HISTORY
The Icelandic Sheepdog is a
spitz. There is evidence that the dogs that people first took into their
service were spitz-dogs. Looking back as far as to the Stone Age, it can
be seen that dogs that people from the danish Maglemose Culture (6.000 BC)
used when hunting, were propably of the same spitz type. They were similar
to the Icelandic Dog, the Laphund and the Norwegian Buhund, which are all
Scandinavian sheepdogs of spitz-type. The Icelandic Sheepdog is iceland's
only native dog, and one of the world's oldest dogbreeds. It's forefathers
were brought over to Iceland (mostly from Norway, Finnmark, Norbotten and
other parts of northern Scandinavia) by the original viking settlers who
first arrived in the year 874 AD. They soon became common all over the
country, evolving seperately from other breeds of dogs on this isolated
island (in a similar way as the Icelandic horse, cow and sheep). The
Icelandic Sheepdog and his method of working have adapted to the local
terrain, farming methods and the hard struggle for survival of the
Icelandic people over the centuries, making him indispensable to the sheep
farmer. It was a hard working dog, and a loyal friend through thick and
thin. As an example of how much the dogs were appreciated is the fact that
dog bones have been found in 19 ancient graves in Iceland. People loved
the dog and wanted it to be with them in the other world, beyond death.
The first recorded mention of the Icelandic sheepdog is found in the
Icelandic Sagas, and he is mentioned later, in English and French books
from the Middle Ages (for example in Shakespeare's Henry V: "Pish for
thee, Iceland Dog! Thou prick-eared cur of Iceland!"). Eggert Ólafsson and
Bjarni Pálsson, in their travel guide to iceland, published in 1744,
describe the Icelandic sheepdog. 
On this picture it is shown (with
puppies) in front of the old-type icelandic houses, made of turf, wood,
stone and grass.
An epidemic a little over a century ago
killed most of the Icelandic dog population. That, along with mixing of
imported breeds, and building of fences on farms (so many country dogs
were suddenly out of a job) threatened to make the breed extinct. A
handful of icelandic breeders (Sígríður Pétursdóttir and more) and an
englishman (Mark Watson) saved the breed, establishing a pedigree of
purebred dog, and searching for the surviving individuals.
In 1969
a group of conserned Icelanders founded the Icelandic Kennel Club,
originally for the express purpose of saving the Icelandic Sheepdog when
it became apparent that he was in grave danger of extinction. Since 1979
the Icelandic Sheepdog Breed Club (Deild íslenska Fjárhundsins, or DÍF)
has been responsible for upholding and developing the breed. In 1996 a
committee of the Icelandic Sheepdog Breed Clubs of seven nations was
formed with the express purpose of standardizing and improving the
breed.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is a
valuable part of Iceland's national heritage, a treasure which must be
safeguarded for the future. Now there are Iceland Dog breed clubs working
in Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Holland, USA and
Germany. An international sectetariat has also been established to help
coordinating efforts in these countries. It is still a breed on the edge
of extinction, with only between 2 and 3 thousand dogs worldwide.
Number of living registered Icelandic Dogs is estimated to
be around:
Denmark: 1200.
Iceland: 400.
Sweden: 600.
Norway: 500.
Finland: 35.
Holland: 260.
Germany: 250.
MORE DOGGYLINKS BELOW!
:)
Characteristics
of the Icelandic Dog
Conformation of the
Icelandic Dog
Breeding Standard
GALTANES RÖSKVA, our Icelandic Dog