Icelandic dog

History of origin

Iceland is a northern country with a harsh climate, which is located on an island somewhat isolated from the rest of Europe. That is why many breeds of domestic animals have been preserved here since ancient times. These are small fluffy horses, images of which can be seen in the sites of cavemen, and dogs, known today as Icelandic sheepdogs. And although they got to the island of ice and volcanoes about a thousand years ago (the first such dogs arrived in Iceland with the Vikings), this breed can be called one of the oldest. At the very least, the dog skeletons that archaeologists find in the rich graves of the peoples of Sweden and Denmark are strikingly similar to the modern Icelandic dog.

Here, in isolation, the dogs were preserved almost in their original form, and the world learned about them only in the twentieth century, when several puppies were taken to the United States in order to breed the breed from the New World. I must say that the Icelanders, who considered the shepherd dogs their national pride, were not delighted with this, but the process could no longer be stopped – many people fell in love with the dogs, thanks to their beauty (which the selection made by the cynologists made even brighter) and unpretentiousness in content.

Today, the Icelandic dog is considered part of the cultural heritage of its country, but in the world it remains a rather rare breed.

Breed description

The Icelandic dog is a typical representative of the spitz-shaped breeds of the so-called primitive type, that is, they differ as little as possible from the first dogs that lived with humans during the Ice Age.

The size is medium, the format, unlike many other Spitz, is slightly stretched, while the males are noticeably larger than the females. The muzzle is wedge-shaped, the nose is somewhat shorter than the length of the skull, the eyes are small, dark or light brown. Ears erect, triangular in shape. Paws, like the whole body, are strong, muscular. On the front paws there are double dewclaws. The tail is twisted into a ring and thrown over the back – the calling card of all Spitz.

The coat is very warm with a dense undercoat and rich guard hairs. It comes in two versions: shorter and longer. At the same time, it is always shorter on the muzzle, and forms a collar on the chest. On the tail, the length of the hair is proportional to the overall coat.

The most common color is red – from red to cream, there is often a black mask on the muzzle, and white spots on the chest, muzzle (minimum in the form of a strip between the eyes, maximum – extending to the entire lower part of the muzzle and chest), tips of the paws and the tip of the tail are also not uncommon. . There are also tricolor dogs (the general tone is black with white and red symmetrical spots), gray and brown.

Photos

Character

A cheerful, docile disposition, small size and friendliness make the Icelandic Shepherd an excellent family dog. They love their family and love to play with children. And they not only play, but also nurse, protecting them from everything that seems suspicious to the dogs, so that the kids can be safely trusted by a four-legged friend. They also get along well with cats, but they can hunt for rodents or chickens.

Icelanders are very active, they need to stick their curious nose everywhere and take part in all the affairs of their beloved owner. Playing the role of shepherds in their homeland, they love movement and are able to run for many kilometers, so this is not the kind of dog that will lie quietly on the couch. They are suitable only for active people.

The Icelandic dog is an owner by nature, so he will guard his house jealously. However, she is unlikely to pounce on uninvited guests, this is too friendly a creature, but she will bark such that she will alarm all the neighbors and scare off the intruders. Icelanders generally bark a lot and with pleasure. Moreover, they react especially sharply to the danger from above.

Care and maintenance

Formed in a harsh climate where every day both people and dogs had to fight for survival, the Icelandic Sheepdog turned out to be incredibly unassuming. Its thick warm coat is able to protect from the most severe frosts and moisture, and strong muscles allow you to tirelessly run tens of kilometers. In food, they are also indiscriminate and with the same appetite they will eat both porridge with a bone and expensive elite food. By the way, Icelanders love fish.

But their luxurious fur coat requires care: dogs need to be combed out as often as possible to prevent the formation of tangles.

Icelanders will feel much better in a private house than in an apartment, and it is desirable that this house be located somewhere in Siberia, and not in the Caucasus or Crimea – after all, the hot climate is not natural for them, although thick wool protects they are just as successful from high temperatures as from the cold (therefore, in no case should you cut the dogs – this will only harm you, but will not save you from the heat).

Even if your dog lives in the yard, this does not mean that you do not need to walk with him. Icelandic dogs, like people, need new experiences and acquaintances.

Education and training

Although the Icelandic dog loves his whole family, he only obeys the one whom he recognizes as his leader – the adored and unique owner. So, if you want to get a well-mannered and obedient dog, first gain authority. Of course, you should not use rudeness and violence for this, but self-confidence and endurance will greatly help to show the true strength of your character.

Due to the high activity of the breed, Icelanders successfully take part in various kinds of competitions in “dog” sports and grazing.

From the first days of acquaintance, it is worth not only training the puppy, but also socializing it: letting it communicate more with different people and other animals. Be sure to introduce the puppy to the children so that in the future he sees them as friends, and not a threat.

Health and disease

The Icelandic dog has an incredibly strong heredity, so it rarely gets sick. Of course, they also have such ailments as joint dysplasia, but infrequently. And so that the dog does not catch any common infections, it is necessary to vaccinate him on time.

Fleas easily settle in a thick coat of an Icelander, therefore, with the beginning of the warm season, it must be treated from ectoparasites.

These northern shepherd dogs are not particularly demanding for food, moreover, they are able to be content with little, but you should not overfeed them – excess weight does not benefit anyone.

Word to the breeder

Editorial Board of the Icelandic Club of Icelandic Dog Fanciers writes about the breed on his website: “The Icelandic dog arrived on the islands around 874-930 AD. The dog and its method of work are fully adapted to the local climatic conditions and terrain, it has always been next to man in his struggle for survival.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is still very small in number and for some time the breed was on the verge of extinction, but the Hundaræktarfélag Íslands Icelandic breed club has done everything possible to preserve these dogs and maintain their numbers.”

Popular questions and answers

We talked about keeping Icelandic dogs with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.