Description

The Danish-Swedish Farm dog is a small, compact dog. Their coat is short, hard, close lying, smooth and shiny and pretty much odor-free. Their general appearance is, besides small and compact, almost square (rectangular) built. The head is of triangular shape, rather small, with a rather wide and slightly rounded scull, stop well emphasized, and muscle well filled, tapering to tip of nose, without looking pointy or snipey. Jaws powerful. Ears can be rose ears, or folding forward. The chest is deep and wide. The breed is late developed in its exterior, and usually not fully developed until 3 years of age, so Young dogs are often less compact. They are frequently mistaken as Fox-terriers or Jack Russell Terriers. One big exterior difference from a Fox-terrier, is The Farm dogs well emphasized stop, and head of triangular shape. Another BIG difference from ALL terriers, is their temperament. Their coloring is white with markings of different shape and size, and the color of the markings can vary a lot, from red to reddish-brown, chocolate brown and/or black. Both two- and tricolor occur, with tri-color being most common. Special for this breed is, that they can be born with tail, as well as natural bob-tail. Docking is illegal in Denmark and Sweden, and natural bob-tail only occurs if one of the parents is a natural bob-tail. The natural bob-tail can be of any length, from almost no tail, to a bob-tail so long, that its rather difficult to tell, if its a bob-tail or a full length tail.

Origin

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog is a rare breed in the US and a small breed in its home countries, Denmark and Sweden. It is an old Danish Pincher, bred for versatility, and resided originally on the farms, where it was used as a watchdog, for catching rats and mice, herding the cattle to the barn for milking, and as a companion dog the kids playmate. Up to about 40-50 years ago, the working people in the farming at almost any farm or ranch would have a useful and fun partnership with the farmdog. Or the Ratdog, as it was called in the "talk of the town". It was to be found anywhere in the countryside of Denmark, Schlesvig-Holstein and Scania. But with the termination of lots of smaller farms, a short period of decrease started for the farmdog.From sometime in the 50's the farmdogs had to yield to especially the dachshunds. And towards the end of the 80's the farmdog finally, after thorough preparations by the Danes and the Swedes in corporation, was promoted to an individual breed under the new name, Danish-Swedish Farmdog. The Farmdogs were

Temperament

These dogs are full of personality. In general, they are alert, lively, sweet, friendly, curious and full of playfulness and fun. This is not an aggressive breed. They make good family dogs and are good with children and all people in general. They adapt well to other dogs, other animals, and all sorts of activity levels. They are active without ever being hyper as many terrier breeds. They love attention, and tend to demand it, when they want it. The breed is very intelligent. They are easy to train and learn quickly. Proper training is important, and can start very early. They can be expected to learn all sorts of tricks and obedience with proper training. These dogs are excellent for dog sports, as they are fast and agile and eager to play. These dogs have good memories, and dont forget things easily. They love toys and things, that entertain them, and interactive games like hide and seek. This breed has been used in the circus, doing tricks with the clowns, and they have a natural sense of humor. They will chase and kill rats, mice and other rodents, point and flush birds, and herd large animals with no fear. They like to dig, but can be trained to only dig in designated areas. The breed is fairly quiet and not yappy. They will growl or bark and alert, but generally do not bark much at all. When a busy day is over, it will move into Your bed, preferably under the covers. There Is a variety of personalities within the breed, but a reserved and shy Farmdog is NOT typical for the breed.

Height

Height: Male 13½-14½ inches (34-37cm.), Females 12½-13¾ inches

Weight

Weight: Male 20-25 pounds (9-12 kg.), Female 15-22 pounds (7-10 kg.)

Known Health Problems

The breed is generally healthy, with no breed-specific disorders.

Conditions for Living

The Farmdogs can easily adapt to living in an apartment, as long as they get plenty of exercise. There is even an example of Farmdogs adapting to living on the road, traveling by truck. The key is exercise, and interactive games these dogs love to be outdoors, and can be brought with You anywhere You go. Keep their instincts in mind these dogs should be leashed at any time, when near traffic, or any other hazards otherwise they will typically "bolt" for anything that moves, including (but not limited to!) the squirrels and the ducks in the park. With proper training, Your family and friends will ask You to bring Your Farmdog to their house, when You visit, and Your Farmdog will love to be with You, and will get along great with their pets (as long as its not a rabbit or a pet rat). The part working dog is quite important The Farmdogs need to have jobs, something to do, to really thrive.

Exercise Requirments

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog requires exercise, and needs about 1 hour of play/occupation per day. This can be training of any kind, play, fetch or other interactive games. The idea is, that the dog has Your undivided attention, and some kind of job to do, during that time. This not have a back yard, it is important to take them for regular walks. As well as they adapt to new situations and surroundings, they are also dogs of habit, and they WILL let you know, if you missed a walk, and will not leave you alone, until you go.

Life Expectancy

years is not uncommon.

Grooming

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog has a low maintenance coat, and doesnt need brushing or combing every day. They can be bathed as often as You please, but actually You can have the most muddy and dusty dog - just a few hours later, it will look clean again, even without a bath. They shed seasonally, and in between they shed a little all the time white hair when You wear dark clothes, and dark hair, when You wear white clothes. Brushing it with a rubber brush, can remove the loose hair, and the dogs love it.

Group

Swedish Kennel Clubs. At this early stage, it is considered a companion dog in The US, but with final FCI-approval pending, this might change, as the original countries consider this breed, a working breed. Group In Denmark/Sweden: Group 2, Working dogs without trial. In The US: Companion dog, but this might change.