Find a Swedish Vallhund Breeder
Place an Ad

Rescue a Swedish Vallhund
List Your Rescue

Description

The Swedish Vallhund is a small, low to the ground but sturdy dog. The head is rather long with a muzzle that looks square when viewed from the side, with a well defined stop. The nose and lips are black. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The oval, medium sized eyes are dark in color. The ears are rather mobile, and firm from the base to the tip. The tail is either naturally long, stub, or bobbed, but is also sometimes docked. Note" docking tails is illegal in most parts of Europe. The neck is long and muscular. The legs are short, but powerful. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The oval shaped feet are medium in size pointing straight ahead. The dog has a tight, harsh, medium length outer coat with a soft, dense undercoat. Coat hairs are slightly longer on the neck, chest, and the back of the hind legs. Coat colors include gray, red-yellow, red-brown and gray-brown. May have a small amount of white markings. The dogs can have a well-defined mask, with lighter hair around the eyes, muzzle, and under the throat.

Temperament

The Swedish Vallhund is a responsive and even-tempered companion. It is intelligent and affectionate. He loves attention and instinctually craves leadership. Owners are never disappointed in his multi-faceted ability or his spontaneous sense of humor. Extremely active and devoted little dogs. Be sure you are this dog's pack leader to avoid Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is above humans in the pack order. Dog's who do not clearly know their place in the pack can be untrustworthy with children, may begin to guard, bark obsessively, become wary of strangers, and be dog agressive with other dominate dogs. Properly socialize this dog, providing rules he must follow, and limites to what he can and cannot do, to avoid over-protective behaviors. They sometimes try to herd people by nipping at their heels, although they can be trained not to do this. The Swedish Vallhund makes a good alarm dog, but should be told to quiet down after they have already given off their warning bark. This breed makes a great companion and can be used for herding and ratting. They also make excellent show and obedience dogs.

Height, Weight

Health Problems

Living Conditions

Exercise

Life Expectancy

Grooming

Origin

The Swedish Vallhund maybe related to the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The breed was brought to Wales by the Vikings in the 800s. The Vikings knew the dog as the "Vikingarnas Hund," which meant the "Viking Dog." "Vallhund", means "herding dog". Some of the breeds talents are cattle drover, watchdog, and a ratter. The dog is becoming more popular at European exhibitions. The Swedish Vallhund was recognized by the AKC in 2007.

Group

Recognition