Live Life Team
The Swedish Vallhund has gone by many other names and nicknames. For instance, since it is believed that they come from around the time of the Vikings, they are sometimes called the Viking Dog and the “little cattle dog of the Vikings”. As far as official naming goes, the Swedish Vallhund is also sometimes called the Swedish Cattle Dog or just the Vallhund for short. While the Swedish Vallhund looks very similarly to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi dog breed, it is uncertain whether or not the two are related.
During the Second World War, the Swedish Vallhund almost went extinct. Luckily, there were people who desperately wanted to keep the ancient breed alive. Two men named Karl-Gustaf Zettersten and Bjorn von Rosen worked hard to keep them alive, and they did. They are no longer in danger of going extinct, although they still don’t have a huge population.
Swedish Vallhunds were typically used as herding dogs. Not only would they keep watch over the herd of cattle, but they would move the herd and keep it together and under control. The Swedish Vallhund was also sometimes used for hunting. They were accomplished ratters and could keep the farms, especially the barns, vermin-free.
Having small legs and long bodies, the Swedish Vallhund is a small dog breed. They average a height between 29 and 35 centimetres. They typically weigh between 9 and 16 kilograms. Though working dogs, the Swedish Vallhound is very loyal, and is known to get along well with other family pets.
