About the Breed
"Icelandic Sheepdogs are one of the 50 or so northern breeds from around the world classified as spitzes. The breed’s “spitziness” is expressed by a dense coat, foxy face, pointed ears, and a bushy, curling tail. Icelandic Sheepdogs, standing no higher than 18 inches at the shoulder, are just under what we’d consider medium-sized. An endearing trait is their facial expression: friendly, happy, always looking as though there’s no place they’d rather be than with you."
Key Points
Personality: Confident, cheerful, sociable; the expression “man’s best friend” was coined for dogs like this
Energy Level: Active; A true herding dog: lively, inquisitive, and athletic
Good with Children: Yes
Good with other Dogs: Yes
Shedding: Seasonal Coat Blowing
Grooming: Occasional Brushing
Trainability: Typically Eager To Please
Height: 18 inches (male), 16.5 inches (female)
Weight: 30-40 pounds (male), 20-30 pounds (female)
Life Expectancy: 12-14 years
Barking Level: Vocal
Here is a very useful video that talks a bit about the history of the breed as well as key physical features the breed should possess
What is it like to Actually live with an Icelandic Sheepdog?
I adore this breed, I will definitely always have them in my life. I think they are the literal best dogs. BUT I know they are not for everyone, so I developed some pros and cons to give people an idea of what they can expect when owning an Icelandic Sheepdog. Note: The information below is based on my personal experience with my personal dogs, some lines can have different temperaments and quirks so be sure to ask your breeder what THEIR dogs are like when deciding if you'd like a dog from them! Also, all of this information is referring to adult dogs of the breed (2+ years ) young puppies will have more energy, they will also be more work and need consistent training to mature into well-behaved adult dogs. It is important to set foundations to create the dog you want right away.
NOTE: I am getting a LOT of requests for my ‘calmest’ puppy. And I just want to put out there that a calm PUPPY is an absolute rarity. I’ve had a few, and they may or may not stay that way. It’s also subject to change when their environment changes. They may be calm in my home because we tend to have a lot of activities throughout their day to work their brain and tire them out. If they are in a home and the same is not happening they may be much more energetic. An ADULT Icelandic Sheepdog is typically a dog with moderate to high energy, meaning they do need SOME sort of activity to be a happy member of the family. They are a herding breed that was bred to work on a farm all day after all. Whether it’s hiking, daily walks, running, training classes etc. But even calm adults are not always calm puppies and there is no way to guarantee that, it’s a best guess, not a promise. Puppies are almost always higher energy than adults. Icelandic Sheepdogs on average do best in active homes that intend to include them in all activities.
The Great Stuff
Happy, friendly, self-assured, and social is the hallmark temperament of the breed. They shouldn’t be fearful or shy, and if startled should recover quickly. They want to be with you but aren't a dog that has to be touching you at all times.
They don't have a dog odor, and are a generally clean breed, when bathed their coat tends to hold onto the shampoo scent for longer than other breeds. Shedding is less than you'd think for a double-coated breed, they shed moderately year-round, and literally blow their entire coat twice a year with season changes. It's a noticeable change, one day you will pet them and get nothing, the next you'll come away with a handful of hair, at that point, I typically pull out my high-velocity dryer, give them a bath and blow all of their coat out with the dryer. The next day they are back to their normal shedding. The coat is very low maintenance, doesn't typically tangle, running a brush through it once a week is adequate, trimming feet hairs to keep them 'neat' is optional.
They are loving and eager to please and have the herding breed desire to work with their person and make them happy. Naturally very good with children whether they are raised with them or not, as well as good with other pets. They are typically reliable off-leash with training, though there may be few individual exceptions in my experience they want to be with me more than they want to chase things. They tend to adapt to the energy level of the household. If you decide to go for a daily 5 miles run they are down for that, if you'd rather spend a weekend on the couch they are happy to do that (but may bring a ball for you to toss across the living room). They can be very active when needed but have a good off switch in the house. I find that they are happiest in moderately active homes, preferably one with at least one other dog (though there are plenty that is very content as only dogs, it’s just my personal preference as they are so social and definitely enjoy the companionship of other dogs). They make especially good hiking buddies due to their medium size and willingness to walk longer distances even over rough terrain. They really enjoy going to new places with their people, but this needs to be a practice that starts at a very young age so they do not develop reactivity to changes in their environment.
Most of them love water to some extent. All of mine love to play and splash in it, a small pool just for them is a requirement in my home every summer. My youngest two really enjoy swimming and if given the chance will swim circles just for the joy of doing it. This makes them very easy to keep in warmer climates, they have no problem getting wet to cool down. On hikes, they will often seek out and locate water to wade in. I’ve joked I’ve had a harder time training my youngest to recall off a body of water than off a squirrel.
They do just fine in all climates. In areas where it’s a hotter climate on average, they will typically grow a thinner coat, and where it’s colder they will grow a thicker coat. I personally live where we have 4 seasons, and they have a noticeable summer coat and winter coat as well. Of course, common sense is required, don’t have them out in extreme heat and expect them to be fine, shade, water access, and AC should be used to keep them comfortable during the hottest times of the day. But these are steps that should be taken with any dog in heat, so it’s not breed-specific.
They thrive with training, they love opportunities to use their brains and are quick learners. They aren’t the smartest dogs out there, but I consider that a good thing. They are fairly easy for anyone to work with regardless of their experience level. They retain things well and don’t usually get too creative. They tend to make good sport dogs, they are willing to try anything. I would consider them more of a dog who can be good at a lot of things vs great at one thing. They will never be as good at agility as a Border Collie, or dock dive like a Labrador, but they are happy to go from agility, to dock diving, to rally, to conformation in any given day, and do just fine at all those things. They are a true do-it-all dog, Anything you want to try they will be happy to do. I don’t think I’d recommend them to a hard-core sports person, but someone with a casual interest, looking to dabble in a lot of things they are perfect for.
They typically have good food and toy drive. There are exceptions, but 3/4 of mine will happily play fetch. Some would do it until I quit throwing, some would quit after a few throws. I find it’s a great way to get some backyard exercise in before bed.
Happy. Just so happy. All the time. It seems they are always smiling, seem to have their own sense of humor, and just absolutely love life. I’ve compared them to Golden Retrievers and Labradors in that sense, they just seem high on life at all times. So yeah, like I said they are basically the best dogs :3
The More Challenging Stuff
Separation frustration, even if you are able to have your dog with you 24/7 teach them to be alone. They naturally want to be with you all the time, they need to learn that they are ok if you leave them. Crate training is great for this and should start at a young age. Those who don't actively teach their dogs to be comfortable when alone will often end up with dogs with separation frustration or separation anxiety which is incredibly hard to break once the habit is formed. It is a very common complaint in icie groups that someone has a dog that they cannot leave alone for any amount of time, and this is almost always because they did not teach their dog when it was young that it is ok if it is alone. This is also a fairly common herding breed trait, they were after all bred for centuries to want to be close to people and work with them all day every day, this is why EARLY training is the key.
Reactivity! Being a herding breed they naturally want to control motion, and being a social dog they want to meet every person and dog they see, and because of this, they can develop leash reactivity very easily if not taught to ignore passing people and dogs. They are also a dog that tends to be very aware of their environment and will react to changes in that environment, and can become easily overstimulated. It is very important that young puppies are exposed to many environments and reinforced for positive reactions. Teaching them early on that new things are no big deal is important. I start that process here with my puppies but you HAVE to keep it up after they come home or it is a skill easily lost. A LOT of new owners will get their new puppy and keep them at home, then later decide they want to be able to take them places, and upon leaving their house find they suddenly have a dog reacting to everything they see because it wasn’t a normal part of their routine. Commit to socializing outside your home EARLY and OFTEN. Socializing isn’t about meeting new dogs or having people pet your puppy, it is about your puppy learning to take cues from you, and watch the world go by calmly and with confidence. I take my personal puppies out daily. Places that are busy, where they can see other dogs and people pass and learn that it’s no big deal. They get reinforced for noticing things and then looking back at me. I strongly suggest my puppy owners take their puppies on some sort of outing at LEAST 3 times a week, and more is always better. If you get your puppy home and do nothing you are almost guaranteed to end up with some form or reactivity with this breed. And even those who put in the work may have to work through some reactivity during adolescence. ((( I want to emphasize that it is a VERY common issue among pet owners, I would say the majority of individuals in the breed struggle with reactivity at some point in their life. Some owners can work through it, some can not, some are easier to work through some are not, if you are uncomfortable with reactivity I would suggest another breed! )))
Dew claws! They are required to have at least single dewclaws on all four feet per the breed standard, some have doubles on the rear or all four feet, so basically they have a tonnnnn of toes (which I do actually love, it’s a very cool breed feature!). But because of this, they will need regular and frequent nail care, this only becomes a problem if owners are not diligent about desensitizing their puppies to the nail maintenance process. Whether you choose to clip or dremel them they should be taught at a young age to accept their feet being handled and nails being done on a regular schedule. Again this is something I do every other day with my litters but MUST be kept up on once they go home or they will lose this skill.
Training. They NEED training and direction. This is not a breed you can take home, leave the house once a week to walk around the block and call it a day. You have to actively work to create the dog you want to live with. They have all the right genetic traits for an awesome social adventure dog and great family pet. They are naturally social, willing to please, up for anything. But you need to put in the time channeling those good traits. It is work, it’s not something that just happens all on its own. My dogs are absolutely amazing, I can take them anywhere and throw anything at them and they take it in stride, they aren’t barky, they are easy to travel with, easy to live with. But that didn’t all just happen by itself. I put in time with each of them while they are young, and got great dogs out of it. You can do the same, just be honest about your capabilities and the time you really have to commit to raising a dog.
They have a rough adolescence. This is not uncommon in ‘dogs’ in general. Adolescence is when the vast majority of dogs are surrendered to shelters or returned to breeders. It’s the equivalent of a human teenager. They aren’t puppies anymore but also aren’t quite adults, they have hormones coming in full blast, they are suddenly more sensitive and likely to have overreactions to things they didn’t care about before and probably won’t care about later on. Of course going through adolescence is not breed specific but due to the nature of the breed they are more likely than other breeds to respond by being vocal when they are having a hard time. This can make their adolescence seem much more extreme and dramatic than other breeds for us humans. It doesn’t last forever, it’s usually gone entirely by 2 years of age and can start anywhere from 6 months to a year. I usually recommend getting in a strong training relationship before this age, so you have some tools to fall back on, keep them safe, help them through it, and on the other end your lovely dog should be back.
And that's it! You made it through! If you read this and thought 'well that's not so bad I can handle this' then congrats! this might be the breed for you!
Barking. This is really my main con. They are a breed that was bred to herd with their voice. Some bark just to hear themselves bark. Some will bark at 'everything' they notice like people walking down the street, a squirrel in the backyard, a mail truck 3 houses down, a leaf in the wind, etc. Literally constantly on alert and telling the world about everything they notice. And if barking is a dealbreaker for you absolutely choose a different breed. This is the reality of a worst-case scenario in owning the breed. However, not every individual is excessively vocal. I personally have two who are 'quiet' for the breed, in my opinion, they bark the same as the average dog (when someone comes to the door, or at the neighbor dog that is barking at them, a squirrel is in the yard etc). Another part of the equation is training. Now when I say this don't go get the most vocal pup from a litter and expect to train it to total silence. Don’t get a dog from a long line of hard-core barkers and expect you can raise them to be different. Don’t get a puppy and let it bark when it’s little because it’s cute and expect to be able to fix it later. That is not going to happen, but with consistency and skilled training, they are capable of learning when it is ok to bark and when it is not ok (example: Mine are allowed to bark outdoors if they are playing or have a reason (they are not allowed to bark at ‘nothing’ indoors). A big part of this when it comes to getting a new puppy is deciding how much barking you will allow on day 1 and being very consistent. If your puppy is barking at things they shouldn't then redirect them with food or toys, ask them to do something else, and praise them for the good choice to ignore whatever it is they barked at. Figure out WHY they are barking and solve it from the root - if they are barking out of fear, build their confidence etc. I also will 'constantly' reinforce quiet behaviors. If I hear a neighbor's dog bark and mine are quiet they all get a treat. If I have an unusually quiet puppy I'm rewarding them to be quiet to maintain that trait. The biggest complaint among new icie owners in breed groups is unmanagable barking. So that is my big huge negative about the breed, If you want a 'silent' dog it's not the breed for you. If you are ok with some barking, prepared for the worst, and willing to put in the time training to get a level of barking that you can live with then keep reading.
Icelandic Sheepdogs as (On/Off Leash) Hiking Buddies
Do Icelandic Sheepdogs make good hiking buddies? They absolutely can! Just wanted to take some time to address this specifically since it comes up often and I do think they have a lot of traits that make them awesome for this and some traits that can make it challenging if you don’t go into it with a good training plan to get to your end goal.
On Leash - Teach loose leash walking skills early and reward them generously. The BIGGEST thing you need to pay attention to is not letting your dog greet every dog/person they see while on leash. They often go through a leash reactivity phase, and its always worse if they’ve previously been allowed to meet everyone they see. Teach them to pass dogs and people calmly as soon as possible and work to maintain that skill. Otherwise they are my ideal hiking partner, they are small enough to pick up/carry in a pinch but big enough that they can keep up on long hikes. Their love of water and swimming also makes keeping them cool on warmer hikes much easier than a dog who doesn’t care for water. Their handle rough terrain with ease. Their naturally friendly demeanor means when you do run into other dogs/people on a trail and they are allowed to greet they will be sociable and friendly.
Off Leash - They naturally do not keep a tight radius. If you want one you need to train for it OFTEN. All of my dogs are good off leash hikers (or in training to be one for the younger dogs) but my older dogs I did not have any criteria for how close they had to stay to me, they have a natural inclination to keep track of me so they are never entirely out of sight, but also not close. This can make hiking in more populated areas impossible because I won’t see oncoming hikers before my dog in order to recall them. SO if this type of hiking is important to you then training them to stay close is absolutely doable, just something to make a point to reinforce from a very young age.
Understanding The Breeds History Helps Understand Them Today
I just wanted to make a point that all of the breed ‘cons’ really are direct results of the breeds history. On a farm in Iceland they would have free run of a large plot of land, they would keep track of where people were but not always be close (but also free to be close if they did want to). They would watch the sky for birds of prey and bark at their discretion to keep them away. And most importantly they would alert their owner to ANYTHING ‘different’ that they noticed in the environment, and they would take this job very seriously. Now in that setting the ‘different’ thing isn’t happening very often. Someone walks by the place once a week vs once every minute in a city home. And it’s very useful to have a dog that alerts to strange humans/animals on a large farm property, modern day we expect them to ignore a lot of things that they are hard wired to notice and tell us about.
So what can we do? Are we doomed to live with dogs that don’t shut up: We can help them understand that some change is normal and not worth alerting to by keeping their world big, keeping their ‘normal’ big so the things that fall outside of ‘normal’ are actually things that we want to hear about. I still want to know if someone is walking up to my house but I don’t need to know about the 50 people across the street. So I teach my dogs form puppyhood that the 50 people walking is our ‘normal’ and they naturally know the one doing the different thing of walking to our house is not. The WORST thing you can do is get your new puppy and keep them in your living room and backyard and that’s it. Take them out, show them the world, take them new places, sit with them outside your house and reward them for everything that they notice and remain quiet about.
Icelandic Sheepdogs as Service Dogs
This has been a topic coming up a lot on social media lately and I want to address it here as my inquiries for service dog prospects have greatly increased.
Do Icelandic Sheepdogs make good service dogs? The short answer is no. I do not currently sell prospects and I do not recommend the breed for service work and here is why. For a service dog to aid their owner well, they need to be neutral to their environment, attentive to their handler, and as unobtrusive as possible when out in public. Now think about what an Icelandic Sheepdog was bred for… The breed has been hardwired to be very environmentally aware, and alert their owners to any changes/notable occurrences in their environment, react to movement with quick reflexes and move stock by barking at them. The typical alert to environmental changes is going to be a vocal response. So for most dogs being asked to ignore the environment and instead have full focus on their owner is going to go against their natural breed tendencies. And a dog being vocal in public places can be stressful for the handler and draw unwanted attention from the public.
Now some dogs can of course be taught overtime to be neutral and silent, some individual dogs may have an easier time with it and with others it will be totally impossible. But then there is the question of need. If a service dog is essential for someone to function, would you rather take the 1/1000 odds or the 50/100 odds that a dog will work out? Typically it’s better to take those better odds rather than expecting that the first dog you get will be a ‘unicorn’ for the breed that happens to be uniquely suited to what you need it for. For this reason I typically recommend going with breeds that have a long history of being successful service dogs, ideally from a breeder who has produced successful service dogs regularly.
Now does an Icelandic exist who has done well as a service dog? Yes absolutely, but as I said above it’s a gamble. Personal observation- the dogs who have been successful as service dogs were not necessarily chosen for that purpose. Their owner got an Icelandic Sheepdog because they wanted an Icelandic Sheepdog as their pet of choice. While owning them the dog happened to show an aptitude for whatever it is they needed and they pursued more specialized training and the dog was successful for them or it was not. The majority of successful Icelandic Sheepdog service dogs are owned by professional dog trainers, and did not start working full time until they were older dogs (adolescence in this breed is typically rough). There are also some dogs who naturally task at home and make wonderful in home service dogs and don’t need to have public access.
Similar Breeds
Icelandic Sheepdogs are members of the spitz family, there is no other breed EXACTLY like them, but there are a handful that are similar with different strengths and weaknesses. These are all breeds that are about the same size, have a similar look, and overall are very comparable. If you are unable to meet an Icelandic in person but have access to any of these breeds it will give you a decent idea if this breed would be one you would like to live with. Likewise, if you meet any of these breeds and really dislike them, chances are high an Icelandic will not be much better.
Norwegian Buhunds - Buhunds will have shorter coats. (though Icelandics’ come in long and short coat varieties, a short coat icie and a buhund will have the same coat length) Buhunds are also more prey-driven on average.
Shetland Sheepdogs - Very similar as far as training and temperament. On average icies are more social, while shelties tend to be more about their person/family. Both breeds are prone to barking with individuals who are more and less vocal.
Keeshond - The main difference is going to be color options and coat length, keeshond are fluffier and come in one main color.
Finnish Lapphunds - They have more coat than the average icie and are slightly larger on average. Icelandics tend to be a bit ‘sharper’ and more driven. Both breeds have more biddable and more independent individuals and both breeds have vocal and quieter individuals.
More Research
I highly encourage anyone interested in this breed to talk to as many owners as they can after finishing their initial breed research! I created this group So you think you want an icelandic sheepdog? to be a resource for people interested in learning more about the breed and meeting dogs in person. Feel free to join and ask questions! Or check out people who may be local to you and willing to let you meet their dogs!