He was for centuries has been bred to his ability, and not for his appearance. Iceland is a large rural O. sparcely population. Despite the impression left by many bloody accounts Sagi, had their little or no need to cruel and aggressive watchdog, and you could focus on other important skills:
Protection instincts, and will sound an alarm bark.
Protecting sheepflocks and newborn lambs on birds of prey, hence, its distinctive ability to observe and barks at everything that approaches the top.
The dog wants to protect small pets, such as foals and lambs, but still interested in hunting their small rodents.
The dog will act as a living fence around the premises, which he considers necessary or territory belonging to his family.
Total History Of General Description:
Icelandic Sheepdog is Spitz, which originated in Scandinavia.
The dogs found in graves in Denmark and Sweden around 8000 BC have many similarities with the Icelandic Sheepdog.
As the Norwegian Vikings out to sea and colonized Iceland in 874, they brought their dogs with them. Over the years other breeds have been imported only in small quantities, and from 1901 he was forbidden to bring animals in Iceland, so the breed is to some extent, remains almost unchanged since the Vikings settled.
Epidemics, starvation periods and natural disasters that have made life very tough times in Iceland, resulting in rock that is tough and durable.
Number of dogs has changed a lot over time. Since the days of Olaf Tryggvarsson (age 10), we have a written report telling about the famine, which quite seriuos consequenses for dogs on the island, to remedy the situation decided to kill all old people and cripples, as they are, but do not work.
Chief of Arnor Kærlingenef Miklebø in Oslandshil was among those in favor of this, but he persuaded his mother to reconsider its decision. And after some discussion, the decision changed in favor of reducing the number of dogs and horses, which he announced in this speech:
"And do not less this be done with the negligence that has sunk in common in these parts that you feed your dog in such large quantities that many people could live to eat what they eat. Now we must kill these dogs, so that little or No one will live, and use of food earlier data on the dogs to feed the people. "
For many years, the dogs looked at differently. Sometimes hated, sometimes loved. Danish scholar Peder Hansen Resen, gives this account in his description of Iceland in the 17 century: "Dogs are so much fun the locals, which is hardly visible without being accompanied by a dog."
A couple of hundred years later, another dog, Dr. Krabbe, visiting Iceland in 1880, gives an interesting account:
"Dogs can be indespensible for the Icelander, but also harmful. They will serve as host for several species of intestinal parasites, whose descendants can be transmitted to humans and other animals, causing disease in sheep and" liver disease "in humans. The disease is so widely that every 40th individual sufferes from him. It is spread mainly due to poor health, but also because the number of dogs is so great.
The dog population varies in size, in the 1855-56 epidemics greatly reduced the number of dogs, and it has been said, many cow or a sheep dog prices.
Now they are in such great numbers that 2-5 dogs are at each farm, and sometimes even more. The priest told me that he had at least 12 dogs in his house, which came accompanied by the parishioners and were left behind. In Icelandic it is not uncommon to office was concerned the dogs to run and fight in the cemetery. "
Dr. Krabbe ends his account to recommend a reduction in the incidence of great number of dogs in Iceland.
"Original" Icelandic Sheepdog has survived only in very remote and inaccessible places, like other herding dogs where imported during the year to improve the breeding instincts, and as the dog population as a whole did not look kindly upon the authorities, when hygiene was taken more seriously .
As is often the case took another foreigner, an Englishman, Mark Watson, that open the eyes of Icelanders to the quality of the original dog. Mr. Watson visited Iceland in many cases between 1930 and 1970. In 50'es he gathered some of the best samples to take abroad and breed in California. This caused some interested Icelanders, and partly in collaboration with Watson, they began to breed in a handful of carefully selected dogs.
With the foundation in Iceland Kennel Club in 1969, the main objective was to observe the Icelandic Sheepdog. The dog seen as part of Icelands cultural heritage, and the work now being done to promote the breeding of sound, and look for "new" dogs in remote areas.
