheepdog will have a tendency to bark at birds and aircraft. The Icelandic sheepdog is very loyal and wants to be around its family all the time. It follows its owner everywhere. Unlike most working dogs, the Icelandic sheepdog calms down when indoors and will happily lie down next to its master's feet.
External links
- Icelandic Sheepdog at the Open Directory Project
- Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America
- Enska Icelandics Website
