Vallhund doing a
Dog agility tunnel
Swedish Shepherd
Vallhund
Västgötaspets
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From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, by MultiMedia |
| Swedish Vallhund | |
|---|---|
|
Vallhund doing a
Dog agility tunnel
|
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| Alternative names | |
| Swedish Cattle Dog Swedish Shepherd Vallhund Västgötaspets |
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| Country of origin | |
| Sweden | |
| Common nicknames | |
| Classification and breed standards | |
| FCI: | Group 5 Section 3 #14 |
| AKC: | Miscellaneous |
| ANKC: | Group 5 (Working Dogs) |
| CKC: | Group 7 (Herding Dogs) |
| KC (UK): | Pastoral |
| NZKC: | Working |
| UKC: | {{{ukcgroup}}} |
| Not recognized by any major kennel club | |
| This breed of Dog is extinct | |
| Notes | |
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.