Icelandic Sheepdog puppies

About the Icelandic Sheepdog

The Icelandic Sheepdog arrived with Norse settlers over a thousand years ago and is the only breed native to Iceland, where they worked sheep and ponies across open country and helped find animals lost in snow. This is a small to medium spitz of 11.3 to 13.6 kg with prick ears, a tail curled over the back and a thick double coat. The temperament is famously cheerful and open: they greet rather than guard, rate 5 out of 5 with children with supervision, and are quick to learn.

Plan on daily exercise and training, because a bright herding spitz with nothing to do invents work. Grooming is a weekly brush that becomes daily during the two heavy annual moults, and the shed hair is considerable. The barking deserves attention: this breed was bred to shout at birds of prey and they still do, so teach a quiet cue early. They hate being left alone for long stretches. Deal with the noise early, because after six months of ignoring it you are trying to fix a settled habit.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Icelandic Sheepdog 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 medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation
• Inherited eye disease, including cataract and distichiasis, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation

Your Icelandic Sheepdog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Icelandic Sheepdog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 11.3 to 13.6 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 30 inch (30 x 20 x 23 in, 76 x 51 x 58 cm) for an adult of up to 13.6 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Icelandic Sheepdog

Previous: Ibizan Hound · Next: Irish Doodle

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
• Health notes from Icelandic Sheepdog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/icelandic-sheepdog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: לערי ריינהארט, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.