With my Icelandic Sheepdog pups up early and "asking" to be fed - mother Kit had to get to work early. A perfect example of winter mornings here overlooking Lake Huron in Michigan's Thumb - faint sun, gorgeous black branches outlined against gray overcast skies. Beautiful - in my opinion. Not much heat comes from a sun like that. I've been told that the coldest two weeks of the year come at the end of January. I do believe it.
Kit and her pups this morning. She is still nursing but the pups are also drinking water and eating moistened kibble three (+?) times a day. Actually, whenever they ask for it.
Clockwise from mother Kit: Katur, Birna, Kria
Clockwise from Kit: Katur, Birna, Kria
Birna and Katur at the waterbowl
Birna and Katur
Birna looks smaller than Katur because she is most likely going to have shorter fur, he longer fur. He's very fluffy. They are very close in weight and size actually. Puppies with shorter fur tend to have their ears "go up" sooner. Icelandic Sheepdogs are supposed to have prick ears, i.e. upright, not folded over. In my opinion, that's a really great thing because the air can get to the ears, there's less likelihood of Icelandics having ear issues/problems. Pups whose ears take longer to "come up" generally have longer fur as adults. Compare Katur on the right and Birna on the left above and Katur left and Birna right below. Both of them will have prick ears, his will just take longer to achieve their eventual "uprightness." Birna's have been up for many days now. I suspect her fur will be quite short just like her mom and grandma. I love shorter fur. (I also love longer fur - I just love all the variety in our breed.)
Katur and Birna
Katur - Fluffy Katur
Katur
This slightly out of focus shot of Katur above shows his probable adult fur coloring after the protective gray/black camouflage finally goes away. Wolf pups have the same protective coloring as pups. Clicking on photos enlarges them.
Miss Cuteness - Birna
Birna - Can you see me now?
Kria
I think that, for now at least, the only way I can get a good photo of miss never-stand-still is to actually hold her. In addition to her tan socks and eyebrows, note some tan has also started to appear on her cheeks, the face ones that is.
Kria
Kria
Kria
Totty - Grandma
From Totty's isolated lookout site on the bed overlooking the whelping box, I can almost, almost, hear her saying, they're very cute but I'm glad that chapter in my life is over. Let my daughter deal with them - which she is actually doing a fantastic job at just like me. Must be genetic.
I have always tried to have great temperaments in my pups. If I had to rank desirable traits, good genetic health would be first and most important, a wonderful Icelandic Sheepdog temperament would be second probably, third would be lots of variety of coat colors, patterns, fur length, fur texture, and with an undercoat in the offspring. Of course, OF COURSE, like all conscientious breeders, I bred to the official breed standard. That is important. I would make an educated guess that for hundreds of years farmers and sheep herders in Iceland considered temperament - can I trust my dogs with my farm animals the sheep, horses, goats, cattle, etc, - the MOST important trait to retain in their dogs. And those dogs had to be hardy, long lived, to survive the harsh winters. That's just my opinion, truly.
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