Swedish Vallhund Dog Breed

Description: The Swedish Vallhund is near to the ground and is well-built but small. The head is long and the muzzle is square in shape. The nose and lips are black. Their teeth meet in a scissor bite. Eyes we see are oval and medium in shape. These are dark in colour. Ears are very mobile and these are firm from the bottom up. The tail comes in a few sizes and these are stubbed, long and bobbed in countries that allow docking sometimes the tail is docked to the desired length. The Swedish Vallhund has a strong and long neck. Short legs are characteristic of this breed, these are still powerful. It has oval shaped feet with legs that are straight and medium in size. Height of the dog is 12 to 16 inches with the bitch being 11 ½ - 12 ½ inches' and they weigh 20 to 35 pounds. The AKC values the dogs' height to the length ratio. The coat is double with a soft but thick undercoat and a hard tight fitting medium length outer coat. The length on the hind legs, chest and neck is slightly longer. Colours are red, yellow, red, brown, grey, and grey brown they are allowed a small amount of white markings. There is often slightly lighter fur around the eyes, muzzle and beneath the throat. This breed's life expectancy is 12 to 14 years.

History: The Swedish Vallhund does not have a clear history, but we can track it back to the Vikings in the 800'sAD. It is not clear if the Vikings brought the dog to the UK or if the dog was taken from the UK. In 1942 this breed was nearly extinct and due to the work of two men from Sweden Count Bjorn Von Rosen and Mr. Zettersten the breed was kept from extinction. These men found the few that were left and set up breeding programs to save this dog. This dog looks very much like the Pembroke Welsh Corgi but there is no evidence that they are related. The dog was recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1948. This dog was a working dog and used to herd cattle, but it has other talents such as ratters, killing rats for the farmers, and watchdog. This dog is more popular in Europe but has been recognized by the AKC in 2007.

Temperament: It is an intelligent dog and the Swedish Vallhund is good tempered and responds well to training. Here is a dog with lots of affection and will love all the attention that he can get. This dog makes a great companion and has great humour. He is extremely active and has many wonderful diverse character quirks. Here is a dog that wants to have a good leader and to know that they are secure, by knowing that you are the alpha. Without this the dog can get small dog syndrome and this is shown by becoming untrustworthy with children and visitors. Aggressive towards other dogs, bark obsessively, guard obsessively becomes wary of strangers. This is avoidable by the owner becoming a good pack leader offering the security the dog seeks. Socializing this dog well from an early age can help a lot as well as home rules, the dog has to follow. With the right leadership, this is a really good companion dog. Today this breed has shown to be good as a show dog and great with obedience. As with dogs that have a strong hunting instinct and so care around small pets such as mice or rats is needed.

Health issues: There are a few health issues for the Swedish Vallhund but these are not seen often but can happen these are; Hip dysplasia, cleft palate, retinal dysplasia. As with any dog it is very important that you make sure they are up to date on all vaccinations, de-wormings and heart worm preventatives. It is also suggested by the majority of licensed veterinarians that you take your puppy or dog in for a check up at least twice each year.

Grooming: All that is needed is a good hard brush of bristle and brush the coat every few days. Bathing your dog only when really necessary. The Swedish Vallhund is an average shedder.

Living conditions: With the right amount of daily mental and physical exercise this dog is fine in an apartment. Doing well without a garden but would love one if possible.

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