The Icelandic Sheepdog, believed to be descended from Viking dogs, is set to become the 224th recognized pedigree breed in the UK by The Kennel Club. Despite having only 20 members in Britain currently, the breed's popularity is growing.
An ancient Viking dog is set to become the latest pedigree breed in the UK - even though there are only 20 of them in Britain right now. The Kennel Club have confirmed they will welcome the rare pet as the 224th pedigree from April. The Icelandic Sheepdog is believed to have existed in the Nordics for more than a thousand years and is thought to be the descendant of the dogs brought to Iceland by the original Viking settlers to help them herd livestock.
The exclusive canines, described as a 'hardy and agile herding spitz', have a foxy face and a dense coat that can be black and white, red and white, or smoky grey. The dog only arrived in the UK in 2017, when breeders imported three Icelandic Sheepdogs from Iceland and Germany. Since then, enthusiasts have slowly grown the numbers of the unusual dog in Britain, and now want to see it represented at Crufts. It is hoped that the recognition in The Kennel Club's Imported Breed Register may help raise the breed's profile. Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club, said: “We are delighted to recognise the Icelandic Sheepdog as an official pedigree breed from April. The slow but steady growth in the number of pedigree breeds in this country means that people have an even wider choice when trying to find the right dog for them.' While the Icelandic Sheepdog has only just been recognised in official British records, it features in ancient Icelandic Sagas told more than a century ago. The breed even gets an honourable mention by Shakespeare, with the famous writer calling on “thou prick-ear’d cur of Iceland” in his play ‘Henry V’. Wendy Laker owns an Icelandic Sheepdog and was part of the group that nominated the breed to be officially recognised by The Kennel Clu
Viking Icelandic Sheepdog Pedigree Kennel Club Crufts
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