About the Breed 
The Swedish Vallhund is an ancient breed of dog from the spitz group of dogs. They were used as all purpose farm dogs in the flat cattle country of Sweden and mostly found in the West and Southern provinces. With their short legs, agility and speed, they are ideally suited to cattle herding. The appearance of the Swedish Vallhund is a medium sized dog of about 33cms (13”), with a slightly longer body than tall, he is well-muscled, powerful and robust, with a keen alert attitude. The topcoat is medium short harsh but closely fitting and a soft woolly undercoat. The colour of the coat varies from light to dark shades of grey or reddish yellow with lighter shades found on the cheeks, throat, belly, buttocks, feet and hocks. A hallmark of the breed is its distinctive and most desirable lighter facial mask, although a dark mask is acceptable, and harness markings near the shoulder and upper arm. The tail is a distinguishable feature, with many puppies being born without a tail or a short stump, while others may be born with varying lengths through to a full tail. To full convey the temperament of the Swedish Vallhund is difficult with one not fully understanding the extent of this breeds personality until you are owned by one. They have a strong herding instinct with a natural ability to herd. It is not unusual for their owners to find their dogs coming in behind in an attempt to drive them along. The breed has a sense of humour, with a happy disposition and is important that he be included in the family activities enjoying being the principle character. The Swedish Vallhund is a willing positive, honest worker who easy to teach is proud, open, frank and unafraid. Ideal Swedish Vallhund Proportions The dog must have
correct balance of both soundness and type, as well as be in perfect
balance to himself. “You shouldn’t have type without soundness.”
Why? Because a breed of dog evolved to do a specific job or jobs, it
evolved in that form to do the job best.
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