Icelandic shepherd spitz | Facts & Information

Colors: white-gold, white-gray, black-white, white-chocolate

Origin

The Icelandic Shepherd is the only breed native to Iceland. He is a small furry shepherd, used as a guard dog, Shepherd or utility dog. This dog has a bushy tail that it wears on its back, short legs and the appearance of a Fox.

Its snout is generally a darker color than the rest of the body. Icelandic is a strong and agile dog that will make a lot of noise when he wants something. He is also active and lively, but also affectionate and loyal.

The Icelandic Shepherd is the only dog native to Iceland. He was brought to Iceland with the first Viking settlers (874-930 BC).), taking the name "Viking dog". The Icelandic Shepherd has adapted to local conditions, farm organization and the Icelandic people's hard struggle for survival over the centuries, making it indispensable in herding cattle.

The popularity of the Icelandic Shepherd has increased in recent decades and, despite the still very small number of specimens, it is no longer considered in danger of extinction.

According to research on the origin of this breed, it seems that this Shepherd is descended from dogs brought to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers and is probably a relative of the Norwegian Buhund.

It can be found under the names: Icelandic Spitz, Iceland Dog, Icelandic Shepherd, Islenskur fjarhundur, Icelandsk Farehond, Friaar Dog, Canis islandicus, Iceland dog, Friaar dog, Iceland Sheepdog or Icelandic Spitz.

Feeding Icelandic Spitz

The food of the Icelandic shepherd must be rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. If you offer home-cooked food or if you buy it at the store, make sure it is nutritionally quality.

It is recommended to divide the daily food into 2-3 meals for good digestion, and after each meal let the dog take a break for 15-30 minutes. Corn is not recommended, but not excluded either.

You can give it in smaller quantities or mix it with other foods. Under no circumstances do not give him chocolate or other sweets. They are not good for your dog, some dogs are allergic and have skin or stomach allergies (these can be seen in the low level of activity).

If you want to pamper him with something "sweet" or with goodies you can buy them from a specialized store dog biscuits, bones, etc.

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Appearance Icelandic Spitz

The Icelandic Shepherd has a large nose and black pigmented lips. The head is bulging and has a compact snout. It has robust forelimbs and double Spurs similar to the Lundehund breed. The Icelandic Shepherd is a northern Spitz dog, a little below the average waist, with pricked ears and a twisted tail.

Seen from the side, the dog fits into a rectangle; the length of the body from the shoulders to the base of the tail is greater than the height at the withers.

The depth of the thorax is equal to the length of the forelimb. Its head is compact and covered with well-stretched skin. The cranial region is slightly longer than the facial region, giving the overall head a triangular profile.

Its nose is black or dark brown in lighter dogs. The eyes of the Icelandic Shepherd are of medium size, almond-shaped, brown and have free edges of black eyelids. The middle and triangular ears are carried high and are very mobile.

The neck, of medium length, is muscular and arched. The back is strong. Its thorax is long and deep. The tail is caught high, twisted, touching the back. The forelimbs of the Icelandic Shepherd are straight, parallel and strong and are provided with oval paws, compact, arched fingers with well-developed pads. The hind limbs are provided with 1-2 Spurs each.

The look of this dog expresses tenderness, intelligence and liveliness. There are two varieties of this dog's hair, short and long, both dense and incredibly weather-resistant. The coat color can be reddish-brown, chocolate, gray, black, but the predominant color must be white. In addition, there is a marked difference in the appearance of the two sexes.

The adult Icelandic Shepherd can reach a height at the Withers of about 31-41 cm and a body weight of about 9-14 kg.

Behavior Icelandic Spitz

The Icelandic Shepherd is a hardy and energetic dog. Being a very tenacious and agile Shepherd and herd dog, he is extremely useful in supervising or handling cattle on mountain pastures, as well as in finding lost sheep. Native, the Icelandic Shepherd is very vigilant and will always give guests an enthusiastic welcome without being aggressive. His hunting instincts are not highly developed. The Icelandic Shepherd is welcoming, friendly, curious, playful and courageous.

The Icelandic Shepherd needs a lot of activity and movement and also needs to keep close contact with his family. Many of these dogs have anxiety about staying home alone, and this is because they are not dogs that stay alone for extended periods of time.

Most Icelandic Shepherds love children and get along well with other dogs or pets.

Although they are small dogs, Icelandic Shepherds are happiest on a property in the countryside where they can frolic at will. If you still want to grow such a dog in a block apartment, it is good to know that it is absolutely necessary not to neglect the hours of movement. They are cheerful, lively, active dogs and very attentive to everything that happens around them.

As long as they are around their owners, Icelandic Shepherds will lie quietly for hours, under the desk, in a corner, outside the door, guarding and waiting. When they are taken out they are a real delight, being willing to make all kinds of tricks to attract the attention of their masters.

Icelandic Spitz Training

Icelandic Shepherds are affectionate, intelligent and always willing to please their owners, which makes them very easy to train.

As with other spits, hardness should not make its way into their training program.

What is more difficult is to teach them to do their physiological needs outside the home, but with patience and perseverance, they also learn this quickly. Also, as with other breeds of Dogs, The Icelandic Shepherd must benefit from adequate socialization from early childhood.

Read more about ... Pet Dog Training

Features Icelandic Spitz

The Icelandic Shepherd is a very active breed that needs to benefit from movement every day. He can be taken out for long walks daily or the walk can be replaced by an hour of jogging. Besides, you can be sure, he will be more than happy if you give him a few innings of play.

The Icelandic Shepherd has a double coat, dense and compact, which gives the dog the ability to withstand any weather conditions. There are two varieties of hair. Short-haired Icelandic shepherds have medium-length, rather rough outer protective hair and a often soft protective fluff.

The hair is shorter on the face, on the top of the head, on the ears and on the front of the limbs and longer on the neck, on the chest and on the back of the thighs.

Its tail is bushy, and the hair covering it is about the same length as that covering the rest of the body. Long-haired Icelandic shepherds have longer outer hair than the previous one, rather rough and a frequent and soft fluff.

The hair is shorter in the face, at the top of the head, on the ears and anterior face of the limbs and longer behind the ears, on the neck, chest, on the posterior face of the forelimbs and thighs. Its tail is very bushy, and the hair that covers it has the length directly proportional to that of the hair that covers the rest of the body.

This dog sheds and generally changes its hair twice a year. The Icelandic Shepherd is said to have the ability to maintain its body cleanliness. To ensure that the fur remains in good condition, simple brushing and combing 2-3 times a week is sufficient.

An important thing to keep in mind is to shorten the nails of the Spurs periodically because they do not come into contact with the ground to chop and can quickly become very long.

Diseases Icelandic Spitz

Icelandic Shepherds are robust and Hardy dogs, quality in the lands of Iceland, so they do not show too many "flaws".

Their main condition appears to be hip dysplasia.

The average life expectancy of the Icelandic Shepherd is 11-12 years.