The
Swedish Vallhund is a
breed of dog. It is believed that the Swedish Vallhund (SV) goes back to the age of
Vikings - more than 1000 years ago. Back then they were known as the "Viking dog". By 1942 the breed was almost extinct, until Mr. Björn von Rosen and
Mr. Karl-Gustaf Zettersten (both from
Sweden) began looking for dogs to keep the breed alive. As a result of their work, in 1948 the Swedish Kennel Club recognized the breed and the SV was given the name "Vallhund", which meant "herding dog". The SV was used to herd sheeps and cattle, but nowadays they are mostly pet dogs since there isn't that much herding left to do.
The SV is a powerful, fearless, watchful, energetic, alert, intelligent, friendly and healthy small dog who has a
tendency of barking. It is suitable for many kinds of activities. The breed isn't very common.