Swedish vallhund / Swedish Cattle Dog, Swedish Shepherd, Vallhund, Vastgotaspets

Breed history:

 This dog resembles the Corgi Pembroke dog, both seeming to have the same family tree. However, the official Swedish Kennel Club claim that this breed is native, but, since there is no proof of that, the origin of this dog remains undefined. 

Description:

 It is a small to medium-sized dog, with short legs, a brawny and long body and a broad and deep chest. The head is broad, triangular shaped with a conical muzzle and with a black nose. The eyes are medium-sized, oval and dark hazel. The ears are medium-sized, triangular, pointy, erect and mobile. The tail is short, about 10 cm long and kept horizontally or slightly lower. The fur is double-layered, with a fluffy, short, thick inner layer and a short, rough, thick outer layer. The colour of the coat can be gray with black strands or reddish-yellow with lighter areas. Brindle, spotted, grey brown, or yellow brown specimens can also be met. Small white spots cover up to 1/3 of the body.

Personality:

 It is a watchful, active, alert, intelligent, brave, dynamic dog, eager to learn (with characteristics similar to the herding dogs). Devoted and attached to the family, it is protective and loving with children, always protecting them from strangers who try to get to close. It is reserved with strangers. It gets along well with other dogs and other household animals.

Grooming:

 This dog's fur needs regular brushing in order to be kept in good condition.

Living conditions:

 It is a dog resistant to bad weather, which likes to live outdoors with an active family. It can also adapt to living in a flat, if it has the possibility to burn its energy. It is a dog that needs lots of activity, socialization and training. 

Training:

 It is an easy to train dog because it is intelligent and eager to learn. With a consistent, firm, varied and gentle training, beautiful results can be obtained. It loves to train for agility contests or other canine sports.

Usefulness:

 It is a herding dog, a watchdog and a devoted companion.