Icelandic Sheepdog Breed Information & Characteristics

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed that has an average risk of becoming obese. Daily walks and a balanced diet of quality dry dog food can help maintain a healthy weight. An active lifestyle and monitoring weight regularly is recommended.

Unfortunately, the Icelandic Sheepdog is not hypoallergenic, making it not a good choice for a dog lover who suffers from pet allergies.

Agile
Cheerful
Alert
Energetic
Inquisitive

Icelandic Sheepdog dogs are not heavy shedders, but they will lose a significant amount of hair each year. To decrease the amount of shedding, you can regularly brush your Icelandic Sheepdog. This will remove loose hair and keep his coat growing in the same direction.

The Icelandic Sheepdog dogs are average watchdogs. If they sense something different, this breed will alert their owner.

Iceland

nordic spitz

American Canine Registry
American Kennel Club
Dog Registry of America Inc.
Federation Cynologique Internationale
North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
American Canine Association, Inc.

874 - 930 AD

Herding (AKC:2010 & UKC)

Brown

Black
Brown

Brindle
Pied
Silver
Fawn
Black
Gray
Brown
Cream

The coat of an Icelandic Sheepdog falls in the medium length category.

Straight

An Icelandic Sheepdog can have a litter of 12-15 puppies on average. However, it's worth noting that the size of the litters can vary greatly. Factors that can influence litter size include the health of the mother, breeding history, and genetics.

Icelandic Sheepdogs are known for their adaptability and versatility, they are capable of adapting well to a wide range of lifestyle changes and living environments. They are a highly adaptable breed, and make great companions for families and individuals of all lifestyles.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of dog that is known to have a higher frequency of health issues compared to other breeds. These issues can range from minor to serious, and regular check-ups with a veterinarian are essential in order to identify and address any potential problems as early as possible.

Patellar Luxation
Distichiasis
Hip Dysplasia

Cataracts
Mono/Bilateral Cryptorchidism

Eye
Hip
X-Rays
Eye Examination
Physical Examination

Icelandic Sheepdogs are known for their high energy levels, so if you're looking for a more low-key dog, this breed may not be the best choice.

Icelandic Sheepdog have very high social needs. These needs include regular mental and physical stimulation, a job or purpose, and companionship. They thrive in environments where they have a lot of interaction with humans and other dogs.

The Icelandic Sheepdog dog requires a moderate amount of physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. These breeds are ideal for people who have a moderate amount of time to devote to their pet and enjoy regular physical activity themselves. They also make great family pets as they have the energy to keep up with children and the temperament to be great companions.

Icelandic Sheepdogs dogs are tend to sleep less than other breeds, but they still require adequate sleep to maintain good health.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of dog that is characterized by its minimal drooling, making it an ideal choice for people who dislike drool marks on their clothing.

Icelandic Sheepdog dogs bark and howl frequently, they are not a good fit for quiet homes.

Icelandic Sheepdog dogs are known for being average at defending. They possess the capability to defend their territory or owners, but it is not their primary trait. They are not the best choice for guard dogs

Sleeping, Kissing, Barking, Chasing runners, Cuddling, Eating

Icelandic Sheepdogs are medium-energy dogs and typically enjoy socializing and playing casual or even sustained games of chase with other dogs. They may also have occasional periods of barking or racing around the house.

There's really no limit to how far you walk your dog as long as they're comfortable. For Icelandic Sheepdog, it's at least 10 miles / week. Just remember to build distance and stamina gradually over time.

In general most Icelandic Sheepdogs usually need at least 60 minutes of exercise daily. This can be spread across the day and include all sorts of high-energy activities, like walking, running and playing.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is a breed of dog that requires an average amount of grooming effort.

Icelandic Sheepdog should be brushed at least once a week. Of course you can give them more frequent brushes if you find that they are still shedding a lot

Pin Brush
Deshedder
Nail Clipper

For an average 20-30 pound (9 - 14 kg) Icelandic Sheepdog feed 2.5 cups daily. But, keep in mind, the amount you feed is going to be dependent on the quality of the food you are feeding.

The average cost of an Icelandic Sheepdog is somewhere $2.50 - $3.20 per day.

The average per month expenses of an Icelandic Sheepdog is between $74 - $95. This makes an average of $888 - $1140 per year. It will be on the higher side when the dog is still small because it will need more frequent visits to the vet, shots.

The Icelandic Sheepdog have below the average degree of obedience intelligence among other breeds. However, calling them “dumb dogs” is unfair. Where Icelandic Sheepdogs lack in obedience & working intelligence, they make up for it with their keen ability to understand human emotions.

Icelandic Sheepdog dogs have average emotions and are adaptable to different situations, not requiring extra care like sensitive breeds do.

It's not recommended to keep the Icelandic Sheepdog in an apartment, but this breed make good apartment dogs as long as they get to spend a good amount of time outside of the apartment. Icelandic Sheepdogs living in apartments will need plenty of physical exercise and stimulation throughout the day to remain happy and well-behaved.

A Icelandic Sheepdogs typical characteristics indicate that this breed of dog is an ideal companion for kids and makes them family pets. Their gentle and protective nature and calm mentality make them gel along quickly with the younger humans

Icelandic Sheepdogs are an average cat friendly dog. They do well with cats, even more if raised together from puppyhood,

Icelandic Sheepdogs are average friendly towards other dogs. If they are raised with other dogs, they are likely to get along with them. And, if they are socialized properly from a young age, they will usually be great with other dogs.

Icelandic Sheepdogs are friendly dogs and won't commonly bark at strangers. However, if you wish to change this, training them is easy. With their intelligence, teaching this breed to do anything is pretty simple.

Icelandic Sheepdogs are known to be highly playful dog. So if you're not up for all that, think about adopting a slightly older Icelandic Sheepdog for a mellower experience.

Icelandic Sheepdog dogs are usually easy to train, but may require consistency to fully obey commands.