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

1) Origin
It is believed, that this is one of the oldest of all Terriers. The certain origin is unknown, but we know for sure, that these dogs were used as vermin hunters in Ireland in the 17th century and in the 18th century they gained a lot of popularity in English and Scottish show ring. They were described as poor man's sentinel, the farmer's friend, and the gentleman's favourite.


2) Temperament
This is pretty calm breed when they are indoors, but when they are outside they are full of energy, they want to explore everything and they want to play all the time. Outdoors, they are pretty mischevious, but definitely fun to be around. They are also very sweet, loyal and friendly towards their family, but on the other hand, alert and suspicious towards strangers. We can say, that this is protective breed which makes both, good watchdog and loyal family companion.


3) High energy
The Irish Terrier is very energetic, active dog breed who loves exploring. They need a lot of daily exercise to be happy, otherwise, they might dig their way out of your yard and go for its own adventure. They will enjoy almost any activity with you and daily longer walks or jogs are a must with this breed.


4) Nicknames
This is a fearless dog and that is why they are sometimes nicknamed Daredevil and their motto is no fear. Their second nickname is the d’Artagnan of the show ring, because of their high confidence and often winning in show ring competitions.


5) Size
This is long legged and athletic dog breed with average height between 18-20 inches which is 45-50 cms and weight between 23-27 pounds which is 10-12 kgs. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.


6) Other pets
This dog breed is pretty dominant and most importantly, they have high prey drive. That is why they are a bad choice for homes with other smaller pets, like hamsters for example. They do okay around other dogs and they love to be around kids, who are no problem at all.


7) Appearance
The Irish Terrier has a typical long terrier head with V shaped ears and strong jaws. Their dense wiry coat can be in bright red, golden red, red wheaten or wheaten color and they have spirited and intelligent look in their dark brown eyes.


8) Bad behaviour
Irish Terriers have the typical terrier problematic behaviours. It is because they are very energetic, and especially, if their energy needs are not met, they can bark, they can be desctructive and they love digging. But you can minimize this bad behaviour with a lot of exercise. Tired dog is a good dog.


9) Health
This is relatively very healthy dog breed without any common serious health issues and good lifespan between 13-15 years. Of course, they can still sometimes suffer from some health issues, for example hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy or Hypothyroidism


10) Easy Maintenance
This breed is pretty easy to maintain. It might not look like it, but the dense coat is not shedding a lot and they require only weekly brushing to keep the coat in a good shape. Ocassional stripping is benefical as well. Just like with other breeds you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes and nails and clean it or clip it if needed.

1) Ancient origin
It is believed, that this is one of the oldest dog breeds of old, originated in Egypt in year 3000 B.C. There are preserved hieroglyphics of these dogs. But the dog we know today was developed on the European island of Malta. It is believed, that Phoenecian traders brought them to Malta and thanks to the isolation of this island, they retain almost the same for so many centuries.

2) Hunter
This breed was originally named Kelb tal-Fenek, which literally means dog of the rabbit. It was a reference to great hunting skills of the dog and their ability to sucessfully hunt rabbits and other small game.

3) Similar breeds
The Pharaoh Hounds are most likely descendants of Egyptian hunting dog called Tesen and as i already said, phoenecian traders brought them to Malta. But you can see much more, similarly looking dogs can be found around the Mediterranean region where the Phoenicians traded, for example the Cirneco dell Etna, Podenco Canario or Portuguese Podenco. It is believed that all these dogs have the same ancestry in Egypt and they were only brough to different locations by Phoenecians.

4) Blushing
One of the sweetest facts about this breed is their ability to blush. When the dog is excited or happy, you can notice a bright pink or red color on its nose and ears.

5) On leash
It is highly recomended to have Pharaoh Hound on leash in unknown areas. It is because of their high prey drive and when they start the hunt, it would be almost impossible for them to obey your commands. From the same reason, they are not the greatest fit to homes with smaller pets like hamsters, but they do okay with other dogs.

6) Indoor
This is an indoor dog and they love to live a spoiled life. They want to have their own soft bed and warm place in your home. This breed can easily get cold and they do not tolerate cold temperatures very well. Their ears are thin and prone to frostbite when in cold climates and it is very common to see them in sweaters or other clothes.

7) Barking
This is a sighthounds and most of the sighthounds are known for being pretty quiet. But Pharaoh Hound does bark and it is important to train them not to do it from a young puppy if you do not like it. Thanks to this trait, they can make good watchdogs, because they will alert you when something suspicious is going on around your property, but they are too fragile to make good protectors.

8) Ferrets
This might be little bit surprising, but Pharaoh hounds hunting partner is a ferret. When the group of Pharaoh Hound locate the rabbit, they will chase it until the rabbit runs away under the ground. Than, the hunter will brings out a ferret with a tiny bell around its neck. The Pharaoh hound can hear the bell under the ground and follow the ferret movement. When the rabbit finally bolts for freedom, it finds itself captured by the hunter’s nets.

9) Egyptian description
There is a well preserved Egyptian hunting chronicle with a description of a dog, that is believed to be the original Pharaoh Hound. This is, what the chronicle says: The red, long-tailed dog goes at night into the stalls of the hills. He makes no delay in hunting, his face glows like a God and he delights to do his work.

10) Health
The Pharaoh hound was never a victim of overbreeding and probably thanks to that, they are not victims of many serious health issues. The average lifespan of this breed is between 12-15 years and the most common health issues are allergies and rarely hip dysplasia.