Life expectancy

13 years

Age adult

14 months

Height (Shoulder height)

44 cm

Weight

12 kg

Coat texture

long-haired / coarse-haired / undercoat / short straight hair on the face / dense / tail feathered / trouser like

Coat color

all colors with white markings

Common illnesses

dysplasia of the hip joint / cryptorchism

Food expenses per month in €

about € 31

Suitable for children

Rather yes

Needs a garden

Rather not

Hunting motivated / needs alternative employment

Rather not

First dog suitable

Rather yes

Allergy friendly

Rather not

Athletic

Attention

Care and grooming

Eager to learn

Exercise

Nature

quick and eager to learn / friendly / robust / happy / active / bold / prone to barking / loyal

Bred for

herding dog / cattle dog

Common illnesses

dysplasia of the hip joint / cryptorchism

Dog type according to FCI

spitz and primitive types

FCI description

Many dogs of this group were kept as guard, hat, hunt, or sled dogs. They are considered to be very strong-willed and often less affectionate than other breeds. Many have a pronounced territorial consciousness and get along with same-sex conspecifics less well. They are often not easy to educate and only participate in things they consider useful.

So if you want a cuddly family dog that does every trick, you wont be happy here. Generally many of these dogs, like Chow Chow, Aktita and Co. are rather one-man dogs, i.e. related to one person and do not bind themselves to the whole family. Spitze in particular tend very much to loud utterances.

Short description

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a robsut and playful dog, that lieks to be outside regardless of the weather. Especially when kept in apartments he needs extra physical exercise. He likes to be part of every activity and is compatible with other pets and children. His bark can be disturbing sometimes.