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THE ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG
The
Icelandic sheepdog is a priceless treasure and is our inheritance through the
Icelandic people. The Icelandic sheepdog is thought to be one of the oldest
dog breeds in the world!
It has a strong character, is curious, playful, cheerful,
good with children, intelligent and an energetic working dog. He is a trustworthy
friend and a tireless companion in work or play. He is an appropriate
family pet or working companion, both loving and wise. By nature he is very
independant and some say his greatest fault is that he believes he is human.
The Icelandic sheepdog is a working dog that
needs a project. It is best to teach him and get to know him better while he
is young by giving him as much of your time as possible. He is
remarkable in many ways and has all the makings of a spirited and entertaining
companion, he is sosiable and perceptive of people. If he loves and trusts
someone he will obey willingly with pure joy. The Icelandic sheepdog
is extremely intelligent and easily trained. He is a skilled natural
herder whether it be with sheep, horses or cattle.
The Icelandic sheepdog has an especially good
coat which needs very little care. It is well suited for Icelandic
weather conditions. With a correct coat structure he will never soak
to the skin in the rain or snow but need only literally shake off and he will
be dry again. Two coat types exist, long and short (also called medium
long). His main distinctive features are his spitz like head, erect ears and
curled tail, as well as dewclaws on his back legs. These are also called sheep
spurs or wolf claws. They give the foot a larger footprint with better
traction and serve them well in snow and wetlands.
The
Icelandic sheepdog matures quite slowly and is not fullgrown until about
18 months of age. Full bodily maturity such as muscle mass and overall
structural balance can take as long as 2-3 years.
Desired height of males is 46cm and females
42cm.
Many color variations exist but one color
should always be predominant.
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