theIcelandic Sheepdog

Playful, Friendly, Inquisitive
Herding Group Herding Group

meet theIcelandic Sheepdog

Did you know?

The breed came to Iceland with the Vikings. It is known as the "dog of the Vikings."

Learn More

at aGlance

Energy & Size

medium ENERGY &
medium size

AKC Dog Ranking

146th
Most Popular Dog Breed

Personality

  • Check Friendly
  • Check Inquisitive
  • Check Playful
Confident, cheerful, sociable; the expression “man’s best friend” was coined for dogs like this.

theBreed Standard

Embed the breed standard on your site.

  • Click the box above and use
    Cmd + C or Ctrl + C
    to add this code to your site/blog. Show off your love for the Icelandic Sheepdog!

Icelandic Sheepdog Breed Standard Illustration 01 02 03 04 05 06

  • General Appearance

    The Icelandic Sheepdog is a Nordic herding Spitz, slightly under medium sized with prick ears and a curled tail. Seen from the side the dog is rectangular. The expression is gentle, intelligent and happy. A confident and lively bearing is typical for this dog. There are two types of coat, long and short, both thick and extremely weatherproof. There is a marked difference in appearance between the sexes.

  • Head

    Strongly built with close fitting skin. Triangular when seen from above or the side. Skull - Slightly longer than muzzle and somewhat domed. Stop - clearly defined though neither steep nor high. Nose - Black. Dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Cheeks - Flat. Eyes - Medium size and almond shaped. Dark brown. Slightly lighter in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Eye rims are black. Dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Ears - Erect and of medium size. Triangular with firm edges and slightly rounded tips. Very mobile, reacting sensitively to sounds and showing the dog's mood. Faults - yellow or round protruding eyes.

  • Body

    Neck - Moderately long and muscular with no loose skin. The neck is slightly arched and the head is carried high. Body - rectangular and strong. The length is in proportion to the height and in harmony with general appearance. Back - level, muscular and strong. Loins - broad and muscular. Croup - moderately short and broad, very slightly sloping and well-muscled. Chest - long, deep and well-sprung. Belly - Slight tuck up. Tail - high set, curled over and touching the back.

  • Forequarters

    When seen from the front the forelegs are straight, parallel and strong. Angulation - Shoulders are well laid back, oblique and muscular. Dewclaws - Required and may be double. Forefeet - slightly oval, toes well-arched and tight with well-developed pads. Faults - No dewclaws.

     

  • Coat

    Double coat, thick and weatherproof. There are two types: Short-haired - The outer coat of medium length, fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The tail is bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat. Long-haired - The outer coat is longer than the above, fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The tail is very bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat. In both lengths, the hair is shorter on the face, top of the head, ears and front of the legs; and longer on the neck, chest and back of the thighs. 

  • Hindquarters

    When seen from behind the hind legs are straight, parallel and strong. Thighs - Broad and well-muscled. Dewclaws - Required. Well-developed double dewclaws desirable. Hind feet - Same as forefeet. Faults - No dewclaws.

A Icelandic Sheepdog
Learn More

theIcelandic Sheepdogs of AKC

Add my DogAdd My Dog

Upload your favorite Icelandic Sheepdog photos to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #akcIcelandicSheepdog.

More Photos

get involved inClubs & Events

National Breed Club

theIcelandic Sheepdog Association of America

Local Breed
Club

Find the Local Breed Clubs in your area.


Meetups

Explore meetups.com and see all of the local Icelandic Sheepdogs in your area.

exploreOther Breeds