Swedish Vallhund
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Swedish Vallhund | ||
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| Alternative names | ||
| Swedish Cattle Dog Swedish Shepherd Vallhund Västgötaspets |
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| Country of origin | ||
| Sweden | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 5 Section 3 #14 | Stds |
| AKC: | Miscellaneous (Joins The Herding Group July 2007) | Stds |
| The AKC Miscellaneous class is for breeds working towards full AKC recognition. | ||
| ANKC: | Group 5 (Working Dogs) | Stds |
| CKC: | Group 7 (Herding Dogs) | Stds |
| KC (UK): | Pastoral | Stds |
| NZKC: | Working | Stds |
| UKC: | Herding Dogs | Stds |
The Swedish Vallhund is a breed of dog. It is believed that the Swedish Vallhund distinguished itself during the age of Vikings, more than 1,000 years ago. Known as the "Viking dog", the Vallhund were bred to herd cattle, catch vermin (such as rats), and guard the home. The Vallhund were also referred to as "the little cattle dog of the Vikings".
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[edit] Revival
Both variants of the Welsh Corgi are believed descended from the Vallhund. By 1942, the Vallhund were almost extinct, until Mr. Björn von Rosen and Mr. Karl-Gustaf Zettersten, both from Sweden, began looking for dogs to keep the breed alive. As a result of their work, in 1948 the Swedish Kennel Club recognized the breed and the Vallhund was given its name, which in Swedish means "herding dog". In terms of ownership, the breed remains quite rare.
[edit] Appearance
The Vallhund are a powerful, fearless, watchful, energetic, alert, intelligent, friendly, and healthy small breed of dog that have a tendency to bark. It is suitable for many kinds of activities, including herding and dog agility.
[edit] Size and Weight
Height for these little dogs ranges from 12.5 - 13.5 inches for males and 11.5 - 12.5 inches for Females. The proportion is more important though for these dogs. The AKC states: "The relationship of height to length of body, as measured from the prosternum to the rearmost portion of the buttocks, should be 2:3." [1] They should be strong for their size and have a muscular body. They can weigh any where from 20 to 35 pounds.
[edit] Color and Coat
The dog's coat should be of medium length, and harsh. The topcoat close and tight and undercoat is soft and dense. The hair on the head is short and on the foreparts of the legs. Hair is a little bit longer on the neck, chest and back parts of the hind legs.
[edit] Temperament
This breed makes a great companion and can also be used for herding and ratting. They love human attention and are very devoted to their owners. They are a clownish type dog and can be a show-off at times. The Swedish Vallhund is responsive and even-tempered with most people. But they can be wary of strangers and should be properly socialized and trained when it is still a puppy as to avoid over-protective behavior as an adult. They will try to guard your home even if they are 3 sizes too small, so to say, for the job at hand. [2]
[edit] External links
- Swedish Vallhund web site
- 10 reasons why you should not get a västgötaspets - göötti - a humorous look at the reasons not to get a Swedish Vallhund (in Finnish and English).
