Swedish Vallhund - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Swedish Vallhund was previously known as „Vikingarnas Hund“ or the Viking dog and indeed, they originated in Sweden over 1000 years ago, in the age of the Vikings. Their purpose was to herd sheeps on farms and they also proved themselves as good watchdogs and companions.

2) Corgi Similarity
There is an obvious similarity in apperance and temperament of Welsh Corgi and Swedish Vallhund. There are few theories, how this happened. The first said, that The Swedish Vallhund played part in the development of Welsh Corgi, when the Vikings brought them to England. But the opposite is possible as well, according to the AKC, it is possible, that either the Swedish Vallhund was brought to Wales or the Corgi was taken to Sweden, hence the similarities between the two breeds.

3) Name
Today, we are not calling this breed the Viking Dog, but Swedish Vallhund. And it is very desciptive name, since the word Vallhund is a swedish word that can be translated as shepherd dog or herding dog. And indeed, they make great herding dogs, thanks to their small size, they can nip at cattle heels without being kicked.

4) Tail
Most dogs have their typical length and style of the tail. Not the Swedish Vallhund. Some of them are born with full length tail, some of them are born with stub tails and a some of them are even born with no tail at all.

5) Barking
If you prefer quiet dogs, you might look for different breed, because the Swedish Vallhund is extremely talkative and vocal. They will bark when there is something suspicious going on, which makes them amazing watchdogs. But they will also bark to show a good mood and it really looks they want to chat with you. Its important to teach them some boundaries when they are still young, so they dont bark all day long.

6) Extinction
During the second world war many dog breeds almost became extinct. In 1942, the Swedish Vallhund came very close to extinction, but thanks to careful breeding by Bjorn von Rosen and mr. Zetterstein, the breed was saved and its popularity could started raising again.

7) Size
This is not the largest dog breed, but even though they are pretty short, they are very muscular and strong. The average height is between 11-14 inches which is 28- 36 cms and weight between 22-35 pounds which is 10-16 kgs.

8) Health
This is generally healthy dog breed with great lifespan between 13-15 years. The only common health issue is the progressive retinal atrophy, ocassionaly they can suffer from hip dysplasia. They can have problems living in hot climate areas, and it is important to provide them access to water all the time and provide them some cool place around your home when its hot outside.

9) Postage stamps
This breed is very popular in Sweden, so its not that surprising, that they appeared on Swedish postage stamps. But they didnt stop here, they also appeared on postage stamps of Russia, Mali, Tajikistan, Nicaragau and Ukraine. This proves, that Swedish Vallhund is quite popular all around the world.

10) Personality
The Swedish Vallhund can be described as alert, lively, curious, independent and confident dog breed. He makes both, great loyal family companion and courageous watchdog. Most Swedish Vallhund owners describe them as fun to be around dogs with good sense of humor and willing to please personality