Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Swedish Vallhund Breed Overview
- History of the Swedish Vallhund Breed. Where Swedish Vallhunds came from
- What the Swedish Vallhund Looks Like
- Best Swedish Vallhund Breeders
- What Colors do Swedish Vallhunds Have?
- Swedish Vallhund Litter Size
- How Fast Swedish Vallhunds Can Run
- Good Names for Swedish Vallhunds
- How Popular are Swedish Vallhunds with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Swedish Vallhunds and How to Prevent Them
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Swedish Vallhunds
- Other Things to Know About Swedish Vallhunds
Swedish Vallhund Breed Overview
The Swedish Vallhund is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Swedish Vallhund stands 11 inches to 1 foot, 1 inch tall at the shoulder.
The Swedish Vallhund belongs to the Herding Dogs group.
Dogs in the Herding Dogs group, like the Swedish Vallhund, were bred for moving livestock, including sheep, cattle, and even reindeer.
Herding dogs work closely with their human shepherds, and their natural intelligence and responsiveness make them highly trainable.
Herding dogs have high levels of energy, which needs to be channeled properly to prevent destructive behavior.
Herding breeds are protective of their people and property and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence, agility, and activity level make them well suited to dog sports.
The fact that Swedish Vallhunds belong to the Herding Dogs group is one of the reasons why Swedish Vallhunds have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Swedish Vallhund is generally described as:
- Alert
- Energetic
- Fearless
- Friendly
- Intelligent
- Watchful
History of the Swedish Vallhund Breed. Where Swedish Vallhunds came from
Swedish Vallhunds have a long and interesting history.
These dogs were originally bred in Sweden for herding and guard duty.
They are thought to be descended from Swedish Wolfhounds and other spitz-type breeds, and their name means “herding dog of the Swedish valleys.
” Swedish Vallhunds first came to the United States in the 1970s, and they quickly gained popularity as companion animals.
Today, these dogs are still prized for their herding ability, but they also make loyal and loving family pets.
Swedish Vallhunds are medium-sized dogs with compact bodies and thick fur coats.
They typically stand between 12 and 16 inches tall at the shoulder, and they come in a variety of colors, including gray, black, red, and tan.
Swedish Vallhunds are intelligent dogs with a lot of energy, and they require plenty of exercise.
These dogs do best in homes with large yards where they can run and play.
With proper training and socialization, Swedish Vallhunds can be happy, well-adjusted members of the family.
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What the Swedish Vallhund Looks Like
Swedish Vallhunds are muscular, compact dogs that were originally bred for herding and hunting.
They have a medium-length coat that can be either straight or wavy, and they come in a variety of colors including gray, black, and red.
Swedish Vallhunds are intelligent and energetic dogs that need plenty of exercise.
They are active and playful, but they can also be independent and stubborn.
Despite their small size, Swedish Vallhunds are sturdy and resilient dogs that make great companions for active families.
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Best Swedish Vallhund Breeders
We have researched reputable Swedish Vallhund breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Swedish Vallhund breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
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Triple Tac Farms
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
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Forestframe Farm
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
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Au Reult SD Swissys/ Vallhunds
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
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Running Acres
Puppy Price: $1800
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Alexander`s dog kennels of East Texas
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
What Colors do Swedish Vallhunds Have?
Swedish Vallhunds come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Black
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
Swedish Vallhunds come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
- Brown / Chocolate
- Black
Swedish Vallhund Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 2 different Swedish Vallhund birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Swedish Vallhunds can have is 5 puppies. Also, the Swedish Vallhund can have as few as 5 puppies per litter and as many as 5 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Swedish Vallhund will have depends on factors such as the age of the Swedish Vallhund, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Swedish Vallhund will have and how the litter size of the Swedish Vallhund compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Swedish Vallhunds Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 47 different Swedish Vallhunds, the average speed of the Swedish Vallhund is 19.2 mph (31.0 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Swedish Vallhund ran in a race is 24.62 mph (39.6 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Swedish Vallhund is 6.15 mph (9.9 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Swedish Vallhund compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Swedish Vallhunds
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Swedish Vallhund ranked by popularity:
- Luca
- Talbot
How Popular are Swedish Vallhunds with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Swedish Vallhund.
The popularity of the Swedish Vallhund averaged over the years is Number 156 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Swedish Vallhunds and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Swedish Vallhund is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Swedish Vallhund puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Swedish Vallhund breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Swedish Vallhunds for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Swedish Vallhunds here.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Swedish Vallhunds
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Swedish Vallhund.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Swedish Vallhund:
- Dalmatian (75 percent match with Swedish Vallhund). Learn more about the Dalmatian here.
- German Longhaired Pointer (74 percent match with Swedish Vallhund). Learn more about the German Longhaired Pointer here.
- Aussiedoodle (74 percent match with Swedish Vallhund). Learn more about the Aussiedoodle here.
- Border Collie (75 percent match with Swedish Vallhund). Learn more about the Border Collie here.
- Norwegian Lundehund (74 percent match with Swedish Vallhund). Learn more about the Norwegian Lundehund here.
Other Things to Know About Swedish Vallhunds
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Swedish Vallhund that you need to know about the Swedish Vallhund breed: