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Very rustic, this Nordic Spitz is much appreciated in the mountains for searching for lost sheep and protecting herds. This pretty, friendly dog full of joie de vivre, also appreciated by families, is a protector, guardian, life companion and totally devoted search dog. He is never aggressive and very loyal.
Courageous, lively, sociable, affectionate and endowed with an excellent temperament, the Icelandic Sheepdog is always alert but never aggressive. His character is rather cheerful and very friendly.
He's an excellent herd guide, not interested in hunting. Endowed with good instincts, he is protective and a good guardian but totally devoid of aggressiveness.
Spitz type and slightly below average in size, the Icelandic Sheepdog has a rather rectangular profile and is endowed with a typical Spitz liveliness. His gait is rather Nordic and his intelligent expression very gentle.
Between 42 and 48 cm (16.54 to 18.90 inches) for the male
Between 38 and 44 cm (14.96 to 17.32 inches) for the female
Between 10 and 15 kg (22.05 to 33.07 pounds) for the male
Between 10 and 15 kg (22.05 to 33.07 pounds) for the female
His coat is preferably of a single color but all colors are possible.
His hair comes in two lengths but both varieties have a soft, thick undercoat. It is rather short on the front parts of the legs and on the head, while a little longer elsewhere on the body. The hair on the tail is rather abundant.
His head is strong and has a skull slightly longer than the muzzle. His almond-shaped eyes are medium size and their color are in harmony with the coat. His large triangular ears are straight and mobile. His nose is black or dark brown. His tail is very full and curled.
According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 5, section 3 and is #289
Does this dog suit your lifestyle?
Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.
Find out if the Icelandic Sheepdog is your ideal dog breed with our quiz.
That will take you less than 3 minutes!
Take the quizThe Icelandic Sheepdog is not really suited to apartment living. He loves the wide open spaces where he can run around at ease. A large garden also makes him happy if he lives in the city.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is an excellent herd guide and good protector. He can make a good guard dog because he is perfect for sounding the alarm but he will never be aggressive.
Loyalty, joie de vivre and great consistency are qualities that are highly appreciated in the Icelandic Sheepdog as well as being an excellent companion dog. He is perfect for children and his great energy allows him to take part in all their games without tiring.
He's great at cheering everyone up. His strong vigor and joie de vivre are very communicative.
This pretty Spitz-type dog is very robust and generally has excellent health. No particular pathology is related to the breed and he enjoys a good life expectancy.
GROOMING
The coat of the Icelandic Sheepdog requires regular brushing but no other special care is necessary.
In the 9th century, sailors from Norway landed on the Icelandic coast. Versatile dogs, including the Norwegian Buhund, accompanied them. These dogs knew how to drive herds of cattle, protect the sailors' properties and hunt.
The crossbreeding between local dogs and the Norwegian Buhund gave birth to the Icelandic Sheepdog. He is the only dog that really comes from Iceland.
From then on, he was mainly used for guarding herds living in complete freedom. An epidemic in the 19th century nearly extinguished the breed completely. Some Icelandic breeders worked hard to save the breed from total extinction.
The breed has adapted well over the centuries and the cattle breeders' strong fight to save him was won. Although there are few of them today, the Icelandic Sheepdog is no longer considered in danger of extinction.
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Is all the marketing hype worth it? Did our dogs enjoy them? Here’s our dogs’ totally honest review.