Icelandic sheepdog / Icelandic Spitz, Iceland Dog, Islenskur fjarhundur, Islandsk Farehond, Friaar Dog, Canis islandicus

Breed history:

 It's the only native breed of this country. It was brought by the Vikings at the end of the 9th century and was used by farmers for guarding flocks.

Description:

 It is a small- to medium-sized dog that is long rather than tall and brawny. The head rather wide, triangular, with a conical, short muzzle and a black nose. The ears are medium-sized, triangular, round-ended and erect. The tail is bushy and carried on the back. The fur is double-layered with a short, thick, soft inner layer and an outer layer made of thick, shiny, glossy, short or long hair (there are two varieties). The fur is longer on the neck, the lower sides of the legs and tail. It can be fawn, grey, brown or black with white patches.

Personality:

 It is an intelligent, well-balanced, brave, watchful, careful, sociable dog. It is very attached and devoted to its family, it suffers when it is left alone. It gets along well with children and is sociable even with strangers. It gets along well with other dogs and other household animals.

Grooming:

 This dog's fur must be brushed during the shedding period in order to remove dead hair.

Living conditions:

 It is a dog resistant to weather changes and that likes to live outdoors, in a colder climate, with an active family. It's a dog with a moderate towards high level of activity that needs exercise, long daily walks, to run and to play.

Training:

 It is a dog that is easy to train because it is intelligent and eager to learn. With a consistent, varied, firm (to overcome stubbornness) and also gentle training, good results can be achieved. It can participate in agility and flyball contests.

Usefulness:

It is used as a watchdog and for herding flocks and also as a companion dog.