Icelandic Sheepdog

Icelandic Sheepdog

Infobox Dogbreed
akcfss = part of the akc fss
akcgroup = Herding (FSS)
akcstd = http://www.akc.org/breeds/icelandic_sheepdog/index.cfm
altname = Icelandic Spitz
Iceland Dog
Íslenskur fjárhundur
Islandsk Farehond
Friaar Dog
Canis islandicus
ckcgroup = Group 7 - Herding
ckcstd = http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=99&BreedCode=IES
country = Iceland
fcigroup = 5
fcinum = 289
fcisection = 3
fcistd = http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:oo2Fxap5oS4J:www.fci.be/uploaded_files/289gb2000_en.doc+site:www.fci.be+%22289+/++29.+11.+2000%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8



image_caption = The Icelandic Sheepdog.
name = Icelandic Sheepdog
ukcgroup = Northern Breeds
ukcstd = http://mail.ukcdogs.com/UKCweb.nsf/80de88211ee3f2dc8525703f004ccb1e/cd32d830d24a40648525704a00464b97?OpenDocument

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of dog of spitz type originating from the dogs brought to Iceland by the Vikings. It is of similar type to the Norwegian Buhund and to the ancestor of the modern Shetland Sheepdog. They are still commonly used to herd sheep in the Icelandic countryside.

The Icelandic sheepdog is often described as a large dog in the body of a small dog.

Description

Appearance

These are the current breed standards:

* Neck: moderately long, muscular, arched, carried high.
* Back: level, muscular, strong.
* Chest: long, deep, well sprung.
* Belly: only a slight tuck upwards.
* Tail: high-set, curled, touching back.
* Forequarters: straight, parallel, strong forelegs.
* Forefeet: oval-shaped toes, arched, tight, with well-developed pads.
* Shoulders: oblique, muscular.
* Hind legs: one or often two dew claws on each leg.
* Gait: displays endurance and agility, driving action, covers ground effortlessly.
* Head: strongly built, close-fitting skin, skull slightly longer than muzzle making it look triangular from side or above.
* Nose: black, or dark brown in lighter-color breeds.
* Muzzle: nasal bridge straight, slightly shorter than skull, tapers evenly towards nose to form triangle.
* Lips: black, close-fitting.
* Bite: scissor.
* Cheeks: flat.
* Eyes: medium, almond-shaped, brown, eye-rims are black.
* Ears: erect, medium in size, triangular, very mobile as they move in sensitivity with dog's moods.
* Height: male: 46 cm female: 42 cm
* Color: tan, reddish-brown, chocolate, grey, black, with white as a required prominent color.
* Appearance from side: rectangular, length from shoulder to base of tail is greater than height at withers.
* Depth of chest: equal to length of foreleg.
* Coat: two types: long and short, both thick and waterproof.

Temperament

Icelandic Sheepdogs are tough and energetic. Hardy and agile, they are extremely useful for herding and driving livestock or finding lost sheep. However, the dogs are not known for hunting. Icelandic Sheepdogs are very alert and will always give visitors an enthusiastic welcome, without being aggressive. Friendly and cheerful, the Icelandic Sheepdog is inquisitive, playful and unafraid. Most adore children and get along well with other dogs and pets.

History

The Icelandic sheepdog very much resembles dogs found in graves in Denmark and Sweden from about 8000 B.C. Dog imports to Iceland were limited and from 1901 even forbidden.

In 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland ... a type of dog resembling a fox ... Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!"

Plague and canine distemper destroyed over 75% of the breed in the late 19th century, leading to a ban on the importation of dogs to Iceland. The purebred Icelandic sheepdog was again bordering extinction in the late 20th century and in 1969 the Icelandic Dog Breeder Association ( [http://www.hrfi.is/ HRFÍ] ) was established to preserve the breed, among other aims.

Miscellaneous

The breed is sometimes denoted in Latin as "canis islandicus" even though it is a breed and not a species.

As the name implies, it is a sheep dog, but is also used as a guard dog and general working dog. When herding, the Icelandic sheepdogs were not mainly used to take the sheep from one point to another, but to prevent animals from straying. Additionally, the dogs were in charge of herding horses and other animals as well. When herding failed, the dogs drove the animals by barking. Thus, they tend to bark when they want something, although this behaviour can be controlled by training.

In the Icelandic landscape, sheep often get lost and it has historically been the dog's job to find them and return them to the herd. They are therefore used to working on their own and to figuring things out for themselves, so owners have to beware lest they learn things they shouldn't. As a guard dog, their main task was to alert the inhabitants when somebody was coming, so these dogs tend to bark a lot when they see people approaching.

The Icelandic sheepdog is very loyal and wants to be around its family constantly. It follows its owner everywhere. Unlike most working dogs, these calm down when indoors and will happily lie down at their master's feet.

External links

*
* [http://www.icelanddogs.com/Main.html Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America]
* [http://www.loosli.gotpetsonline.com/ Enska Icelandics Website]

testxxx discussedxxx withxxx Brionxxx VIBBERxxx Islandhundxxx Íslenskixxx fjárhundurinnxxx Íslenskurxxx fjárhundurxxx doxxx notxxx removexxx


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Icelandic Sheepdog — noun A spitz herding dog bred in Iceland. Syn: Icelandic Spitz …   Wiktionary

  • Icelandic — refers to anything of or related to Iceland and may refer to the following articles: *The Icelandic language *The Icelandic alphabet *Icelanders, the Icelandic people *Icelandic horse, a breed of domestic horse *Icelandic sheep, a breed of… …   Wikipedia

  • Icelandic Spitz — noun Another name for the Icelandic Sheepdog …   Wiktionary

  • Old English Sheepdog — A show standard Old English Sheepdog Country of origin England Traits …   Wikipedia

  • Croatian Sheepdog — A Croatian Sheepdog doing dog agility Other names Hrvatski Ovčar Kroatischer Schäferhund Country of origin Croatia Traits …   Wikipedia

  • Maremma Sheepdog — A working Maremmano on the Gran Sasso of Abruzzo, Italy Other names Cane da Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese Pastore Abruzzese Pastore Maremmano Nicknames Maremma Country of origin Italy …   Wikipedia

  • Polish Tatra Sheepdog — A Polish Tatra Sheepdog Other names Tatra Mountain Sheepdog Owczarek Tatrzanski Owczarek Podhalanski Polski Owczarek Nicknames Podhalan Tatra Country of origin Poland …   Wikipedia

  • Cumberland Sheepdog — The Cumberland sheepdog is an extinct dog breed related to the border collie and other old working collie types. It is claimed to be one of the ancestors of the Australian shepherd [1] and in the early part of the 20th Century some Cumberland… …   Wikipedia

  • Herding dog — Not to be confused with Livestock guardian dog. Heeler redirects here. It is not to be confused with Healer. A Koolie working with sheep. A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either ha …   Wikipedia

  • Collie — This article is about the collie group of dog breeds and landraces. For other uses of the word collie , see Collie (disambiguation). For the Rough Collie, Smooth Collie and Border Collie see their separate articles. Welsh Sheepdog …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”