Icelandic Sheepdog
The Icelandic Sheepdog.
Other names	Icelandic Spitz Iceland Dog Íslenskur fjárhundur Islandsk Farehond Friaar Dog Canis islandicus
Country of origin	Iceland
Traits

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of spitz dog originating from the dogs brought to Iceland by the Vikings. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic Dogs with characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans bred from a known foundation Spitz -type Dogs (the correct German plural is Spitze, though Spitzen is commonly used in the United States are a type of dog characterized The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas It is of similar type to the Norwegian Buhund and to the ancestor of the modern Shetland Sheepdog. They are still commonly used to herd sheep in the Icelandic countryside.

The Icelandic sheepdog is often described as a large dog in the body of a small dog.

Description

Appearance

These are the current breed standards:

• Neck: moderately long, muscular, arched, carried high. A breed standard (also called bench standard) in Animal fancy and Animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to insure that the animals produced
• 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: 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, with white as a required prominent color.
• Appearance 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.

Temperament

The Icelandic Sheepdogs are tough and energetic dogs. It is a hardy and agile herding dog which barks, making it extremely useful for herding or driving livestock in the pastures, in the mountains or finding lost sheep. The Icelandic Sheepdog is by nature very alert and will always give visitors an enthusiastic welcome without being aggressive. Hunting instincts are not strong. The Icelandic Sheepdog is cheerful, friendly, inquisitive, playful and unafraid. Most adore children and get along well with other dogs and pets.

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 to Iceland. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as Canine distemper is a very serious viral Disease affecting animals in the families Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Hyaenidae The purebred Icelandic sheepdog was again bordering extinction in the late 20th century and in 1969 the Icelandic Dog Breeder Association (HRFÍ) was established to preserve the breed, among other aims.

Miscellaneous

The breed is sometimes denoted in Latin as canis islandicus even though it is a breed and not a species.

The Icelandic sheepdog often has two dewclaws on each hind leg.

As the name implies, it is a sheep dog, but is also used as a guard dog and general working dog. A sheepdog is a type of domestic Dog whose original purpose was to herd or guard Sheep. A guard dog, watch dog, or sentry dog is a Dog employed to guard against or watch for unwanted or unexpected animals or people Jobs performed by dogs Although most modern dogs are kept as Pets there are still a tremendous number of ways in which dogs can and do assist humans and more uses are When herding, the Icelandic sheepdogs were not mainly used to take the sheep from one point to another, but to prevent animals from straying. Additionally, the dogs were in charge of herding horses and other animals as well. When herding failed, the dogs drove the animals by barking. Thus, they tend to bark when they want something, although this behaviour can be controlled by training.

In the Icelandic landscape, sheep often get lost and it has historically been the dog's job to find them and return them to the herd. They are therefore used to working on their own and to figuring things out for themselves, so owners have to beware lest they learn things they shouldn't. As a guard dog, their main task was to alert the inhabitants when somebody was coming, so these dogs tend to bark a lot when they see people approaching.

The Icelandic sheepdog is very loyal and wants to be around its family constantly. It follows its owner everywhere. Unlike most working dogs, these calm down when indoors and will happily lie down at their master's feet.

External links

• Icelandic Sheepdog at the Open Directory Project
• Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America
• Enska Icelandics Website