Adopting an Icelandic

Adopting an Icelandic Sheepdog

Will your dog be a family pet?
Will you show your dog in the Conformation Show ring?
Will you show your Icelandic in one of the Companion Events like Rally, Obedience, Agility, Flyball, etc.?

Will you do herding or tracking with your Icelandic?
Will your Icy be part of a breeding program to save the breed?
Will you try all of these activities?

Experienced breeders can help you pick a dog that will match your future goals. Be honest with the breeder about what you want your Icelandic for. Although virtually every puppy in every litter of Icelandics would make a wonderful family pet, some of the puppies in a litter will not be well suited for the Conformation ring where trained judges look for dogs that closely match the Breed Standard, the written description for the breed. Other puppies might be less active and not well suited for dog sports like Agility or Flyball. With the help of a reputable breeder it is the buyer’s job to make sure the puppy selected will be a loving family pet, a Conformation show dog, a Performance or Companion show dog, a future breeding prospect or all of those choices.

In order to participate in many dog events, a dog must be officially registered. Registration certifies that a puppy comes from previously registered ancestors. Some breeders provide a family tree and state that the dog is pure bred. Reliable kennel clubs like the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United Kennel Club (UKC), etc. provide a registry that certifies their dogs are purebred and registered. Having a pedigree from such a kennel club will be necessary if one day you decide you want to show in organized competitions and/or breed.

If you’re only looking for a wonderful family pet, the question of registration is not as important. Perhaps you will pay less for an unregistered "pet quality" puppy. You may be getting a puppy of questionable background. As with any other kind of purchase, you often get what you pay for. Shop carefully. The highest priced puppy may not be the best choice for you. Ask experienced people for their opinions. The cost of raising a dog once adopted may be the same regardless of its origins.

If you are considering starting a breeding program or participating in organized events, it is of utmost importance to get a quality puppy from a reputable breeder that has registered dogs and may be participating in the same events you are interested in.

Icelandic Sheepdogs are recognized and have official registries in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, the US, etc. The main job of any of these registries is to keep track of purebred dogs. When you buy a registered dog, it means that your dog's official pedigree is on record with an official registry. It does not guarantee you will get a quality dog. It is the job of breeders using responsible breeding practices and carefully examining the pedigrees of prospective mates to breed for genetic health, good temperament and sound conformation. Kennel clubs neither improve nor ruin a breed. Caring and responsible breeders strive to make each generation better than the preceding one using careful mate selection.

Icelandic Sheepdogs are becoming more common but are still relatively rare in North America. Careless breeding may harm the breed and we could lose many of the qualities we love so much. If you own an Icelandic Sheepdog and are considering having it in a breeding program, you need to have an official 3-generation pedigree from a registry where bloodlines can be traced to ensure the integrity of the breed.