Vinlands Wodin

This weekend I heard from two families who adopted Icelandic Sheepdog puppies from me last spring. 

Wodin's family in the west and Miss Timber's family in the east sent me some new photos. 

"My" babies are now teenagers. Look at those long legs! Awesome looking aren't they? These Viking dogs really get around. That traveling "gene" must be bred in the bone - they did, after all, come with the early Viking explorers as they traveled from the Scandinavian countries to Iceland, Greenland and eastern North America more than a thousand years ago. 

I was asked if this year's puppies looked too fat. No! Short answer. 

Like I do every year, I urged all of my puppy buyers last spring to switch to adult food as soon as possible after the pups arrived in their new homes. That, according to studies, slows growth which allows the slower growing bones of the skeleton to keep pace with the faster growing soft tissues like muscles and internal organs. The slower growth helps to keep hips healthier as adults after growth is finished.

Wodin is a fantastic looking example of an Icelandic Sheepdog. Like his litter sister, Miss Timber in the previous post, he could easily do well in the show ring. He and she could knock the socks off the competition, in my opinion. But, and this is a big and important BUT, the most important thing, imo, is that they both found excellent families to live with and that makes me very, very happy.

                                            (Clicking on photos enlarges them.)

Literally a breath taking view by a lake in the third photo. 

Wodin and Steve enjoying a picnic.

Here's an edited excerpt from Imelda in her most recent email: - 
"- - - - we were up in the western Cariboo, 180 miles west of Williams lake if you want to look it up, on Charlotte Lake. We have a small cabin up there and usually go up for September. As there is no power, news, etc. we can veg out nicely. My son and granddaughter came up first so that he could start a shed for me and Steve and I finished it off. Now we have some bear proofing which is a big plus. The small propane fridge and coolers stay out there. This year we had two grizzlies but they stayed away from the cabins but last year a young blackie was around and he was a pest chewing up gas cans. coolers, etc.
Wodin had a good time, chased the squirrels and chipmunks all the time. We had him on a long line as his 'come when called' is still poor. Still he got lots of walks and swims.  He's grown more, now just under the 18" and at 30 lbs.  Do you think he looks OK I'm not sure how to tell if he is putting on too much weight? His chest is about 22" and his shoulder to start of tail is almost the same length.  He has really put on weight in the forequarter, he now tugs like a bulldozer.
He's signed up for his first obedience class at the end of the month. A friend of mine has a nice fenced five acres so he now joins a couple of 10 year old dogs plus a 9mth jack russell for some play time. He and Sprocket (JR) have boundless energy and Sprocket is also in agility and goes through her paces up there, he just watches though he  has zoomed through the tunnel! He's doing well and keeps us both on our toes."

Keep in mind that male Icelandic Sheepdogs are usually much larger than females and Wodin is doing nicely size-wise and weight-wise for his age.