Swedish Vallhund
Alternative names
Swedish Cattle Dog Swedish Shepherd Vallhund Västgötaspets
Country of origin
Sweden
Classification
FCI: Group 5 Section 3 AKC: Herding ANKC: Group 5 (Working Dogs) CKC: Group 7 (Herding Dogs) KC(UK): Pastoral NZKC: Working
Breed standards (external links)
FCI, ANKC, KC(UK), NZKC
Notes
The AKC foundation stock service (FSS) is a registration service for breeds not yet recognised by the AKC.

The Swedish Vallhund is a breed of dog. It is believed that the Swedish Vallhund (SV) goes back to the age of Vikings, more than 1000 years ago. Back then they were known as the "Viking dog". The SV was bred to herd cattle, catch vermin (such as rats), and guard the house. It is often referred to as "the little cattle dog of the Vikings".

The Welsh Corgi is believed to be descended from the SV. However, by 1942, the SV itself was almost extinct, until Mr. Björn von Rosen and Mr. Karl-Gustaf Zettersten (both from Sweden) began looking for dogs to keep the breed alive. As a result of their work, in 1948 the Swedish Kennel Club recognized the breed and the SV was given the name "Vallhund", which meant "herding dog". The breed is still quite rare.

The SV is a powerful, fearless, watchful, energetic, alert, intelligent, friendly, and healthy small dog who has a tendency to bark. It is suitable for many kinds of activities, including herding and dog agility.

External links

• Swedish Vallhund web site