Working Dog Group - Swedish Vallhund

Described as the little dog of the Vikings, a Swedish Vallhund is known to be a cattle dog, whose origin can be traced back to 1000 years, with the arrival of the Vikings in the town of Wales. They are known to be related to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They were noticed to have herding qualities despite of the small size and were adept at their jobs. These dogs are a rare breed and are known to be bred and adopted by the royalty in order to revive them from the brink of extinction. There also known to be good guard dogs and ratters.

These dogs are very short in height and lightweight, hence they prove to be fast runners. They are very sturdy and have a medium dense coat that is coarse and short. There is no difference between the males and the females as both of them are of the same height and weight. These dogs can grow up to 12-16 inches and weigh 25 – 35 pounds approximately. They are usually healthy and do not have any problems though in rare cases, a spinal problem may arise due to their short stature. Their coat comes in various colors like gray, yellowish red, reddish brown and gray brown. Occasionally they also have white markings on their body.

These dogs are known to have a good temper and are very loving, caring and affectionate in nature. They are very intelligent and love to follow. It has a fabulous sense of humor and tends to behave in a clownish way often, trying to attract the attention of the master. They are tolerant with children and love to play with them and guard them. They are also a little bit of show-offs that make them seem more adorable. The owner of this dog does not need much of an effort to train them as they are said to be easy to train and natural followers of their master.

They should be trained to become social as absence of this training can make them unreliable around children, get prone to excessive barking and highly cautious to strangers as opposed to their basic trait of friendly nature. They make a good guard dog as they tend to bark and alert the owner at the slightest hint of disturbance. They can be show dogs and can perform a variety of tricks that makes it popular. They are natural herders and tend to carefully guard the cattle and warn the shepherds on the arrival of a poacher.

This breed can live comfortably and happily in an apartment, when it is given ample of exercise; otherwise they tend to be boisterous and destructive. They are very active and they should be supported to be this way. They can prove to be really playful and happy indoors and make great companions for a family. They are natural ratters and are fast on their feet to catch pests. They tend to be incessant barkers and hence should be kindly but firmly discouraged to do so every time at the arrival of strangers.

The Swedish Vallhund makes a great guard dog and an excellent companion.