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A Brief Account of the History of the Icelandic Sheepdog
Origin
The Icelandic Sheepdog came to Iceland with settlers and was used to watch and herd sheep, cattle and horses.
Breeds of dogs that resemble the Icelandic Sheepdog can be found in neighboring countries, but blood analysis of Icelandic
dogs has shown that the Icelandic Sheepdog has its origins in the Nordic countries (Stefán Aðalsteinsson 1998:79;
Stefán Aðalsteinsson 2005:9).
In the spring of 1983, blood samples from 56 Icelandic Sheepdogs were
analyzed to investigate the origins of the breed. The results confirmed that the Icelandic Sheepdog is related to a Finnish
breed, the Karelian Bear Dog. The Karelian Bear Dog originated in Russia and is one of the so-called "Laika dogs,"
but these dogs have erect ears and a curly tail (Stefán Aðalsteinsson 2005:9; Stefán Aðalsteinsson 2004:26).
These results indicate that the Icelandic Sheepdog came to Iceland from Norway. But the relation to the Karelian Bear
Dog indicates that the dog came to Norway from the east, just like the Icelandic cow (Same references).
Historical Summary
Very little documentation
exists about dogs during the first few centuries Iceland was inhabited. No descriptions exist for sheepdogs in the Icelandic
Sagas, but the Sagas contain few accounts of dogs in general. There are, though, descriptions of exceptional dogs -- like
the dog Samur, who belonged to the Viking settler Gunnar from Hlidarendi. It is believed that Samur was an Irish Wolfhound.
Bones from a large dog that were discovered during excavations in Greenland are thought to be bones of Irish Wolfhounds (Deild
Íslenska Fjárhundsins, DÍF, 2005; Gísli Pálsson 1999: 5; Stefán Aðalsteinsson
1998 79).
There was great famine in Iceland around 990 AD. Because of the scarcity of food, it was suggested that
most dogs should be killed in order to save human lives. During the Middle Ages, sheepdogs were often exported, especially
to Great Britain, where the breed was a favorite among the aristocracy. In 1492, the navigator and geographer Marteinn Beheim
wrote that Icelanders demanded a great price for their dogs, but would give their children away because they were unable to
feed them (Deild Íslenska Fjárhundsins, DÍF, 2005, Gísli Pálsson 1999:5; Icelandic Sheepdog
Committee, 2005).
In 1555, the Swedish ecclesiastic and author Olaus Magnus wrote that Icelandic Sheepdogs were
popular among the Swedish upper class, especially with priests and women. Magnus describes the dogs as light-colored or white
with a thick coat. In 1570, the prominent humanist and physician John Caius noted that Icelandic Sheepdogs were a favorite
among the British aristocracy. He observed that the dogs had such long and thick coats that their heads could hardly be distinguished
from their bodies. In William Shakespeare’s "Henry VIII," written around 1600, an Icelandic Sheepdog is mentioned.
Around 1650, English translator and satirist Thomas Brown wrote that Icelandic sheepdogs were imported to Great Britain as
family pets but also were coveted by English sheep farmers.
(Deild Íslenska Fjárhundsins, DÍF,
2005, Gísli Pálsson, 1999:5)
In 1590, Oddur Einarsson, bishop at Skalholt, describes four Icelandic
dog breeds: watchdogs, sheepdogs, pets or show dogs, and dogs used for fox hunting. Oddur states that the sheepdogs were agile
workers (Stefán Aðalsteinsson, 1981:99).
French naturalist Count de Buffon wrote an account of 30 known
dog breeds in Iceland in 1755, and the Icelandic sheepdog is included. A painting from 1763 features an Icelandic Sheepdog
that was born in Danzig (Gdansk), Poland in 1759 (Gísli Pálsson 1999:5-6).
The naturalists Eggert
Ólafsson and Bjarni Pálsson give a detailed account of the Icelandic Sheepdog in their travel journals from
1752 to 1757. They describe three different dog breeds, the first being the Icelandic sheepdog. They describe the sheepdog
as having a thick, long, and sometimes extra-long coat. The sheepdog was used not only for herding sheep -- including bringing
the flock to the shepherd -- but also to retrieve puffins from their underground burrows. The other two breeds described were
miniature hunting dogs with a short coat and tail. Hunting dogs existed in Iceland in the 16th and 17th centuries, but are
believed to have become extinct in the late 18th century during a famine known as the Mist Hardship (Stefán Aðalsteinsson
1998:79).
In most travel chronicles written about Iceland from this time until the 20th century, there are accounts
of Icelandic dogs. The descriptions vary somewhat, but it is clear that a distict dog breed is being described. The dogs are
said to be found in the countryside; they guard the fields, herd sheep, round up ponies and find lost sheep in snow drifts.
At that time, the price for a good dog was comparable to the price of a horse.
(Deild íslenska fjárhundsins
2005; Gísli Pálsson 1999:6; Watson 1956).
Population Fluctuations
In earlier times,
the dogs were so important that several were kept at each farm. Whether they were used to drive sheep to grazing fields in
the morning and home at night, or for driving the flock to the mountains in the spring and back in the fall, the dogs were
a necessity (Stefán Aðalsteinsson 1981:99).
In 1869, it is estimated that the dog population in Iceland
was around 24,000. But by 1883-1887, the population had dropped to 10,000 (Deild íslenska fjárhundsins 2005;
Gísli Pálsson 1999:6). The explanation for the decline is an 1869 law, which required that all dogs be highly
taxed except for a limited number of sheepdogs allocated to each farm. The law was enacted because dogs were the intermediate
hosts of taenia, a large tapeworm that caused intestinal infections in humans and infections in the head of sheep (sheep measles).
Though the law resulted in a large drop in the number of dogs in Iceland, the main cause of tapeworm infestations was a general
lack of hygiene among the public (Same source; Stefán Aðalsteinsson 1981:86).
During the 19th century
and early 20th century, foreign dog breeds were imported as the population of the Icelandic sheepdog had been greatly reduced.
Christian Schierbeck, a Dane with an Icelandic medical degree and the author of "The True Iceland Spitz," traveled
a lot in Iceland during this time. Schierbeck maintains that true Icelandic Sheepdogs could only be found on farms in remote
areas of the country. During his two years of travel in Iceland, Schierbeck -- who was an owner of an Icelandic sheepdog himself
-- managed to locate only 20 dogs with the distinct features of the breed. Schierbeck held the Icelandic Sheepdog in high
regard, stating that the breed has a strong spatial orientation and is especially well-suited
to driving herds of sheep
from the mountains in the fall. He maintained that the dogs recognize every member of the herd and are a great necessity for
every farmer. Schierbeck went on to state that after the Icelandic Sheepdog population was reduced to a quarter of its original
size due to different pandemics and distemper, the price of a dog equaled the price of a horse and two sheep. In 1901, Iceland
enacted a law banning the import of all dogs (Deild íslenska fjárhundsins 2005; Gísla Pálsson
1999:6 og Watson 2005).
In the latter part of the 19th century, the Danish Army experimented with using Icelandic
Sheepdogs in the field. The dogs were trained to carry orders from one army unit to the next. Although the dogs performed
their duties successfully, these experiments were discontinued and the dogs were transferred to different owners.
Icelandic Sheepdogs were first exhibited at a dog show at the Tivoli in Copenhagen in 1897. Three dogs took part in the
show. In 1898, the Icelandic Sheepdog was recognized as a breed in Denmark. The English Kennel Club entered an Icelandic Sheepdog
into its registry in 1905. At the same time, the club published a breed standard that had been translated from Danish. The
breed was rarely shown in England, but an Icelandic Sheepdog advanced to “Best in Show” competition at the Crufts
Dog Show in 1960 (Same sources; Watson 1956; Palmer 1985:94).
The Iceland enthusiast Mark Watson, known for his tremendous
contributions to saving the Icelandic Sheepdog, traveled extensively in Iceland. During his first trips to the country around
1930, he located several Icelandic sheepdogs in the countryside. But during his later trips around 1950, the Icelandic Sheepdog
was almost nowhere to be seen except in remote locations such as in Breiðdalur, where 90 percent of the dogs showed the
distinct characteristics of the breed. It is clear that during this time the breed was in grave danger of becoming extinct
(Deild íslenska fjárhundsins [DÍF], 2005; Gísli Pálsson 1999:7; Icelandic Sheepdog International
Comittee 2005; Watson 1956; Stefán Aðalsteinsson 2004:26).
In order to save the breed from extinction,
Watson decided to export a few males and females to California. Páll A. Pálsson, the chief veterinary officer
in Iceland, helped Watson export the dogs, but he kept one of the females from the Vestfjords area. Soon after the dogs arrived
in California, they were stricken with distemper and some did not survive. Those who did live were bred, and the breed was
kept intact. Later, Watson moved back to England with the dogs and continued his breeding program. But over time, English
enthusiasts began breeding according to their own desires -- the dogs became shorter, more compact and smaller-boned (see
same sources; Palmer 1985:94).
Organized
Breeding
Páll A. Pálsson was among the first people to realize that the Icelandic Sheepdog was facing
extinction, and he arranged to breed the female he had kept at the Keldur clinic. Organized breeding was also funded by the
Ministry of Agriculture at the town of Hveragerði (Deild íslenska fjárhundsins [DÍF], 2005).
In 1967, Sigríður Pétursdóttir started a substantial breeding program at the farm Ólafsvöllur
in
Skeiðahreppur, in cooperation with Páll A. Pálsson. Sigríður worked with Mark Watson
and other breeders in England, who provided her with invaluable assistance and information. Because Sigriður’s first
dogs were too closely related to continue breeding, she obtained permission to import two puppies from Mark Watson in England,
since the breeding stock in Iceland was very poor at that time. With these few dogs, Sigríður started her pioneering
work in breeding the Icelandic sheepdog (Same source; Gísli Pálsson 1999:8-9).
In 1969, the Icelandic
Kennel Club (HRFÍ) was established, and one of its goals was to protect and advance the breeding of the Icelandic Sheepdog.
Eventually the club became a member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and the Nordic Kennel
Union (NKU). Today, the Icelandic Kennel Club is an umbrella organization for owners and amateur breeders of many different
breeds, but the Icelandic Sheepdog breed club is still the largest in the organization (Same source:9; Hundaræktarfélag
Íslands [HRFÍ], 2005).
The Icelandic breed club, DÍF, was established in 1979. Its mission
is the protection and advancement of the breed under the auspices of the Icelandic Kennel Club (HRFÍ). In 1996, the
president of HRFÍ, Guðrún R. Guðjohnsen, initiated the foundation of the Icelandic Sheepdog International
Committee (ISIC) in order to encourage cooperation among countries in preserving the Icelandic Sheepdog. In addition to Iceland,
the ISIC members are Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Canada (Gísli Pálsson 1999:10; Icelandic
Sheepdog International Committee 2005).
The popularity of the Icelandic Sheepdog has increased in recent years.
Though the breed is not common, it is not in danger of becoming extinct. Every year, around 100 puppies are born in Iceland
and a considerable number are exported to Europe and North America (Deild íslenska fjárhundsins 2005, [DÍF]).
Inbreeding
Pieter Oliehoek,
a Dutch biologist and specialist in genetic diversity (1999:5, 33), studied inbreeding in the general population of the Icelandic
Sheepdog from the time standardized breeding began in 1967 until 1999. His results show the imminent threat of a decrease
in genetic diversity in the population. All Icelandic Sheepdogs that exist today are the descendants of 23 unrelated dogs,
but three of the original dogs are dominant in the genetic pool. The genes of these three dogs are behind 80 percent of the
population, greatly reducing the number of alleles available. Furthermore, Oliehoek found that it is impossible to rectify
the contribution of the descendants in the genetic pedigree. Oliehoek's (1999:33, 39) study showed that inbreeding has
minimally affected the Icelandic Sheepdog through time -- for instance, inbreeding has not influenced the number of puppies
being born. However, Oliehoeks maintains that even though the breed has survived inbreeding, it is imperative to preserve
the genetic diversity that exists in the breed. Otherwise, the adaptation of the breed could be compromised and certain genetic
disorders could become fixed in the genetic pool. Therefore, Oliehoeks stresses the importance of preserving small family
groups, since even the smallest families have up to 60 percent of their
genetic makeup from three of the original 23
descendants.
Characteristcs/Traits
The characteristics of the Icelandic Sheepdog include his wide smile and confident and lively temperament. The Icelandic
Sheepdog is a tireless herding dog who loves to bark -- a trait that is very useful when bringing in livestock from the fields
or moving herds down the mountains. The dog is happy and sweet-tempered, full of curiousity and loves to work. The breed is
useful for many different farm chores, but today most Icelandic Sheepdogs are kept as house pets.
Icelandic sheepdogs
have been trained to assist with search and rescue, both in Iceland and abroad. The dogs have also been trained as companion
dogs for autistic children. But Icelandic Sheepdogs are still used for herding and to search for sheep lost in snowdrifts.
During bad weather when visibility is limited, the dog's sense of smell allows him to locate sheep when people are unable
to. The dog’s nose is also very useful incollecting eggs, and the Icelandic sheepdog has been trained to locate the
eggs of distict species of birds.
Original Icelandic Text: Þorsteinn Thorsteinson, Spring 2005
Translated by Anna Sigrúnardóttir and Thordur Runólfsson, Spring 2008
References
Deild íslenska fjárhundsins.
2005. 26. mars. Vefslóð: http://www.simnet.is/dif.
Eggert Ólafsson. 1981. Ferðabók
Eggert Ólafssonar og Bjarna Pálssonar. Um ferðir þeirra á Íslandi árið 1752-1757.
1. bindi. Jón Eiríksson og Gerhard Schöning bjuggu frumútgáfuna til prentunar. Steindór
Steindórsson þýddi árið 1942. Bókaútgáfan Örn & Örlygur,
Reykjavík. (In Icelandic)
Gísli Pálsson. 1999. Íslenski fjárhundurinn.
Bókaútgáfan á Hofi. (In Icelandic)
Hundaræktarfélag Íslands. 2005,
26. march. Webpage: http://www.hrfi.is.
Icelandic Sheepdog International Comittee. 2005, 26. march. Webpage: http://www.icelanddog.org/.
Oliehoek, Pieter. 1999. Inbreeding, Effective Population Size, Mean Kinship and Cluster Analysis in the Icelandic
Sheepdog as a Small Population. Wageningen.
Palmer, Joan. 1985. Stóra hundabók Fjölva. Íslensk
ritstjórn og meðhöfundur Þorsteinn Thorarensen. Fjölvaútgáfan, Reykjavík.
(In Icelandic)
Stefán Aðalsteinsson. 1981. Sauðkindin landið og þjóðin. Bjallan,
Reykjavík. (In Icelandic)
Stefán Aðalsteinsson. 1998. „Uppruni íslenskra húsdýra“.
Um landnám á Íslandi. Fjórtán erindi. Ráðstefnurit V, bls. 73-80. Guðrún
Ása Grímsdóttir sá um útgáfuna. Vísindafélag Íslendin
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