Breeds / Small
Danish-Swedish Farmdog puppies
A small, cheerful Scandinavian farm dog, quick and busy outdoors and calm in the house, sociable with children and other animals and easy to train.
The facts
- Size class Small
- Country of origin Denmark, Sweden
- Adult weight 6.8 to 9.1 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 15 to 20 lb
- Adult height 32 to 37 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 11 to 13 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Reliably good
Where these come from:
About the Danish-Swedish Farmdog
The Danish-Swedish Farmdog is the all purpose smallholding dog of Denmark and southern Sweden, expected to kill rats, warn of visitors, help move stock and then come indoors with the family. It is small and compactly built, 6.8 to 9.1 kg standing 32 to 37 cm, with a short smooth coat, usually white with patches, and a slightly rounded head that makes it look more pinscher than terrier. Character is cheerful, busy and adaptable, and it gets on well with children and other pets given normal supervision.
Energy is high for the size and it needs daily exercise plus something to think about, which is why it does so well at agility, rally and trick training. Grooming is close to nothing, an occasional brush and bath, plus nails and ears. It adapts to a flat provided the exercise is real. The mistake people make is buying it as a lap sized companion and then finding a bored farm dog inventing its own entertainment.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Danish-Swedish Farmdog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
From Danish-Swedish Farmdog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/danish-swedish-farmdog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Danish-Swedish Farmdog puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Danish-Swedish Farmdog.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 6.8 to 9.1 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other small breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.