A dog breed that was namechecked in one of William Shakespeare’s plays and is believed to be more than 1,000 years old is to be finally recognised by the Kennel Club as a pedigree.
The Icelandic sheepdog will be classified in the pastoral group on the imported breed register from 1 April.
The Icelandic sheepdog is an ancient dog, having been referred to in the Icelandic Sagas more than 1,000 years ago, according to the Kennel Club, which organises the Crufts dog show.
In the second act of Shakespeare’s Henry V, the soldier Ancient Pistol mentions the breed, saying: “Pish for thee, Iceland dog, thou prick-ear’d cur of Iceland.”
The Kennel Club describes Icelandic sheepdogs as an attractive spitz breed, adding they are “most intelligent and exceptionally friendly”.
In addition to its main task of a drover dog – used to a herd livestock – as well as a general farm guard and alert dog, the breed has also been used for rounding up the Icelandic horse.
The addition of the Icelandic sheepdog means that from April 2025, the Kennel Club will recognise 224 breeds of pedigree dog. The last breed to be recognised was the Polish hunting dog in April 2024.
In the meantime, however, the Icelandic sheepdog is not eligible to compete at Kennel Club-licensed breed shows.
The club will formally recognise a breed only if several generations have been established, allowing the club to identify a lineage with predictable characteristics such as temperament, health, exercise and grooming needs.
Wendy Laker, an Icelandic sheepdog owner who was part of a group who campaigned for the breed to be recognised, told the Daily Telegraph: “As an owner, I would describe the breed as friendly, active and intelligent.
“They can certainly be vocal and bark to alert, this is because they were originally bred as herding dogs who would bark to keep animals in a flock, communicate with their owners and protect their flock’s young.”
Laker, who has a three-year-old Icelandic sheepdog called Stormur, added: “They’re really intelligent and easy to train, and make a great pet for the right owners who have taken the time to learn about the breed.
“As a spitz breed, they do need regular grooming and owners who are committed to this, and to keeping their minds and bodies active.”
Icelandic sheepdog facts
Height: 18in (male), 16.5in (female)
Weight: 30lb (male), 25lb (female)
Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
Colours: Red and white; black and white; cream and white; gold and white; grey and white; sable and white; tan and white; white, tan and black
Temperament: “Icelandic sheepdog, Iceland’s only native dog breed, is a charmingly friendly and faithful all-around herder of small-to-medium size. A densely coated Nordic spitz-type breed, Icelandics are enthusiastically devoted to their humans.”
Information provided by the Kennel Club
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