From 1 April 2025, the UK will be home to a brand new pedigree breed, the Icelandic sheepdog, which will become the 224th breed to be officially recognised by The Kennel Club.
A native of Iceland, Icelandic sheepdogs are believed to have been shipped to the island by early Viking settlers and were even mentioned in the Sagas, hence their affectionate nickname, Viking dogs.
Historically used for herding livestock, they are said to be hardy, agile and very alert. Cloaked in a thick coat, this Nordic spitz type of dog is well insulated against the cold with a fox-like face, pointed ears and a bushy, curling tail. Medium-sized, they’re found in a variety of colours, including black and white, red and white and smoky grey.
The Kennel Club is still finalising its definition of the breed but the Belgian Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the world’s largest canine organisation, characterises it as "cheerful, friendly, inquisitive, playful and confident with a gentle temperament," which, supporters say, is what makes it a great breed for families.
Icelandic sheepdogs were first imported to the UK from Germany in 2017 and have since garnered a small but devoted following of enthusiasts who established a breeding club and have pushed for pedigree recognition. Currently, there are believed to be 20 Icelandic sheepdogs in the UK.
The Kennel Club, the largest organisation in the UK devoted to canine health, welfare and training and the nation’s body for registering pedigrees, will add Icelandic sheepdogs to the group of ‘Pastoral’ breed standards, one of seven groups that define how a breed should look and behave, initially on its Imported Breed Register.
“We are delighted to recognise the Icelandic sheepdog as an official pedigree breed from April,” Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club, commented. “The process of being recognised as a pedigree breed by The Kennel Club takes several generations of dogs, but once we recognise a breed it means that we know that it has a reliable lineage that will give people a dog with predictable characteristics in terms of temperament, health, exercise and grooming needs, which helps dogs to find homes with the right owners.”
Icelandic sheepdog owner, Wendy Laker, part of the group that put the breed forward for official recognition, said: “They… love to be part of the family, joining in with whatever is going on, but they’re also happy to have some downtime.”
Main image: Icelandic sheepdog/Ágúst Ágústsson
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