History of the Icelandic Dog
Written by Mark Watson. Mr. Watson is known for his tremendous contribution towards saving the Icelandic Sheepdog. These are his words written in 1956.
Iceland is an island republic in the North Atlantic, 250 miles east of Greenland, and 600 miles west of Norway. Owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a relatively mild climate, the coast areas being somewhat similar to that of northern Scotland, only slightly colder.
Iceland is very mountainous and volcanic, having an area of 39,758 square miles -- or one fifth greater than the total area of Ireland, of which only about 20 percent is suitable for sheep, and less than 3 percent is under cultivation, it can be seen by these figures that a large percentage of the country is uninhabitable.
Iceland has a population of about 156,000 of whom 119,500 live in towns and villages (of over 300 inhabitants) and 36,500 live on farms, many of which are very isolated.
It is stated by two authors only, Eggett Olsfsen in 1744 and Joseph Banks in 1772, that there were three types of dogs in Iceland. The famous naturalist, Count de Buffon, who mentioned the Iceland Dog several times in volume V of the first French edition of his "Histoire Naturelle" which was published in 1755, does not state that there were more than one type of dog in Iceland. If Eggett Olafsen and Joseph Banks were correct, it is possible that the so-called Hunting Dogs and Dwarf Dogs, which it is stated resemble the ordinary Danish Dog, became extinct, or almost extinct during the terrible catastrophes of the last half of the 18th Century. There were eruptions and earthquakes with an aftermath of famine and disease which reduced the population very greatly, and there are records showing that many thousands of horses died. It is possible that only a Fiaarhundur (Sheepdog) was able to survive.
From the many references to the Iceland Dog in my research, there are only six which state that the ears are not entirely erect. Three of these references are taken from books written in the 18th century. the other three from publications in 1829, 1833 and 1866. The publications of 1829 and 1833 were written by the same author, and the one dated 1866 appears to be copied from an earlier account.
There are several references to the dog in the Icelandic Sagas (900 to 1300 A.D.) and undoubtedly dogs (and sheep) were brought to the country by the first settlers from Norway in 874 A.D. The Iceland Dog resembles the Norwegian Buhund (Farm Dog) in many ways. Besides being used for sheep-herding, the Iceland Dog has been used for rounding up the ponies and warning the farmers of the approach of strangers.
As there is only one true type of dog in Iceland, would it not be easier to call him simply the Iceland Dog, and at the same time let it be understood that he comes under the heading of a "working dog"? Many more of the authors refer to the Iceland Dog rather than to the Icelandic Sheepdog -- occasionally the Danes mentioned the Islandske Spidshunde (Icelandic Spitz).
During the last ten months I have made an extensive search for data about this breed. I think that the best study from the historical point of view is the chapter of Dogs from "Lysing Islands" published in Reykjavik in 1920 and the best account of the physical aspects of the dog is from the chapter on "The True Iceland Spitz" from "Vere Hunde" (Our Dogs) written by Christian Schierbeck, M.D. of Reykjavik and published in Copenhagen in December 1900.
The true Iceland Dog is rare and I found only one valley (the Breiddalur), a very remote one in the east of Iceland, where the true type is in great preponderance -- I should say about 90 percent. Occasionally in other parts of the east or north of Iceland one sees a good specimen. There may be other remote valleys, similar to the one mentioned above, which I have not found.
There is no Kennel Club in Iceland and the people have only breed dogs for utility purposes. The pureness of the breed has been maintained in certain parts of Iceland owing to the following:
- That dogs have never been imported legally or illegally, into Iceland on anything but a small scale, and mostly to the southwest and west coasts;
- That since 1909 it has been against the law to import dogs without a special license;
- That the valleys are very cut off from each other and many of the farms are extremely isolated.
During two summers in Iceland, I made extensive search and very carefully selected four dogs and four bitches, which I brought to the United States. I have already had three litters which have turned out well and by careful breeding I hope to be able to standardize the breed completely. They are a very attractive breed of the Spitz group; most intelligent and exceptionally friendly.
The Iceland Dog has been practically undiscovered by dog fanciers owing to the remoteness of the country up to recent times and the fact that foreigners, up to the Second World War, rarely went to Iceland with the exception of an occasionally salmon fisherman, ornithologist or geologist. Even now few tourists visit Iceland.
During the last years of the 19th Century some Iceland Dogs were taken to Denmark and the breed was recognized by the Danish Kennel Club and shown at Dog Shows under their auspices between 1900 and 1914.
The breed was first recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1905 and specimens of the breed were shown in England in the "Any Other Variety" class in 1923 and 1925.
I am most grateful to the Icelanders who, during the summers of 1955 and 1956 helped in my search for the pure Iceland Dog.
Signed
Mark Watson
December 1956
Article on the History of the ISD