🐾 Small · Iceland
A cheerful Icelandic herding dog of the spitz type with a dense double coat, a watchful, independent temperament, and a strong love of running and barking to alert its family.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is friendly, playful, and sociable, yet independent and equipped with a typical spitz stubborn streak. It is watchful and readily announces visitors or anything unusual, often loudly.
As a hardy Nordic herding dog it needs plenty of outdoor exercise in all weather along with mental stimulation through herding or scent work. Its hunting interest can be triggered by small animals.
The dense double coat needs regular brushing, especially during the heavy spring and autumn coat blow. Otherwise, the breed is low-maintenance and weatherproof.
Its independent character and pronounced love of barking call for consistent training from the start, but with good guidance the breed is manageable for active first-time owners too.
The breed is considered robust and long-lived, with patellar luxation occurring occasionally. Regular exercise and appropriate feeding keep weight in a healthy range.
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This information is for general guidance and does not replace veterinary or breeder advice. Temperament and health vary individually within every breed.
Souldog