Icelandic Sheepdog

The Icelandic Sheepdog is the only known breed that originated in Iceland. Theory is that the Vikings brought this breed’s ancestors to Iceland in the 9th century. His original job was to protect the flocks of sheep, especially the lambs from large birds of prey. It is suggested that the Icelandic Sheepdog came into Iceland from Norway. Graves have been discovered in Norway and Sweden containing dogs that resemble the Icelandic Sheepdog. He is related to the Karelian Bear Dog and that gives evidence that the Icelandic Sheepdog came to Norway from somewhere in the east. In the late 19th century, the Icelandic Sheepdog almost became extinct from a plague of canine distemper. Over 75% of the Icelandic Sheepdogs died from this disease. This led to a ban on the importation of dogs into Iceland. Imports were limited and then banned in 1901. In the late 20th century, the Icelandic Sheepdog was once again close to extinction. In the 1950s there were only about 50 Icies left. In 1969 the Icelandic Dog Breeder Association was formed to help preserve the breed. Now, there are more than 800 Icies in the United States alone.  The American Kennel Club recognized the Icelandic Sheepdog in June of 2010. The Icelandic Sheepdog is not considered to be a popular breed in the United States despite his happy, loyal personality. The Icelandic Dog Breeder Association is working tirelessly to preserve the integrity of the breed and to make people more aware of the breed’s personality and traits.