## Quick Facts

The Japanese Spitz is a Japanese companion dog in FCI Group 5. Its defining features are a pure white double coat, small upright ears and a plumed tail carried over the back. This is a lively, observant breed that is often keen to train, but it can also be quick to bark. Anyone considering a Japanese Spitz should therefore assess noise tolerance just as carefully as exercise needs.

- **Origin and purpose:** Japan; companion dog, FCI number 262.
- **Size:** the standard sets a height of 30–38 cm for males, with females slightly smaller. It does not specify a weight.
- **Proportions:** the body is slightly longer than it is tall, with a height-to-length ratio of 10:11.
- **Coat:** pure white, with a straight, stand-off outer coat and a short, soft, dense undercoat.
- **Temperament:** the ideal is intelligent, cheerful and alert. A Japanese Spitz may give an alert bark, but should not be habitually noisy, fearful or aggressive.
- **Everyday needs:** daily physical activity, scent work and mental tasks, and early training around sounds, visitors and being left alone.

A Japanese Spitz can resemble a small Samoyed or a white German Spitz, but these are separate breeds with different standards and histories. Appearance alone cannot tell you how they compare in temperament, size or health.

## Appearance & Coat

The Japanese Spitz is sturdy yet elegant, without exaggerated proportions. Its pointed muzzle, dark almond-shaped eyes and small triangular ears create an alert expression. The back should be short and level, and movement should be quick and active. The tail is carried over the back but should not be tightly curled.

The coat has two distinct layers. The outer coat is straight and stands away from the body, while the undercoat is short, soft and dense. Hair is shorter on the face, ears and fronts of the legs, but longer over the body. The ruff around the neck and chest and the well-feathered tail are especially prominent. Pure white is the only accepted colour.

A thorough brush and comb down to the skin about once a week is usually a sound starting point. Work through small sections so the comb reaches the undercoat, paying particular attention behind the ears. More frequent grooming is needed during a moult. The Swedish Kennel Club describes females as often moulting twice a year and adult males usually once, although timing and volume vary.

Bathing should be based on dirt and need, not a fixed timetable. A white coat does not have to be washed whenever it becomes dusty. Introduce a puppy calmly to a brush, comb and paw handling before a full grooming session is necessary.

## Temperament & Personality

The Japanese Spitz notices changes in its surroundings quickly and generally likes to stay close to its family. The breed standard describes it as intelligent, cheerful and alert. Some individuals have little interest in interacting with unfamiliar people or dogs. Reserve is not the same as fear: panic, threats or difficulty recovering are different from calm self-possession.

Barking needs a balanced explanation. The Swedish Kennel Club's breed description says the Japanese Spitz is quick to bark, while the standard says it should not be noisy. These statements are compatible when a brief alert is distinguished from barking that continues at every sound. The aim is not to remove the dog's awareness, but to help it notice a sound at the door and then settle again.

Barking, shyness and fear of unfamiliar people recurred in the breed club's owner surveys in 2014 and 2020. The respondents were self-selected and the question was broad, so the answers do not show how common any trait is across the breed. If possible, meet the puppy's mother in an everyday setting, ask how close relatives respond to visitors and sounds in communal hallways, and read any BPH behaviour descriptions as profiles rather than scores.

The breed can suit a first-time owner who is willing to train actively and address barking consistently. It is a poorer fit for someone who assumes that a companion breed will automatically be quiet, always come when called or greet everyone enthusiastically.

## Training & Exercise

An adult Japanese Spitz needs physical and mental activity every day, but no fixed number of minutes suits every dog. Vary walks, sniffing, play and short co-operative tasks. Rally obedience, nose work, agility, tracking, tricks and everyday training are all possible choices; match them to the dog's health, interests and fitness.

Judge the amount by recovery. The dog should be able to settle and move without stiffness after rest. A dog that alerts to every small disturbance may need clearer rest, scent work or better training around distractions — not necessarily a longer walk. Puppies need short, playful experiences suited to their age, not a miniature adult routine.

Reward-based, progressive training makes good use of the breed's attention and willingness to work. First identify what triggers barking: the doorbell, a lift, people outside a window or excitement during play. Create distance or block the view, and reward the dog while it can still remain quiet and engage with you. Then teach a simple alternative, such as going to a mat when the bell rings. Punishment may increase anxiety without changing how the dog feels about the sound.

The Swedish Kennel Club describes the breed's hunting instinct as relatively low, but that does not guarantee safe off-lead exercise or a reliable recall. Begin in an easy setting, increase distractions gradually and use a long line until the dog responds to the first cue even when something moves. A percentage for recall tells you less than the dog's behaviour in the place where you intend to let it off the lead.

## Health

The Swedish Kennel Club describes the Japanese Spitz as generally healthy, with few breed-specific diseases, but a puppy buyer should still examine knees, eyes, heart and relevant family history. One normal test cannot replace information about parents, siblings and previous offspring.

**Patellar luxation**, in which the kneecap can move out of its normal position, occurs in the breed. In its published breeding strategy, the breed club recommends a voluntary patella examination at around two years of age, when the dog is physically mature. Ask for the parents' official results and whether relatives have had recurring lameness, difficulty jumping, or reluctance to run and turn sharply.

**Eyes and heart** are also monitored voluntarily. The breeding strategy records a small number of PRA diagnoses in older dogs and recommends regular eye examinations for breeding dogs, especially after six years of age. It also notes a small number of older dogs with heart murmurs and MMVD. The advice is for a vet to listen to the heart at routine visits and arrange an ultrasound if a murmur is found. This is surveillance, not evidence that every dog will be affected or that an old normal result provides lifetime clearance.

**X-linked muscular dystrophy** has been documented in a limited number of Irish families, and researchers have developed a DNA test for the mutation. The breed club's strategy states that no cases were known outside the affected Irish families. DNA testing is therefore particularly relevant when a pedigree includes Irish ancestry: ask for the genetic status of the relevant branch. There is no evidence, however, that a specific PRA DNA test should be routine for the whole breed.

The Swedish Kennel Club's 2026 registration rules do not impose any breed-specific health-testing requirements on the Japanese Spitz, and the breed has no compulsory central health programme. Patella, eye and heart checks are voluntary breed-club recommendations. Always check the latest rules before breeding and distinguish binding conditions from recommendations.

## History & Origins

The Japanese Spitz was developed in Japan during the first half of the twentieth century. The official standard cautiously says that the breed is thought to descend in part from white German Grossspitz brought to Japan via Siberia and north-eastern China around 1920. That is a documented account of its background, not a reason to describe the modern breed as a variety of German Spitz.

White spitz dogs were shown in Tokyo around 1921. Two pairs were imported from Canada in 1925, followed by further dogs from Canada, the United States, Australia and China up to 1936. These dogs were crossed to establish a more consistent breed type. After the Second World War, the Japan Kennel Club wrote the standard adopted in 1948.

More detailed claims involving Samoyeds, American Eskimo Dogs or other breeds in the early breeding programme are common, but they are not supported by the history in the official standard. It is therefore best to keep documented import routes separate from later theories.

## Living with the Breed

A Japanese Spitz can live in a flat, but noise becomes a more important consideration. Can you hear the lift, entrance door or neighbours? Place the dog's bed away from the front door and windows overlooking passing activity, and reward calm behaviour before alerting becomes a habit. Easy access to good walking and training areas matters more than the number of rooms.

Being left alone must be taught gradually. A young puppy cannot be left alone, and adult dogs also differ widely. Begin when the dog feels secure at home, use very brief absences and extend them only while the dog can rest without barking, pacing or showing stress. A camera can show what happens after the door closes. If anxiety increases, shorten the absence and return to an easier stage rather than pushing on.

With children, adult supervision and the dog's right to an undisturbed resting place matter more than the breed label. Teach children not to carry, hug or disturb the dog while it is eating or sleeping. With other dogs, cats and small animals, previous experience and individual behaviour matter more than the general statement about relatively low hunting instinct. Introduce a cat and dog at a distance, using a gate or lead, prevent chasing and give the cat high places to retreat to. Do not leave them unsupervised until their relationship is stable.

Before buying, you should be able to get clear answers to these questions:

- How do the parents and close relatives respond to sounds at the door, visitors and new places?
- What dated patella and eye results are available, and what does the breeder know about heart or mobility problems among relatives?
- Is there Irish ancestry and, if so, is the muscular-dystrophy status of the relevant branch known?
- How have the puppies practised handling, everyday sounds, rest and brief separations?

The best match is a home that appreciates an alert, trainable companion and is prepared to work calmly on noise and self-control. The white coat is the most visible feature, but in daily life how readily the dog barks, how quickly it recovers and whether it can settle determine whether the breed is a good fit.

Japanese Spitz

The Kennel Club (UK)

Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

Svenska Kennelklubben (Swedish Kennel Club)

The Japanese Spitz is a small to medium, people‑oriented companion with a pure white double coat that’s easy to maintain with regular brushing. Lively, intelligent, and trainable, it suits apartments with daily exercise. Naturally alert and vocal, it is usually friendly once introduced.

Liv Marit Barka

## Quick Facts

The Miniature Poodle is a small, active size variety of the Poodle with a strong appetite for training and a definite need for coat care. It is a companion dog that usually enjoys learning and taking part in daily life, but it is best suited to an owner who also wants to spend time on activity, settling skills, and regular grooming.

- **Breed and group:** one of the Poodle's four size varieties, placed in Group 9 for companion dogs
- **Official country of origin:** France
- **Height at the withers:** over 28 cm up to and including 35 cm under the breed standard
- **Weight:** the breed standard gives no official weight; a healthy body condition matters more than a generic figure in kilograms
- **Coat:** abundant woolly or corded coat that needs care and clipping
- **Activity level:** daily physical exercise and mental activity are needed, but the amount should suit the individual dog's age, health, and circumstances
- **Swedish health programme:** breeding dogs must have a registered prcd-PRA result or be registered as hereditarily clear before mating

The Miniature Poodle sits between the Toy and Medium Poodle in size. In Sweden, the final size variety can be confirmed by an official measurement only when the dog is at least 15 months old. A young dog near a size boundary may therefore be registered according to its parents' size before it has received its final measurement.

## Appearance & Coat

The Miniature Poodle should look like a smaller, well-proportioned Poodle without signs of dwarfism. Under the standard, the body should be slightly longer than the height at the withers rather than completely square, and the overall build should be harmonious with light, free movement. The dog should look elegant without being excessively fine or frail.

The coat comes in two textures. The woolly coat is fine, dense, curly, and springy, with even curls. The corded coat is also fine and dense but forms characteristic cords. Most family dogs are kept in a shorter trim, but a short coat does not remove the need for care.

Coat length, style, weather, and the individual dog determine how often brushing, bathing, and clipping are needed. Check especially where the coat mats easily, such as behind the ears, in the armpits, on the legs, and under a harness or collar. A comb should pass down through the coat without catching. If mats keep returning despite regular care, a shorter trim or help from a professional groomer is a better solution than following a fixed timetable that does not work for the dog.

Introduce a puppy gradually to standing on a non-slip surface, being combed, having its feet and face handled, and hearing clippers or a hair dryer. Reward calm behaviour and make each step easy to understand. This lays better foundations for safe grooming throughout the dog's life.

Since 1 August 2024, the Poodle standard and Swedish registration rules have covered 16 colour varieties. The solid colours are black, white, brown, grey, and apricot-red. Approved multicoloured varieties include, among others, white combined with another colour, black or brown with tan markings, tricolour, and brindle. Merle is not among the standard colours, and in Sweden offspring cannot be registered if a Poodle parent carries the merle gene.

Poodles do not shed in the same way as many other dogs, and loose hairs can remain in the curly coat until they are brushed out. This does not make the Miniature Poodle allergy-free. Dog allergens come mainly from skin and saliva, and reactions can vary more between individual dogs than between breeds. Anyone with a dog allergy should therefore not choose a breed solely on coat type.

## Temperament & Personality

The Miniature Poodle should be alert, active, responsive, and quick to learn. A well-adjusted dog is often fast at recognising patterns and enjoys cooperation, but the breed description is an ideal, not a guarantee of how every dog will react to sounds, strangers, other dogs, or new environments.

The Swedish Poodle Club's breeding strategy reports BPH results for 630 smaller Poodles. The group includes Medium, Miniature, and Toy Poodles and consists mainly of Medium Poodles. The results describe, among other things, fairly energetic dogs, often with a positive attitude and few threat or aggression responses in the test situations concerned. The same material stresses both variation within the breed and that the number of assessed dogs is small relative to the population. The results can therefore say something about the group but cannot predict the temperament of an individual Miniature Poodle.

Ask the breeder how the puppy's parents and close relatives behave in daily life. Request specific examples of how they recover after surprises, respond to handling, visitors, and noises, meet other dogs, and settle. Those answers reveal more about a potential match than general words such as social, clever, or easy-going.

## Training & Exercise

The Miniature Poodle needs to move and use its brain every day, but no single number of minutes suits every dog. A good routine combines walks, opportunities to sniff and explore, play or other physical activity, and tasks the dog can understand and solve. The workload should change with age, fitness, health, and how well the dog recovers.

Reward-based training suits the breed's willingness to cooperate. Be clear about which behaviour earns a reward, increase difficulty in small steps, and practise the same skill in different settings. Recall, responsiveness, calm handling, waiting, and passing people and dogs are more important in daily life than learning many tricks.

Variety is often more useful than simply extending a walk. Scent work, searches, retrieving, balance and body-awareness exercises, rally obedience, or other skills can provide purposeful activity. At the same time, the dog needs to be able to rest without constant entertainment. If it struggles to settle, review the entire day: sleep, surroundings, predictability, exercise, and training level. More activity is not always the right answer.

Puppies should not be exercised like fully grown dogs. Prioritise brief opportunities to explore, safe exposure to different environments, play on suitable surfaces, and plenty of recovery. For an adult dog, the right level supports good fitness and a workable daily life without recurring stiffness, lameness, stress, or prolonged exhaustion.

## Health

The most important breed-specific health requirement to verify when buying a puppy is the parents' prcd-PRA status. For Toy, Miniature, and Medium Poodles, Swedish registration rules require both parents to have an official DNA result before mating or to be registered as hereditarily clear.

Prcd-PRA is an inherited form of progressive retinal atrophy that breaks down the retina's light-sensitive cells. Night vision is affected first, and an affected dog may eventually become blind. Inheritance is autosomal recessive: a carrier is not the same as an affected dog, but two carriers must not be mated. A carrier may be bred only to a dog that is DNA-tested clear or hereditarily clear, and an affected dog must not be used for breeding.

A clear prcd-PRA result is not a general guarantee of healthy eyes. The test applies only to the prcd form and does not rule out other forms of PRA or other eye diseases. The Swedish Poodle Club therefore also recommends eye examinations for breeding dogs and encourages DNA testing for the rcd4 form of PRA.

Patellar luxation, in which the kneecap can slip out of its normal position, is another relevant breeding concern in smaller Poodles. The Swedish Poodle Club recommends an official patella examination for Miniature Poodles, but this is not the same mandatory registration requirement as prcd-PRA. The club recommends that a dog with patella grade 1 be used sparingly and only with a dog recorded as 0/0.

Ask the breeder to show registered results rather than accepting only that the parents have been “tested.” Check prcd-PRA status, ask about official patella and eye examination results, and enquire about known problems in parents, siblings, and previous litters. DNA tests, veterinary examinations, and an open family history complement one another; no single test can promise that a puppy will never become ill.

## History & Origins

The Poodle is an old European dog type depicted in paintings from the 1400s, while France is the breed's official country of origin. Its name and early use are closely associated with water: Poodles were originally used to hunt waterfowl, and it was mainly the larger dogs that worked as water retrievers.

The smaller Poodles were developed primarily as companions. During the 1800s, a dwarf variety began to be formed from small examples of the larger varieties. In Sweden, the smaller Poodles were divided into the Small Poodle and Miniature Poodle in the early 1930s; the former was later renamed the Medium Poodle. Today's Miniature Poodle therefore shares the breed's working background and trainability, but it should not be described as though every individual were automatically a water dog or retriever.

All four modern size varieties share the same basic breed type. Differences in size affect daily life, but they do not make the Miniature Poodle a separate crossbreed or a miniature with an abnormal build.

## Living with the Breed

The Miniature Poodle can thrive in many types of home, including a flat, if it receives daily exercise, mental activity, grooming, social contact, and training in how to settle. The size of the home matters less than what daily life actually provides. A small dog whose needs for recovery, walks, and safe alone-time training are not met does not have a good routine simply because it takes up little space.

Time alone should be introduced gradually. Begin with very brief, uneventful periods when the dog feels safe, and increase them only while it remains calm. Take age and signs of distress into account; no one can promise that a particular Miniature Poodle will cope with a set number of hours alone. Arrange a dog sitter or other help if the working day exceeds what the dog has been trained to manage.

The breed can live successfully with children, dogs, and cats, but this depends on the individual, previous experience, and introductions—not on the breed name. Young children and dogs should always be supervised by an adult, and the dog needs a resting place where it will not be disturbed. Introduce other animals gradually, using distance, a barrier, or a lead when needed, separate resources, and the option to end the interaction. Never force contact.

The best match is a home that enjoys a trainable, involved little dog and also accepts the practical work. Expect recurring clipping, thorough coat checks, everyday training, and activity throughout the year. Choose another breed if you want minimal grooming or expect a dog to adapt without planned training and companionship.

Miniature Poodle

Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

Dansk Kennel Klub (Danish Kennel Club)

Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club)

Miniature Poodles are small, athletic, low‑shedding dogs with dense curly coats and a square, balanced build. Highly intelligent, sensitive, and people‑oriented, they thrive on training, daily exercise, and close companionship, and typically enjoy long, active lives with good care.

Elise Wego Jægtnes

## Quick Facts

- The Border Terrier is a small British hunting dog, developed to keep up with mounted riders and foxhounds and to work foxes underground.
- The breed standard gives no height at the withers. Males weigh 5.9–7.1 kg and females 5.1–6.4 kg.
- The breed is often sociable and willing to co-operate, but also has a terrier’s independence, stamina and hunting drive.
- The harsh double coat is hand-stripped when the mature topcoat is ready to come out, usually at least twice a year.
- A Border Terrier needs physical and mental activity every day. Recall and calm behaviour around wildlife are important parts of everyday training.
- Sweden has no mandatory breed-specific health programme, but the breed club recommends that breeding dogs have a known SLEM status.
- The breed can live in a flat or a house if its needs are met, it can settle and its barking does not disturb other people.

## Appearance & Coat

The Border Terrier is small but built for work, rather than to look delicate. The body should be deep, narrow and fairly long, with a chest that can be spanned by a person’s hands. This shape helped the dog move through a narrow underground den while retaining the stamina to follow the hunt above ground. The head is commonly described as otter-like, with a short muzzle, small forward-folding ears and an alert expression.

The breed standard deliberately gives no height at the withers. When comparing dogs, weight, proportions, body condition and efficient movement are therefore more useful than a supposedly exact height range. The standard weight is 5.9–7.1 kg for an adult male and 5.1–6.4 kg for an adult female. A Border Terrier should feel agile and muscular, without a broad ribcage or excess weight.

The coat has a hard, dense topcoat and a close undercoat. The recognised colours are red, wheaten, grizzle and tan, and blue and tan. Once the topcoat is mature, it comes away relatively easily and is plucked out by hand. Most dogs need a thorough hand-strip at least twice a year, but the condition of the coat — not the calendar — determines the right time. Between stripping sessions, regular combing and checks of the skin, ears, nails and teeth cover most routine care.

Coat care is based on plucking out the mature, harsh topcoat by hand. Clipping is therefore not the same treatment as hand-stripping. Ask a groomer experienced with harsh-coated terriers to show you how a ready coat feels. Border Terriers do shed, and the breed is not allergy-free.

## Temperament & Personality

A typical Border Terrier combines an interest in people with plenty of initiative. The breed had to co-operate with people and dogs above ground while making independent decisions underground. Today, that heritage appears as curiosity, persistence and quick problem-solving. The dog may be highly responsive when the task is worthwhile, yet choose an interesting scent trail in a moment if training offers too little reward.

A Swedish BPH behavioural analysis described the tested dogs as relatively sociable, curious and secure, with little pronounced fear or aggression. That finding is a tendency within the sample, not a promise about every dog: only around three per cent of the relevant Swedish-born population took part, and there was clear variation between individuals. Look at the parents, close relatives and the breeder’s account of everyday behaviour, rather than relying on a general breed description.

A steady Border Terrier can be an involved companion for children, but the breed name is no guarantee of safety. An adult should always be present with young children, and the dog needs a quiet resting place where it will not be disturbed. The same individual assessment applies around other dogs. Many are sociable, but sex, experience and temperament all matter.

Hunting drive is the main uncertainty around other animals. A dog raised with a cat may learn to live calmly with that particular cat, but this does not predict its response to a running cat outdoors. Rabbits, rodents and other small pets should be kept physically separate. Early, controlled introductions can improve the prospects but cannot remove an inherited chase response.

## Training & Exercise

A Border Terrier needs to use both body and mind every day, but an exact target in minutes says less than how the dog responds and recovers afterwards. A good routine includes walks in varied surroundings, time to sniff, short training sessions and a clear transition to rest. Tracking, nosework, search games, agility and obedience can all suit the breed’s desire to work. Increase the load gradually for puppies and unfit dogs.

Use rewards and break each skill into small steps. Harsh corrections can create conflict without making an exciting wildlife trail any less tempting. Food, play, movement and the chance to sniff can all be rewards. Short sessions with a clear goal usually work better than long strings of repetitions.

Start recall training early, but also plan for the occasions when training is not enough. Begin in an easy environment, reward promptly and introduce distractions gradually. A well-fitting harness and long line offer freedom to move without allowing the dog to complete a chase. Let the dog off lead only where the law, surroundings and that individual dog’s ability make it safe. A reliable stop cue, voluntary check-ins and the ability to disengage from a trigger are at least as useful as the recall cue itself.

A Border Terrier also needs to learn that it does not have to be busy all the time. If the dog still struggles to sleep after activity, patrols windows, barks or keeps finding new projects, it may need more recovery and clearer quiet routines, not automatically more exercise. If it loses muscle condition, becomes restless or invents its own hunting and digging projects, the content of its day needs reviewing.

## Health

There is no mandatory breed-specific health programme for the Border Terrier within the Swedish Kennel Club. Its 2026 registration rules also set no breed-specific requirement for hip, kneecap, eye or heart examination results. This does not make health unimportant. A puppy buyer needs to ask about relevant problems in the family and distinguish binding rules from voluntary examinations and breed-club breeding advice.

SLEM, sometimes called shaking puppy syndrome, is a serious neurological disorder in which puppies develop uncontrolled shaking and poor co-ordination when trying to stand and walk. The breed club recommends a known SLEM status for breeding dogs, established by a DNA test or verified parentage. Breeding advice is based on recessive inheritance: a healthy carrier can be mated to a genetically or hereditarily clear dog without producing affected puppies, while preserving genetic diversity. However, the laboratory offering the test states that the underlying variant has not yet been scientifically published. Ask the breeder to show the results and explain the mating, rather than merely saying that the dogs have been “tested”.

CECS, now often described as paroxysmal dyskinesia or PGSD, is a different condition. Affected dogs may have episodes of abnormal movement, muscle twitching and falling, often while remaining conscious. One study found no single genetic region that explained the condition, and there is no equivalent simple DNA test. The episodes can resemble other neurological problems. If it is safe, record an event and let a vet investigate it; do not alter treatment or diet on the basis of a diagnosis you have made online.

The breed club’s long-term health work also follows recurrent cramp-like episodes, skin and digestive problems, and oral and dental health. Ask how the parents and close relatives have fared over time, not just which certificates were available when the mating took place. A serious discussion covers SLEM status and the parental combination, any episodes, persistent itching or digestive trouble, tooth loss and other recurring illness.

## History & Origins

The Border Terrier developed in the Border District between England and Scotland. The area required a terrier with enough stamina to follow horses and foxhounds over rough ground, yet narrow enough to enter an earth when a fox went below ground. The breed’s size, weather-resistant coat, endurance and independent way of working are all linked to that job.

Local terrier types had several names before Border Terrier became the shared name. The Kennel Club in Britain recognised the breed in 1920. The first documented imports reached Sweden in the 1930s. Imports and breeding work from the 1960s then established a more lasting Swedish population.

The breed is still used for hunting, including work underground, flushing game, short-distance hunting and tracking wounded game. Many also live as active companions. The working background is therefore more than history: it helps explain why today’s Border Terrier readily follows scent, investigates holes and persists with a task even when its owner has other plans.

## Living with the Breed

A Border Terrier best suits someone who appreciates a small dog with plenty of initiative and can combine activity with sound safety routines. Whether the home is a flat or a house matters less than access to walks, mental activity and rest. In a shared building, train calm responses to sounds in the stairwell and movement outside the window from the start. In a house, fencing needs to withstand both digging and a sudden interest in wildlife.

Time alone should be introduced gradually, starting with very short periods. Puppies cannot be left in the same way as adult dogs, and an adult’s ability to cope varies with the individual and the situation. Swedish guidance that dogs should be taken out at least every six hours during the day is not a target for how long a dog should be left alone. Instead, assess whether the dog can genuinely rest without anxiety, barking or destructive behaviour, and arrange help before its limit is reached.

In a home with a cat, give the cat dog-free zones and escape routes. Keep the dog on a lead at first, reward calm behaviour and prevent every attempt to chase. Around children, adult supervision and simple rules are essential: do not disturb the dog while it is eating or resting, and allow it to move away. These routines matter more than broad claims that the breed is “always” good with children or animals.

Ask the breeder the following questions before making a decision:

- What is each parent’s SLEM status, and why is this particular mating safe?
- Have close relatives had CECS/PGSD-like episodes, recurring skin or digestive problems, or dental issues?
- How do the parents cope with rest, unfamiliar people, other dogs, noise and wildlife?
- Are there BPH results, hunting qualifications or other assessments that can be read in context?
- What help will you receive with hand-stripping, recall and everyday questions after you take the puppy home?

The Border Terrier can suit a first-time owner if hunting drive, coat care and consistent training feel appealing rather than burdensome. Someone looking mainly for a dog that can be off lead everywhere, automatically ignores small animals or is content with the same short walk each day should choose for different qualities.

Border Terrier

Svenska Terrierklubben (Sweden)

Deutscher Terrier Club (Germany)

French Kennel Club (Société Centrale Canine)

Small, sturdy terrier originally bred on the England–Scotland border to hunt foxes. Affectionate, bonded to family, yet independent with strong prey drive. Needs 1–2 hours of daily exercise, secure fencing, and kind training. Wiry, weather-resistant coat needs brushing and occasional hand stripping.

Rabalder

Stiftet

Brazilian Terrier

Verein für Deutsche Spitze (German Society for German Spitz and Related Breeds)

The Brazilian Terrier is a medium‑small, athletic, tricolor farm terrier from Brazil, bred for ratting and watchdog work. Energetic, intelligent, and often bonded to one person, it needs daily exercise, consistent positive training, and mental stimulation. Grooming is simple; sourcing puppies abroad can be difficult.

Zoli-Dares

## Quick Facts

The Miniature Schnauzer is a small but sturdy German breed with a strong instinct to watch, plenty of enthusiasm for work and a coat that needs hand-stripping. It is the smallest of the schnauzer breeds, but not simply a scaled-down Standard Schnauzer. The Miniature Schnauzer is a distinct breed developed for farm work in a compact, manageable form.

- **Height at the withers:** 30–35 cm for both dogs and bitches
- **Weight:** 4–8 kg according to the breed standard
- **Country of origin:** Germany
- **Original role:** rat catcher and farm dog
- **Coat:** harsh topcoat with a dense undercoat
- **Colours:** black, pepper and salt, black and silver, and white
- **Typical traits:** watchful, enduring, curious and often quick to raise the alarm

The Miniature Schnauzer is best suited to someone who wants to train and engage with their dog every day and accepts the need for regular coat care. Its handy size makes it easy to take along, but daily life still requires clear routines.

## Appearance & Coat

The Miniature Schnauzer should be compact, strong and roughly as long as it is tall. Its beard, bushy eyebrows and harsh coat create the familiar schnauzer outline. The standard gives the same height and weight ranges for both sexes, although an individual adult may sit at different points within those ranges depending on build and body condition.

The coat consists of a dense undercoat and a hard, close-lying topcoat. The four recognised colours are solid black, pepper and salt, black and silver, and solid white. Colour does not determine temperament or how well a dog will suit a particular home.

The harsh coat needs hand-stripping, which removes mature, dead topcoat hairs. The Swedish Kennel Club advises stripping at least four times a year and working through the undercoat about once a week. How often an individual dog needs a full strip depends on coat quality, growth and how short you want to keep it. The beard, leg furnishings and softer areas need combing so that dirt and tangles do not build up.

Clipping may suit a dog that has become sensitive or finds it hard to stand through a stripping session, but it changes the coat's texture. Cutting the topcoat rather than removing the mature hairs often makes it softer and woollier. Ask the breeder or an experienced groomer how the dog's coat has previously been managed before choosing a method.

A correctly maintained harsh coat normally sheds very little, but that does not make the Miniature Schnauzer allergy-free. Low shedding does not predict how someone with an allergy will react, and no breed can be guaranteed to suit everyone. If there is an allergy in the family, seek medical advice, spend controlled time with dogs and make a plan before buying.

## Temperament & Personality

The Miniature Schnauzer is generally attentive, curious and enduring. It quickly notices sounds, movement and people nearby, which can make it an effective small alarm dog. The same watchfulness may turn into repeated barking at the door, in a shared stairwell or through a window unless the dog is helped to settle.

Breed traits describe a tendency, not every individual. Swedish temperament assessments come from too small a share of breeders to provide a reliable picture of all Miniature Schnauzers. Differences between families and individual dogs can be considerable. Look at how a puppy's parents and close relatives behave in everyday situations. A secure dog should be able to recover after a surprise and relax when nothing is happening.

Miniature Schnauzers often learn quickly and can be rewarding training partners. Their owner still needs to make the desired behaviour clear and worthwhile. Harsh corrections can increase stress and barking. Calm, reward-based training makes it easier to teach the dog what to do instead.

## Training & Exercise

The Miniature Schnauzer needs physical activity and tasks for its nose and brain every day. There is no useful minute-by-minute rule that suits every dog. A healthy young adult may enjoy long walks and dog sports, while a puppy, older dog or dog with a medical condition needs a different level of exertion.

Mix walks in varied surroundings with short training sessions, scent games and time to explore at the dog's own pace. Rally obedience, scent work, trick training and agility are activities that can make good use of the breed's speed and willingness to cooperate. The aim is not to exhaust the dog every day. A better test is whether it can be active outdoors and then settle at home.

Start early with everyday skills: attention, recall, lead walking, handling of paws and beard, and relaxing in a designated place. Work on alert barking before it becomes a habit. Reward the dog for noticing a sound and then turning back to you, and teach a simple routine for the doorbell and visitors. Block the view if the dog is rehearsing barking through a window. Change one thing at a time and increase the difficulty only while the dog remains calm.

The breed's history as a rat catcher means that some individuals are keen to chase small, fast-moving animals. A reliable recall and a lead where wildlife may appear are sensible precautions, even though prey interest varies.

## Health

The Miniature Schnauzer is generally described as a robust breed, but urinary stones and eye disease are two documented concerns. The Swedish Kennel Club reports urinary stones in just over five per cent of the breed. The breed club's health work also monitors conditions including progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, and cataracts.

The breed also has a known predisposition to raised blood triglycerides. This does not mean that every Miniature Schnauzer becomes ill, and a raised result does not automatically explain digestive signs or pancreatitis. Recurrent vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, urinary problems or changes in vision need veterinary assessment. A vet can decide whether a urine test, eye examination or fasting blood sample is appropriate.

Before buying a puppy, ask the breeder to show actual health information rather than simply saying that the line is healthy. Check the parents' recorded eye results and ask about urinary stones, recurring digestive problems and eye disease in close relatives. The breed club publishes DNA results for several testable conditions, but a DNA panel is not a general certificate of health and does not cover every form of PRA. Ask which tests have been done, what the results mean for that particular mating and which current recommendations the breeder follows.

Small dogs also need regular dental care. Introduce tooth brushing during puppyhood and check the mouth so that bad breath, tenderness or difficulty chewing is noticed early.

## History & Origins

The Miniature Schnauzer developed in Germany around the turn of the twentieth century. In the Frankfurt am Main area, a small schnauzer-like dog was known as the wire-haired Miniature Pinscher. The Swedish Kennel Club describes small schnauzers and Miniature Pinschers being used as breeders developed a more consistent type.

This small farm dog had to control rats and alert people to activity around farms and stables. That work helps to explain the modern breed's combination of speed, watchfulness and interest in small movements. The Miniature Schnauzer is now a companion dog, but it still benefits from using both body and brain.

## Living with the Breed

A Miniature Schnauzer can live in a flat, but a small dog is not automatically easy to keep close to neighbours. Consider whether you can manage sounds at doors and windows, provide several toilet outings and give the dog daily activity. The ability to settle indoors is often more important than the size of the home.

The breed can live happily with children when an adult helps both child and dog interact calmly. Young children and dogs should always have an adult present, and the dog needs a resting place where it will be left undisturbed. Adults remain responsible for walks, training and grooming even when children are keen to help.

Whether a dog can live with a cat depends more on the individuals, their previous experiences and the introduction than on the breed name. Keep early meetings calm, separate the animals with a gate when needed and give the cat escape routes. Rodents and other small pets should be securely separated. The breed's documented rat-catching background means it is unwise to assume that prey interest will be absent.

Time alone must be taught gradually. A young puppy cannot be left alone, and adult dogs vary greatly in what they can manage without distress. Begin with very short, uneventful absences when the dog is secure and increase the time only while it remains relaxed. Plan around the individual rather than assuming that a breed can be left for a set number of hours.

Choose a Miniature Schnauzer if you enjoy an observant, active dog and want to spend time on training and hand-stripping. Consider another breed if you want negligible coat care, a dog that rarely raises the alarm or a guaranteed solution for allergies and small pets.

Miniature Schnauzer

Svenska Schnauzer Pinscherklubben (Sweden)

Dansk Kennel Klub (Denmark)

Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Germany)

Compact, sturdy Miniature Schnauzers are bright, trainable, and people focused. Their wiry, low shedding coat needs regular grooming. Alert watchdogs with a terrier streak, they need daily exercise, mental stimulation, and clear training, and often live 12–15 years.

Kissmeth's

## Quick Facts

The Miniature American Shepherd is a small, athletic herding dog and a distinct, internationally recognized breed—not simply an informal name for a small Australian Shepherd. Although the breed was developed from small Australian Shepherds in the United States, it now has its own breed standard and is registered separately.

- **Origin and purpose:** United States; developed as a farm, herding and companion dog.
- **Breed group:** FCI Group 1, Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs.
- **Height at the withers:** males 35.5–46 cm and females 33–43.5 cm.
- **Weight:** the breed standard gives no fixed range. A healthy weight depends on the dog's height, sex and build.
- **Coat:** a medium-length double coat that may be straight or wavy.
- **Activity level:** high, with a need for physical activity, mental work and recovery.

This is a compact dog, but not an easy shortcut to herding-dog traits in a smaller package. The breed is best suited to someone who wants to train, spend time outdoors and also teach the dog to settle. It can work for a first-time owner who has the time, patience and interest in reward-based training. It is a poorer choice for someone mainly looking for an uncomplicated dog with low demands for activity and everyday training.

## Appearance & Coat

The Miniature American Shepherd should be well balanced, agile and strong without looking heavy or exaggerated. The body is slightly longer than tall. There is a clear size difference across the permitted heights, which is why a single weight range is misleading. Assess body condition, proportions and muscle with a veterinarian rather than comparing every dog with one number for the whole breed.

The coat consists of weather-resistant outer hair and an undercoat whose amount can vary by season and climate. Regular thorough combing is often enough for routine care, but loose undercoat needs more attention during shedding. Bathe the dog when it is actually dirty. The coat should generally be left natural; extensive shaping is not part of normal grooming for the breed.

Accepted base colors are black, red, blue merle and red merle, with or without tan points and white. White may occur in defined areas but should not dominate the head or body. Eyes may be brown, blue, hazel or amber, and a dog may have eyes of different colors or more than one color in the same eye. An unusual eye color is a permitted variation in appearance, not evidence by itself of vision, health or temperament.

The tail may be long or naturally short, known as a natural bobtail, NBT. A short tail is therefore not automatically docked. Docking is prohibited in Sweden, and a Swedish buyer should distinguish a natural bobtail from a surgically shortened tail on an imported dog.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed standard describes the Miniature American Shepherd as intelligent, biddable, adaptable and loyal, with herding and guarding instincts. It is often alert to its surroundings and quick to react. This can produce excellent responsiveness in training, but also a dog that notices movement, sounds and changes its owner barely registers.

The breed may be reserved with strangers. Reserve means that the dog may wait and observe without seeking contact; it is not the same as being shy, fearful or threatening. Forced greetings rarely make a reserved dog more confident. Instead, give it space, let it observe and reward calm initiatives of its own.

Swedish BPH behavioral-assessment data shows above all that variation within the breed is considerable. Some dogs greet readily, others show little interest, and reactions to surprises, noise and uncertainty differ between individuals. BPH describes the dog's reactions on that day and does not issue a pass or fail. When choosing a puppy, the behavior, recovery and everyday function of the parents and close relatives are therefore more informative than a single label such as “typical temperament.”

The breed's close attention to its family should not be romanticized into a claim that every individual is automatically confident, sociable and easy-going. Ask the breeder how the adult dogs manage visitors, new environments, handling, sounds and quiet inactivity. Request concrete examples and consider any BPH results in context.

## Training & Exercise

The Miniature American Shepherd needs an active life, but there is no fixed schedule that suits every individual. A good routine includes walks and free movement where safe, scent work or problem-solving, short training sessions and genuine rest. The dog's age, fitness, health and ability to recover should determine the workload.

Agility, rally obedience, tracking, nosework, obedience, search work, herding and trick training are examples of suitable activities. No particular sport is compulsory. What matters is that the dog uses both body and mind without every day escalating to a higher level of intensity. If the dog still struggles to settle after activity, clearer pauses and better-adjusted training may be the answer—not automatically more exercise.

Reward-based training with clear criteria suits a quick and responsive dog. Start early with engagement, recall, leash skills, handling and waiting calmly. Also train the skills that are easily forgotten: lying quietly while the family eats, disengaging from a task, watching people or dogs pass without intervening, and returning to calm after play.

In daily life, herding and guarding behaviors may appear as following movement, trying to control running or sounding the alarm when something happens. This does not mean that every dog chases children, herds cats or barks a great deal. Observe what triggers the individual dog and teach alternative behaviors before a pattern becomes a habit. Puppies need short, positive experiences and age-appropriate movement; they should not be exercised like fully grown dogs.

## Health

Hip dysplasia, HD, occurs in the Miniature American Shepherd, but the Swedish population is young and evidence for reliable frequency estimates for several other conditions is limited. Insurance coding, small datasets and the low average age of the dogs have made older summaries difficult to interpret. A long list of possible diagnoses therefore says less than verified results from the puppy's parents and close relatives.

It is important to distinguish the Swedish Kennel Club's formal registration rules from the breed club's breeding recommendations. The Miniature American Shepherd has no special breed-specific health program marked as a registration condition in the Swedish Kennel Club's current registration rules. The Swedish Miniature American Shepherd Club does, however, recommend that before mating both parents have:

- an HD result of A or B and an ED result of 0
- a clear eye examination no more than 18 months old
- known prcd-PRA status, with a carrier bred only to a genetically clear dog
- known NAD status, using a clear-to-clear or clear-to-carrier combination.

Ask to see the actual result, examination date and how the parents' results are combined. The word “health tested” is not enough. A DNA test can answer only for the variant it targets and does not replace a clinical eye examination.

MDR1, also known as ABCB1, is a gene variant that can affect how the dog handles certain medicines. If the dog has been tested, keep the result and show it to the treating veterinarian. Medication choice and dosage should never be decided from general online breed advice.

Merle must not be bred to merle because the combination can produce puppies with two copies of the merle allele and an increased risk of serious sight and hearing problems; such a mating conflicts with Swedish Kennel Club basic rules. A natural bobtail is associated with the NBT trait. The breed club urges caution with NBT-to-NBT combinations while the issue continues to be monitored, which should not be confused with the explicit prohibition of merle-to-merle matings.

## History & Origins

The Miniature American Shepherd was developed in California in the late 1960s by breeding small Australian Shepherds. The aim was a smaller, enduring herding dog that could work sheep and goats, among other livestock, while fitting into a mobile ranch and equestrian life. From 1980 the name Miniature Australian Shepherd was used in registration before the breed later received its current name.

The American breed club was formed in 1990, and the breed entered the American Kennel Club's development registry in 2011. Full American recognition followed in 2015, and the FCI recognized the breed in 2019. The first Swedish litter was born in 2006, while Swedish registration as Miniature American Shepherd began in 2017.

Sweden also has a controlled crossbreeding program in which Australian Shepherds may be used under Swedish Kennel Club registration rules and the offspring are registered as Miniature American Shepherds. This does not alter the dogs' status as members of the recognized breed; the program is a regulated breeding tool. For a buyer, it makes the pedigree and the breeder's aims especially relevant, because traits and size can vary even within the breed standard.

## Living with the Breed

The Miniature American Shepherd can live well in either a house or an apartment. The size of the home matters less than how daily life works: the dog needs to get outside, use its senses, train and be able to rest without constantly monitoring the stairwell, windows or garden. A garden can be convenient but does not replace shared activity or environmental training.

With children, adult supervision, clear rules and a resting place where the dog is left undisturbed are essential. Running and loud noise can attract the attention of a herding dog that is sensitive to movement, so calm interactions and breaks before the dog becomes over-aroused matter more than assuming the breed is “good with children.” Children should never be responsible for reading or handling a dog under pressure.

Living with another dog or a cat depends on the individual, previous experience and the introduction. Let meetings happen gradually and under control, give the cat escape routes and its own resources, and interrupt fixation or chasing early. The breed comes with no guarantee of compatibility, but its herding background does not make problems inevitable either.

Alone-time training should progress gradually when the dog feels safe, has been exercised and is ready to rest. Start with very short periods and watch how that particular dog responds; prolonged barking, pacing or an inability to eat and rest indicate that training has progressed too quickly. A closed crate may not be used as routine confinement or as a solution to separation problems in Swedish homes.

Before buying a puppy, check more than registration and color. Ask to see the parents' health results and dates, ask about MDR1 and other relevant DNA results, examine temperament and recovery in the family, and discuss how the breeder prioritizes working drive, noise reactions, reserve and the ability to settle. A responsible match is about the kind of daily life the dog was bred and raised for—not just finding the right appearance.

Miniature American Shepherd

Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK)

Dansk Kennel Klub (DKK)

Compact, athletic herding dog bred in the U.S. as a smaller Australian Shepherd. Intelligent, devoted, and “velcro” with family, often reserved with strangers. Needs regular training, mental work, and exercise. Medium double coat in varied colors; generally healthy with 12–15 year lifespan.

Tifa's

## Quick Facts

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is a small but sturdy and active farm and companion dog from Denmark and Sweden. The FCI places the breed in Group 2 as a pinscher-type dog. It is therefore not a terrier, although it was previously called the Scanian Terrier.

- **Height at the withers:** 34–37 cm for males and 32–35 cm for females, with a permitted variation of 2 cm either way.
- **Original purpose:** to raise the alarm, catch rats and live closely with the people on the farm.
- **Temperament according to the breed standard:** alert, lively and attentive.
- **Coat:** short, harsh and smooth, with white as the dominant colour.
- **Best suited to:** a person or family who wants to teach everyday skills, provide both physical activity and scent work, and help the dog to settle.

The breed standard gives no official weight. Figures found on different websites should therefore be treated as guidelines, not as a range into which every adult Danish Swedish Farmdog must fit. When choosing a puppy, the parents’ size, body condition and soundness are more useful than a single weight range.

## Appearance & Coat

The Danish Swedish Farmdog should be small, compact and substantial, not fine or elegant. The body is slightly rectangular: the ratio of height at the withers to body length is 9:10. The breed matures physically at a late stage, and full muscle mass and body substance may not develop until the dog is three to four years old.

The head is relatively small and triangular. The ears may be rose-shaped or folded forwards; pricked ears are not part of the breed ideal. The tail may be naturally long or a congenital bobtail of varying length. A congenital bobtail is a natural variation and should not be confused with a docked tail.

The coat is harsh, short and smooth and has no undercoat. White should predominate, with patches of one or more colours: black, tan, yellow, liver, agouti or various shades of fawn. Patches should also be present on the head, and flecking in the white is permitted. Appearance can therefore vary considerably without the dogs belonging to different varieties of the breed.

The coat needs little care, although shedding can be noticeable. Brush out loose hair as required, particularly during periods of heavier shedding, and bathe the dog when it is actually dirty. Check the skin, ears, paws and claws at the same time. Introduce the puppy gradually to tooth brushing and other handling. Calm, reward-based handling practice makes both routine care and veterinary visits easier.

## Temperament & Personality

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is usually quick, curious and people-oriented, but the breed name is no guarantee of an easy-going family dog. The standard describes the breed as alert, lively and attentive. In daily life, this often means being ready to join in, reacting to movement and letting people know when something is happening nearby.

The farm watchdog role is still apparent in many individuals. Many will bark to alert when someone arrives, but how readily barking starts and how quickly the dog becomes quiet varies. In a home where sound carries easily, it is sensible to find out how the parents and adult relatives react to doors, communal stairwells and visitors. This is more informative than assuming that the breed is always quiet or always vocal.

In the Swedish Kennel Club’s older BPH behavioural assessment summary, the breed appears mainly confident and relatively energetic. At the same time, curiosity, playfulness and interest in unfamiliar people vary clearly. BPH describes a dog’s reactions; it is not a test that the dog passes or fails. Read the individual dog’s assessment record and ask how the parents behave in everyday life.

The breed’s background as a rat catcher makes interest in small, fast-moving animals relevant. This does not mean that every Farmdog chases everything it sees, but a prospective owner should expect to teach interruption cues and recall. Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small pets need secure areas that the dog cannot access.

## Training & Exercise

The Danish Swedish Farmdog needs regular physical and mental activity, but there is no correct hourly rule that suits every dog. Age, health, intensity, environment and recovery determine what a good day looks like. An adult dog can have a mixture of walks, free movement in a safe place, scent work, play and short sessions of everyday training. Puppies need gradually increasing experiences and plenty of rest, not a miniature version of an adult programme.

Watch the dog’s behaviour rather than the clock. An appropriate amount leaves a dog able to settle at home, recover after activity and still move freely the next day. Persistent restlessness may mean that daily life lacks meaningful tasks, but more high-speed activity is not always the answer. Sometimes the dog needs more scent work, clearer routines or help to settle.

Prioritise skills that help a quick and attentive dog function in daily life:

- recall and voluntary check-ins when wildlife or other distractions appear
- being able to stop chasing, digging and intense play
- calm behaviour at doors, windows and when visitors arrive
- being able to rest while people move around the home
- loose-lead walking and responsiveness in busy environments
- comfortable handling of paws, mouth, ears and body

Train progressively with positive, reward-based methods and adjust the difficulty to the individual. The breed often learns quickly, which also means that barking, pulling or overexcitement can become established if it repeatedly leads to what the dog wants. Agility, rally obedience, tracking, nosework and other dog sports may suit the breed, but no particular activity is essential. What matters is a sustainable combination of cooperation, scent work, movement and recovery.

## Health

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is generally regarded as a healthy breed, but the description “healthy breed” is no substitute for checking the specific litter. Ask for registered results, dates and information about close relatives. The name of a test or a statement that the parents are health tested says too little without the actual results.

Hip dysplasia, HD, is an area in which old and current information is easily confused. The breed currently has a Swedish Kennel Club health programme at Level 1. This means that HD results can be recorded centrally, but radiography is not required for the puppies to be registered. According to the breed club, dogs with HD grade D or E or with clinical symptoms should not be used for breeding. An official result and, where available, an HD index still provide useful information about the hips specifically; they are not a certificate of the dog’s overall health.

For patellar luxation, the breed club’s current recommendations state that a dog affected by the condition or operated on for it should not be used for breeding. The recommendation does not, however, mean that all parents must have an official patella result. Ask both about examinations and about knee problems in the parents, siblings and previous offspring.

Primary lens luxation, PLL, is a serious eye disease associated with a mutation in the ADAMTS17 gene, and a validated DNA test is available for the breed. The breed club particularly recommends testing where there are carriers or untested close relatives in the line without a DNA-tested clear dog in between. According to the recommendation, a carrier may only be mated to a DNA-tested clear dog or one that is clear by descent, also known as hereditarily clear. A clear PLL result applies to this mutation; it does not rule out other eye problems or other diseases.

Before buying, it is reasonable to check:

- the parents’ identities and actual HD results, if they have been radiographed
- any patella examinations and the known family history
- PLL status and how the result fits with that of the other parent
- diseases, lameness, dental problems and temperament in close relatives
- that the breeder can explain both the strengths and uncertainties of the mating

## History & Origins

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is an old Scandinavian farm dog type but a comparatively recently recognised breed. Similar dogs lived on farms in Denmark and southern Sweden for a long time, where they controlled rats, raised the alarm when someone arrived and served as companions. Exactly how the type developed is not known. Links with pinschers and British white hunting terriers have been discussed, but should not be presented as a certain pedigree.

Before recognition, names including Scanian Terrier were used. At a Swedish survey in 1986, 107 dogs were brought together, contributing to the conclusion that the type was sufficiently consistent while also retaining useful genetic variation. Sweden and Denmark jointly recognised the breed in 1987 under the name Danish Swedish Farmdog.

The FCI granted the breed provisional international recognition in 2008 and definitive recognition in 2019. It was placed in Group 2 as a pinscher-type dog, not in the terrier group. Most are companion dogs today, but the urge to alert, interest in small rodents and strong desire to work make the breed’s history relevant even in a modern home.

## Living with the Breed

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is best suited to a home where companionship, activity and everyday training are a natural part of life. It can suit a first-time owner, but its compact size does not make the breed undemanding. The owner needs to appreciate a quick dog, be able to prevent chasing and alert barking, and be prepared to train calmness as carefully as energetic activities.

Interactions with children should always be supervised by an adult. The dog needs a resting place where it will not be disturbed, and children should not bother it when it is eating, sleeping or trying to move away. Assess the parents’ behaviour and the individual dog’s ability to break off play; the phrase “child-friendly breed” is not a guarantee of safety.

A Farmdog can live with a cat, but the outcome depends on the individuals and the introduction. Prevent the dog from chasing the cat, give the cat high places and clear escape routes, and keep the first meetings short and controlled. Small animals such as rabbits and rodents should be kept physically separate even if the dog appears calm under supervision.

Flat living can work if the dog gets outside, has opportunities to use its nose and learns not to alert at every sound in the building. A garden does not replace activity, and a large home does not solve being left alone. Begin alone-time training with very short periods when the dog is secure and calm, increase the time only when it can genuinely relax, and arrange other care if daily life requires longer absences than the dog can manage.

If possible, meet both parents or other adult relatives before deciding. Observe how they greet people, recover after a surprise, react to small animals and sounds, and settle after activity. That information, together with verifiable health data and a breeder who knows their lines, says more about daily life than general promises that the breed suits everyone.

Danish Swedish Farmdog

Swedish Kennel Club

Danish Kennel Club

Norwegian Kennel Club

The Danish/Swedish Farmdog Club of America

Fédération Cynologique Internationale

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is a lively, medium‑small Scandinavian farm breed, compact and athletic with a smooth, mainly white coat and colored patches. Highly people‑oriented, intelligent, and energetic, it excels as an affectionate family companion when given daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation.

Leikells

## Quick Facts

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large, athletic dog from southern Africa, best known for the strip of hair along its back that grows in the opposite direction from the rest of the coat. The breed is best suited to someone who has plenty of time for physical activity and training, and who can manage an independent dog with a background in hunting and guarding.

- **Origin:** southern Africa. South Africa and Zimbabwe are responsible for the breed standard.
- **Breed group:** FCI Group 6, scent hounds and related breeds.
- **Height at the withers:** the desirable range is 63–69 cm for males and 61–66 cm for females.
- **Desirable weight:** approximately 36.5 kg for males and 32 kg for females under the breed standard.
- **Coat:** short, dense and smooth, ranging from light wheaten to red wheaten.
- **Temperament:** the breed ideal is dignified and intelligent, with some reserve towards strangers but without aggression or fearfulness.
- **Activity level:** high. A Rhodesian Ridgeback needs varied exercise, mental challenges and time to settle.

A breed description is not a promise about an individual dog. Parents, close relatives, upbringing and training will tell you more about the puppy in front of you.

## Appearance & Coat

A Rhodesian Ridgeback should be powerful and muscular while remaining agile and balanced, never heavy or cumbersome. The standard gives 63–69 cm and about 36.5 kg as desirable for males, and 61–66 cm and about 32 kg for females. These are breed ideals, not a guarantee of every adult dog's eventual weight.

The ridge is the breed's defining feature. It should begin behind the shoulders, taper towards the hip bones and be symmetrical. The standard requires two matching whorls, known as crowns, placed opposite one another. The wrong number of crowns is a conformation fault, and absence of the ridge is a disqualifying fault in conformation judging. This does not determine how the dog will cope with everyday life. The appearance of the ridge and examination for dermoid sinus are separate matters.

The coat should be short, dense, smooth and glossy, neither woolly nor silky. Colour ranges from light wheaten to red wheaten. A little white on the chest and toes is allowed, as are a dark muzzle and ears, while extensive white and excessive black hair are undesirable. The nose may be black or brown, and the eyes should harmonise with the coat and nose colour.

This short coat does not require specialist grooming. Brush and bathe as needed, keep the nails at a comfortable length and check the skin, ears and paws. Adapt care to the individual dog and its daily routine rather than following a rigid weekly schedule.

## Temperament & Personality

A typical Rhodesian Ridgeback is independent, alert and reserved with people it does not know. Reserve means the dog may prefer to stand back; it is not the same as fear. The breed standard does not consider either shyness or aggression desirable, while the breed club's behavioural material shows that social confidence, reactions and recovery vary between individuals.

The breed has a background in both hunting and guarding. Hunting interest, vigilance and independent decisions may therefore be evident in daily life, although their intensity differs from dog to dog. A dog that notices visitors is not automatically a reliable guard dog, and being quiet during a behavioural assessment does not guarantee a quiet dog at home.

The Swedish BPH behavioural assessment can provide useful information about how a dog reacts in a defined test situation. It is a description, not an examination that the dog passes or fails. Read the full result in the Swedish Kennel Club's Avelsdata, paying particular attention to social confidence, fear and recovery. Ask to meet the dam and, if possible, other adult relatives as well. Their behaviour in ordinary situations provides better evidence than labels such as “family-friendly” or “stable” in an advert.

A Rhodesian Ridgeback can live successfully in a family with children, but the breed name is not a safety guarantee. An adult should always supervise interactions, and the dog must be allowed to eat, sleep and withdraw without being disturbed. Choose the individual dog and breeder to suit your actual family circumstances rather than relying on a general label.

## Training & Exercise

A Rhodesian Ridgeback needs a great deal of physical and mental activity, but no single number of minutes suits every dog. A sound routine includes walks through varied environments, opportunities to move more freely in secure places, scent work and tasks that involve cooperation, followed by time to settle.

Tracking, search exercises and other scent-based activities make constructive use of the breed's abilities. Strength, speed and stamina should be developed gradually, especially in a growing youngster. Adjust the load to the dog's body, the surface and its recovery rather than following a simple age formula.

Independence does not make the breed untrainable, but it does make motivation and clarity important. Reward-based, varied sessions are more effective than long repetitions or harsh confrontation. Start engagement, loose-lead work and recall training early. If the dog is inclined to pursue wildlife, use a long line or a securely fenced area until the training remains reliable in the presence of distractions.

Introduce the puppy to people, dogs, places and sounds at a pace that still allows it to engage with you and recover. The goal is not to greet everyone, but to feel secure in everyday situations.

## Health

Before buying a puppy, official hip and elbow results and a documented examination of the puppy for dermoid sinus are key checks. Match every result to the identity of the dog, and distinguish between the Swedish Kennel Club's registration rules and the breed club's stricter conditions for its puppy-referral service.

For a Rhodesian Ridgeback litter to be registered, the Swedish Kennel Club requires both parents to have an official hip dysplasia result before mating. The breed also has a specific requirement for official elbow dysplasia status. Nordic breeding dogs covered by the rule must not be bred from if they have ED grade 2 or 3, or clinically diagnosed or surgically treated elbow dysplasia. A known result is not automatically a good result, so read the grade itself and ask how the mating was planned.

The puppy-referral criteria of the Swedish Rhodesian Ridgeback Club go beyond these basic requirements. They include conditions relating to parental age, hip grades and pairings, ED grade 0 and behavioural documentation for certain dogs. If a litter is advertised through the referral service, check what that meant for the particular mating. If it is not listed, ask which condition was not met; the label alone does not reveal the entire health picture.

Dermoid sinus, commonly shortened to DS, is a congenital developmental abnormality in which the skin and underlying tissue do not separate completely during foetal development. It can form a tract of varying depth. Puppies should therefore be examined carefully by someone with appropriate experience, and buyers should be told who performed the check and what was recorded.

Research has linked the genetic change that produces the ridge with a higher risk of DS, but a ridge test is not a diagnostic test for dermoid sinus. The breed club stresses that the complete genetic cause of DS has not been established and advises against a newer commercial risk test that lacks published validation. A visibly correct ridge can therefore never replace a physical examination of the puppy.

DNA tests for conditions such as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, JME, and degenerative myelopathy, DM, should not be treated as a compulsory standard panel for every Swedish mating. The breed club recommends assessment based on relationships and known results. Ask the breeder why a particular test was chosen, which dog the result belongs to and how it influenced the mating. That is more informative than an unspecified claim that the dogs are “DNA tested”.

Keep the dog at a healthy, functional body condition as well. Monitor weight, waistline, how easily you can feel the ribs and stamina over time. Let a vet assess changes or symptoms rather than drawing conclusions from a generic list of diseases.

## History & Origins

The Rhodesian Ridgeback was developed in southern Africa and is the only internationally recognised dog breed to originate there. In the Cape Colony, the dogs of early settlers were crossed with local, semi-domesticated ridge-bearing hunting dogs. The official history does not provide a definitive list of every European breed behind the modern dog, so precise recipes are speculative.

The breed's original work led to the name “lion dog”, but that description needs context. The dogs were expected to track game, especially lion, and use their agility to hold it at bay from a distance until the hunter arrived. They often worked in pairs or groups of three; their role was not to kill a lion on their own.

F.R. Barnes drew up the first breed standard in Bulawayo, in what was then Rhodesia, in 1922, using the Dalmatian standard as a model. It was recognised by the South African kennel organisation in 1926. The current standard is maintained by South Africa and Zimbabwe and still describes a fast, functional dog with stamina rather than a heavy-bodied one.

## Living with the Breed

A Rhodesian Ridgeback is best suited to a home that can provide close company, daily activity, consistent training and clear opportunities to rest. The size of the home does not determine suitability on its own. Flat living can work if the dog's needs are met outside and it can relax indoors; a large garden replaces neither walks, scent work nor cooperation with its owner.

Time alone must be introduced gradually, without leaving a puppy before it is ready. Begin with very brief, uneventful periods and increase them only while the dog remains comfortable. There is no breed-based hourly limit that suits every adult. Plan around the dog you actually have and arrange help if it shows distress, vocalisation, destructive behaviour or difficulty settling.

Whether a Rhodesian Ridgeback can live with other dogs or cats depends on the individual, previous experience and the introduction. Keep initial meetings controlled, give each animal a separate safe space and prevent chasing. A puppy raised with a cat may develop good habits, but that does not predict with certainty how it will react to unfamiliar small animals outdoors.

Before buying, the following checks are more valuable than general promises:

- verify the parents' identities and official HD and ED results in SKK Avelsdata;
- ask whether the litter meets the breed club's puppy-referral conditions and what any exceptions mean;
- request documentation of the puppy's dermoid sinus examination;
- read the BPH results of parents and close relatives as descriptions, not scores;
- ask why any DNA tests were performed and how the results affected the mating;
- meet adult relatives and assess confidence, recovery, hunting interest and the ability to settle in daily life;
- be honest about the time you have for training, exercise, daytime care and gradual alone-time training.

The right dog should not merely conform to the breed standard. It should come from parents with well-documented health and have traits that suit the life you can offer.

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Verein für Deutsche Doggen (Germany)

Svenska Kennelklubben (Sweden)

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain

Société Centrale Canine (France)

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a powerful, athletic African hunting dog with a distinctive ridge of reverse-growing hair. Loyal and affectionate with family but reserved with strangers, it needs ample daily exercise, consistent positive training, and suits active, experienced owners.

Mohaget's

Smooth Fox Terrier

Kennel Club (UK)

Deutscher Foxterrier-Verband e.V. (Germany)

The Smooth Fox Terrier is a small, athletic, people‑oriented terrier with a short, easy‑care coat. Energetic, intelligent and independent, it needs plenty of exercise, training and mental stimulation. Affectionate yet intense, especially with small animals, it suits active, consistent owners.

## Quick Facts

The Labrador Retriever is a medium-to-large retrieving gundog with roots in Newfoundland, Canada. The breed was developed mainly in Britain. It is known for its willingness to work with people and its interest in carrying and retrieving objects. It is also an active working dog, rather than an automatically easy-going family pet.

- **Height at the withers:** the ideal is 56–57 cm for dogs and 54–56 cm for bitches.
- **Weight:** approximately 25–36 kg is a broad guide for an adult, depending on sex, build and body condition.
- **Typical lifespan:** often around 10–12 years.
- **Recognised colours:** black, yellow or liver. Yellow can range from pale cream to fox red.
- **Coat:** short and dense, with a water-resistant undercoat.
- **Original purpose:** to find and retrieve shot game after the shot.

Labradors are bred with different priorities. Some breeders focus on working ability, others on conformation and companionship, while many aim to combine several qualities. Labels such as “working Labrador” and “show Labrador” therefore do not tell you everything about an individual dog. Look at the parents, adult relatives, working records and how the breeder actually lives and works with their dogs.

## Appearance & Coat

A Labrador should be strongly built, compact and agile without becoming heavy or overweight. Typical features include a broad head, a powerful body, well-angulated limbs and the characteristic “otter tail”: thick at the base, tapering towards the tip and covered in short, dense hair. The ideal height is 56–57 cm for dogs and 54–56 cm for bitches. The number on the scales matters less than a visible waist and ribs that can be felt easily beneath the skin.

The coat has short, dense outer hair and a water-resistant undercoat. It provides good protection in cold, wet conditions, but also means that a Labrador can shed heavily, particularly when the undercoat is changing. Brush more often during shedding periods and bathe the dog when it genuinely needs it. A fixed bathing or brushing timetable will not suit every dog.

Check the skin, paws and ears regularly, especially after bathing or swimming. Dry the outer ear if it is damp, but clean it only when necessary. An unpleasant smell, brown discharge, redness or repeated head shaking should be assessed by a vet rather than treated with routine ear cleaning.

The breed standard recognises solid black, yellow or liver; a small white mark on the chest may occur. “Silver” is not a fourth recognised colour and is registered as a colour that does not conform to the standard. The colour label alone, however, does not justify sweeping claims about an individual dog's health.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed ideal is a friendly, intelligent and biddable dog that enjoys working with its handler. Many Labradors seek social contact, respond well to reward-based training and show enthusiasm in both play and work. No breed description is a guarantee, however. Temperament is also shaped by inheritance, early experience, training, health and everyday surroundings.

The retrieving instinct often appears as a desire to carry things in the mouth. Give the dog suitable objects and teach a calm exchange or “drop” cue instead of chasing it when it picks something up. This makes daily life safer while giving the dog an appropriate outlet for a natural behaviour. Food can be a powerful reward, but play, scent work and the chance to retrieve can also be highly effective.

Differences between breeding lines are real, but they are not absolute. Working-bred dogs are often selected for speed, stamina and focused retrieving work. Dogs from more conformation-led lines may have a different build and working style. This does not mean that every working-bred Labrador struggles to settle or that every show-bred Labrador is calm. Ask the breeder for specific examples of the parents' energy, ability to switch off, noisiness, sociability and willingness to work.

A BPH or MH assessment can add information about how a dog responded in standardised situations. It is a behavioural description, not a temperament test that a dog passes or fails. Consider it alongside your own meetings with the dogs and information about their relatives.

## Training & Exercise

A Labrador needs daily physical activity as well as tasks that engage its nose, memory and partnership with the handler. There is no universal number of hours that suits a puppy, an adult working dog, a family companion and a senior. Adjust the amount and intensity to the dog's age, health, experience and recovery.

Walks can be combined with retrieving, searching for people, tracking, obedience, steadiness exercises and simple scent games. Short, focused sessions are often more useful than repeating the same exercise until the dog loses concentration. Rest and the ability to settle are part of training, not proof that the dog has had too little to do.

Early priorities include a reliable recall, walking on a loose lead, calm handling, steadiness and a clear cue for giving up an object. Use reward-based methods and increase the difficulty gradually. If you use plenty of food in training, count it as part of the dog's daily allowance.

An interest in water is common in the breed, but not every Labrador enjoys swimming and no dog is automatically safe in water. Start in shallow, calm water, let the dog set the pace and make sure it has an easy way out. Supervise around fast-flowing, cold or algae-affected water, and do not throw objects so far that an eager dog is pushed beyond its ability.

## Health

When choosing a puppy, the important question is not simply whether the parents have been “tested”, but which examinations were carried out, when they were done and what the results were. A Labrador's joints, eyes and body condition deserve particular attention.

For a Labrador litter to be registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, both parents must have an official hip dysplasia result before mating. A recorded result is not automatically a clear result. The Swedish Labrador Retriever Club recommends stricter selection: both parents should have clear hip and elbow radiographs and should have had an eye examination within the two years before mating, with no hereditary eye disease apart from specified exceptions.

Ask for the parents' registration numbers and check the actual result, date of examination and, where possible, information about siblings, previous offspring and other close relatives. This provides more information than a general statement that the dogs are health tested.

DNA tests can be valuable when they are used for the right disease and the results of both parents are considered together. A prcd-PRA test, for example, can only provide information about that particular form of retinal disease; it does not exclude other eye diseases or replace a clinical eye examination. For recessive conditions such as EIC, a healthy carrier need not become ill, but the other parent's result must be known to avoid producing affected puppies. A large DNA panel is therefore not proof of good overall health.

Excess weight puts strain on the body and should not be accepted as a normal breed trait. Feel the ribs and look for a clear waist from above and from the side. Weigh the dog regularly and adjust meals, chews and training rewards according to its body condition. Research has linked a POMC gene variant in some Labradors with greater food motivation and higher bodyweight, but not every Labrador carries the variant and obesity is not inevitable.

## History & Origins

The Labrador Retriever has early roots on the coast of Newfoundland in Canada, where dogs of a similar type helped fishermen retrieve objects and catches from the water. During the nineteenth century, such dogs were brought to Britain, where the breed was developed into a specialised retrieving gundog.

The Kennel Club in Britain recognised the Labrador Retriever as a breed in 1903. Its work after the shot shaped several qualities that still characterise the breed: an interest in searching for, carrying and delivering objects, a willingness to cooperate at a distance and an ability to work in water and difficult terrain. Labradors now work in shooting, dog sports and several public-service roles, but their working heritage remains relevant even for someone primarily looking for a companion.

## Living with the Breed

The Labrador Retriever can suit many homes when the owner wants to share an active daily life with the dog and has time for both training and recovery. A garden is not essential and living in a flat can work, but the home cannot replace walks, scent work and other meaningful outdoor activity. The dog should also be taught to remain quiet and settled in stairwells and other shared areas.

Around children, adult supervision, clear rules and an undisturbed resting place for the dog are essential. A young or excited Labrador is strong enough to knock over a small child without intending harm. Children should not be responsible for walking a dog they cannot physically manage.

Many Labradors live happily with other dogs and cats, but breed alone does not determine the outcome. Introduce animals gradually, prevent chasing and crowding, and give the cat high or separate escape routes. Do not leave them alone together until their interactions are calm and predictable.

Time alone needs to be taught in stages. A young puppy should not simply be left; begin with very brief periods once the dog feels secure and increase them only when it can relax. The length of time an adult can cope with being alone varies, so judge the dog's behaviour rather than relying on a universal maximum.

Before buying a puppy, you should be able to get clear answers to these questions:

- What activities and kind of daily life has the litter been bred for?
- How do the parents work, behave around people and dogs, and settle in practice?
- What official hip, elbow and eye results are available, and what is known about close relatives?
- Are BPH descriptions, field-trial results or other relevant assessments and achievements available, and what do they show?
- How does the breeder match the different puppies with the lives of prospective owners?

The best match depends on more than colour, sex and a line label. Choose a breeder who can describe the dogs' actual qualities, show verifiable health results and speak honestly about variation within the litter.

Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retrievers are medium‑large, athletic, friendly dogs with a strong swimming ability and short, dense, water‑repellent coats in yellow, black, or chocolate. Intelligent and food‑motivated, they train easily, need daily exercise and mental work, and are widely used as family and working dogs.

Rottriver's

## Quick Facts

The Papillon is a small, lively and quick-learning companion dog that often suits someone who wants to combine closeness with walks, training and everyday enrichment. The breed belongs to the Épagneul Nain Continental, or Continental Toy Spaniel. The Papillon has erect ears, while the Phalène variety has drop ears. In Sweden they are registered according to ear carriage, and a dog can be re-registered if its ears develop differently from the initial assessment.

- **Origin:** France and Belgium
- **Purpose:** companion dog in FCI Group 9
- **Height at the withers:** about 28 cm according to the breed standard
- **Weight:** the standard has two weight classes. The larger ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 kg for males and up to 5 kg for females. The other covers dogs under 2.5 kg, with 1.5 kg as the minimum weight.
- **Coat:** long, silky and without an undercoat
- **Activity level:** small in stature but often lively, willing to work and keen to learn
- **Longevity:** many reach an advanced age; according to the Swedish Kennel Club, 15 years is not unusual

Measurements in a breed standard describe an ideal, not a promise that every adult dog will be exactly that size. For a prospective owner, the parents’ size, the dog’s body condition and sound construction are therefore more useful than pursuing a particular figure or an extremely small individual.

## Appearance & Coat

The Papillon should be a harmoniously built toy dog that is graceful yet robust. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, and movement should be free, light and elegant. Its small size calls for care around falls and play with much larger dogs, but the breed standard does not describe the Papillon as a fragile dog.

The large ears are the breed’s most distinctive feature. In the Papillon they stand erect and are carried obliquely outwards, resembling a butterfly’s wings. The Phalène instead has mobile drop ears. The difference is therefore ear carriage; both are varieties of the same Continental Toy Spaniel and can be born in the same litter.

The coat is single, without an undercoat, and should be abundant, glossy and slightly wavy rather than curly. It is short on the head and fronts of the legs but longer over the body, ears, chest, thighs and tail. White is the ground colour and must predominate on the body and legs. Coloured patches may be of different colours, while the lips, eye rims and nose should be well pigmented under the standard.

Coat care is usually manageable if tangles are prevented. Check the coat regularly and comb especially behind the ears and on the inner thighs, where the Swedish Kennel Club says tangles may readily form. Bathe the dog when it is dirty; no fixed calendar suits every individual. Check the nails, paws, ears and skin at the same time. Base care on the dog’s actual coat and daily life rather than a fixed bathing or clipping routine.

## Temperament & Personality

The Papillon is typically alert, lively and quick to learn, with a marked interest in people and activities. Its small body often contains more willingness to work than the label “lapdog” suggests. A Papillon may enjoy both close company and tasks involving concentration, problem-solving or body awareness.

Breed descriptions should not, however, be read as a guarantee of a particular personality. The Swedish Kennel Club’s BPH behavioural analysis shows considerable variation among participating Papillons, including how intensely they greet strangers, how readily they play and how curious they are. The results apply to the dogs assessed and primarily show why the individual, family lines, early experiences and continuing training all matter.

Alertness may show in how quickly the dog notices sounds, visitors and movement outside the home. This need not become a major barking problem, but it is sensible to reward calm behaviour from the start, give the dog an alternative task at the door and avoid allowing every signal to lead to excitement. Ask the breeder how the parents function in daily life, not only how they behave at shows or during training.

## Training & Exercise

The Papillon needs physical movement and mental enrichment every day, but no single number of minutes suits every dog. A healthy, fit adult can often join surprisingly substantial walks, while a puppy, older dog or individual with a health problem needs a different load. Adjust activity to age, fitness, weather and recovery rather than treating body size as a measure of need.

The breed often learns quickly, including things you did not intend to teach. Reward-based training with clear criteria works well. Vary everyday obedience, scent work, balance exercises and small problem-solving tasks, and finish while the dog can still concentrate. Agility, obedience and other dog sports can be a good fit when training is developed gradually and the surface, obstacles and load are adapted to the dog’s size and maturity.

A small dog needs the same care with recall and exposure to different environments as a large one. Practise engagement and returning in safe places before allowing freedom where traffic, wildlife or larger dogs could present a risk. Also teach the dog to settle between activities. A Papillon given only high-energy tasks may become very good at getting excited but less skilled at relaxing again.

## Health

The Swedish Kennel Club describes the Papillon as a generally sound and often long-lived breed, but responsible health screening remains important. For Swedish litters, pap-PRA1 is the clearest formal checkpoint. Pap-PRA1 is an inherited form of progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, which damages the retina. It is autosomal recessive: a carrier has one copy of the variant and does not develop that particular form, while a genetically affected dog has inherited the variant from both parents.

The Swedish Kennel Club’s registration rules require both parents to have an official DNA result for pap-PRA1 or to be recorded as hereditarily clear. Two carriers may not be mated, and an affected dog may not be used for breeding. A pap-PRA1 DNA test does not, however, rule out every other genetic cause of PRA or other eye diseases. An eye examination therefore serves a different purpose. The Swedish breed club, Papillon-Ringen, recommends an eye examination after three years of age to monitor other eye changes.

Patellar luxation, in which the kneecap can move out of its normal position, occurs in the breed. The breed club wants breeding dogs to have a known normal patella result before mating. This is an important recommendation, but the current Swedish Kennel Club rules do not list patella status as a specific registration requirement for the Papillon. Ask to see the result rather than assuming registration itself covers it.

In other countries, recommended programmes may include additional tests. For example, the UK’s Royal Kennel Club lists an NAD test among the additional checks for the Papillon. This does not make NAD a Swedish registration requirement. Ask the breeder to distinguish between mandatory Swedish results, breed-club recommendations and optional additional tests.

Oral health also deserves attention. Small dog breeds are more often affected by periodontal disease, and daily tooth brushing is a simple way to reduce the risk of severe tartar and painful periodontitis. Bad breath, bleeding gums or reluctance to chew should be assessed by a vet.

## History & Origins

The Papillon originates from France and Belgium and is the erect-eared variety of the Continental Toy Spaniel. The type has been documented since the 16th century and appeared as a companion dog at European courts. The name Papillon means butterfly in French and refers to the large, obliquely carried ears with long fringes. Phalène means moth and is the name used for the drop-eared variety.

The FCI recognises the breed as number 77 in the companion and toy dog group. The modern standard retains both the Papillon and the Phalène. Its history explains the breed’s role as a companion, but the modern Papillon is not merely decorative: its liveliness and readiness to learn are evident in many present-day dog activities.

## Living with the Breed

The Papillon can live well in either a flat or a house when given daily activity, closeness and help learning to settle. The size of the home matters less than the shape of everyday life. A home where many sounds carry requires extra work on calm behaviour around the door, hallway and windows, as an alert individual may otherwise begin to comment on every change.

The breed can live well with children, but this depends on the dog’s temperament, the child’s behaviour and adult supervision. Teach children to leave the dog undisturbed while it sleeps or eats, not to pick it up or grab it, and to play at floor level under supervision. This protects both dog and child and is more accurate than a general “child-friendly” label.

The same individual assessment is needed with other animals. A Papillon can live with dogs or cats, but introductions should be calm and gradual. Give the animals separate resources and places to retreat, and supervise play where there is a large difference in size. A friendly large dog can injure a very small dog accidentally.

Being left alone is a skill, not something that can be assumed from breed. Accustom the dog gradually to short periods alone and increase them only while it remains relaxed. Barking, whining, restless pacing, destructive behaviour or refusing a normally valued reward can indicate that the step was too large.

Before buying a puppy, check more than its appearance. Ask to see the parents’ registered pap-PRA1 results, patella status and any eye results, and ask why that particular mating was chosen. Meet the dam and notice how the dogs recover after new sounds and visitors. For a puppy registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, you should receive the registration certificate, the Swedish Kennel Club contract and a veterinary inspection certificate no more than seven days old on the day of handover. Screening reduces risk but can never guarantee a particular state of health or personality; open documentation and realistic expectations therefore matter more than promises.

Papillon

Papillon Breed Club UK

Danish Kennel Club (Dansk Kennel Klub)

The Papillon is a small, elegant toy dog with large butterfly-like ears, a fine, silky parti-coloured coat and a plumed tail. Lively, intelligent and highly trainable, it enjoys activity and mental stimulation, makes an alert watchdog, needs regular brushing, and often lives into the mid–late teens.

Weiefors

## Quick Facts

The German Shepherd Dog is a medium-sized, powerful German working, herding and service breed for an owner who wants to train actively and systematically. The breed is cooperative and versatile, but the considerable variation within the breed makes the choice of breeder, parents and litter particularly important.

- **Origin:** Germany
- **Breed group:** FCI Group 1, Sheepdogs and Cattledogs
- **Height at the withers:** males 60–65 cm, females 55–60 cm
- **Weight:** males 30–40 kg, females 22–32 kg
- **Coat:** stock coat or long stock coat, both double coats with an undercoat
- **Activity level:** high; the breed needs physical activity, scent work, problem-solving and cooperation
- **Important before buying:** check the health, temperament, working traits and movement of the parents and close relatives, not only what the breeder calls the line or which show merits the dogs have

A German Shepherd Dog can be a highly capable family and training companion when daily life matches the individual dog's drive to work. It is rarely a good choice, however, for someone who mainly wants an uncomplicated companion dog. A first-time owner needs to be prepared to attend classes, train regularly and seek help early if the dog develops fear, stress, a strong urge to chase moving things or difficulty settling.

## Appearance & Coat

The German Shepherd Dog should be powerful and well muscled without exaggeration in either construction or movement. The body is slightly longer than it is tall. According to the breed standard, males should stand 60–65 cm and weigh 30–40 kg; females should stand 55–60 cm and weigh 22–32 kg.

The back and the croup are not the same thing. The breed standard describes a straight back continuing into a slightly sloping croup. A markedly arched or falling loin and an over-angulated, cow-hocked or unstable hindquarter are not the breed ideal. The Swedish Kennel Club's breed-specific instructions identify the topline and hindquarters as areas of risk and state that movement should be assessed at both walk and trot.

For a puppy buyer, natural movement is more informative than an extreme show pose. Ask to see the parents walk and trot on a level surface. The hind legs should work steadily and remain parallel when viewed from behind, without the hocks collapsing inward or looking unstable. Look at adult relatives as well; a puppy does not yet show how its mature body will function.

The breed has two accepted coat varieties. The stock-coated German Shepherd Dog has a dense, harsh and close-lying double coat. The long-coated variety has longer, softer outer hair that does not lie as close to the body. Both must have an undercoat and both shed. Brush and comb as needed, more often during shedding periods, and pay particular attention to longer hair behind the ears and on the legs and tail. Bathe the dog when dirty rather than according to a fixed schedule.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed standard calls for a well-balanced, steady-nerved, self-assured, attentive and biddable German Shepherd Dog. This is a breeding goal, not a guarantee for every individual. Temperament, working drive, sociability, fearfulness and the ability to settle can differ considerably between dogs and family lines within the breed.

German Shepherd Dogs are often described as intelligent, loyal or naturally protective, but such labels say too little about daily life. A dog with strong working drive may be focused and responsive in suitable work but demanding without clear tasks. Awareness of the surroundings can support good teamwork with the handler, but it can also result in barking or strong reactions if the dog is insecure, stressed or poorly trained. The breed should not be chosen on the assumption that every individual will automatically be a reliable guard dog or an easy family dog.

In some parts of the breed, breeding has focused primarily on working trials and service work; in others, showing has carried more weight. Labels such as “working” and “show” still cannot predict activity level or suitability for family life. Ask the breeder how the parents behave around strangers, dogs, noises, quiet downtime and new environments. Request results and descriptions of everyday behaviour for littermates, half-siblings and previous offspring as well.

During the Swedish Mental Description Dog, MH, the dog's reactions are documented in situations involving contact, play, chasing, inactivity, surprises, threats and gunshots. MH is a description, not a test that the dog passes or fails. Read the full record and compare several close relatives instead of being satisfied that a dog merely has “known mental status”.

## Training & Exercise

The German Shepherd Dog needs to use both body and mind every day, but there is no single number of hours that is right for every individual. Needs are affected by age, health, recovery, fitness and what the activity actually involves. A young dog requires different levels of strain from a fully grown, well-conditioned adult.

A workable routine combines walks and free movement in safe areas with scent work, problem-solving and cooperative exercises. Tracking, search work, obedience, working trials and other tasks that allow the dog to concentrate suit the breed's background. Vary surfaces and environments, but increase duration, difficulty and physical strain gradually. The aim is not to exhaust the dog every day, but to build fitness, body control, self-control and the ability to recover.

Reward-based, individually adapted training makes the desired behaviour clear without building cooperation on fear or discomfort. Start early with recall, engagement, handling, loose-lead walking, working at a manageable distance from distractions and releasing objects. Also train the less spectacular skill of lying quietly when nothing is happening. A German Shepherd Dog given only high-intensity activities may become very good at becoming aroused but struggle to settle again.

Puppies should not be exercised like adult dogs. Short periods of exploration, play at their own pace, rest and positive exposure to new environments are more important than long distances, jumping or sharp turns. Increase the physical load gradually as the dog grows. If the dog becomes lame or stiff, is reluctant to move or shows a changed gait, adjust the exercise and contact a veterinarian.

## Health

Hip dysplasia, HD, and elbow dysplasia, ED, are the central documented health checks when buying a German Shepherd Dog registered in Sweden. Both areas are prioritised by the Swedish Kennel Club and the breed club's breeding strategy. Skin problems and disorders of the musculoskeletal system also occur, while the Swedish breeding strategy notes that consolidated documentation is lacking for some widely discussed back and itching problems. Long disease lists without information about relatives therefore tell a puppy buyer less than verified results and the health of close relatives.

Under the Swedish Kennel Club's registration rules in force in 2026, both parents must have official HD status before mating. Because the breed has an HD index, the average index of the parents at the time of mating is recommended to be above 100, and dogs graded HD D or E must not be used for breeding. The German Shepherd Dog also requires official ED status; for parents born on or after 1 January 2006, the result must be ED 0. An average ED index above 100 is a recommendation. Rules can change, so always check the current version with the Swedish Kennel Club.

When buying a puppy, check more than whether both parents meet the minimum requirements:

- compare the parents' HD and ED results and current indices
- find out how many dogs in previous litters and among close relatives have been screened
- ask about skin problems, recurring itching, movement problems and other diagnoses in the family
- read MH or MT results for parents, siblings and previous offspring
- watch adult dogs move naturally at walk and trot, and ask how they function in work and daily life

One good individual result does not eliminate risk. Results from the whole litter and close family give a better picture before purchase.

## History & Origins

The German Shepherd Dog was developed in Germany as a versatile herding and working dog. After the German breed association was founded in 1899, planned breeding began using herding dogs from central and southern Germany. The aim was to combine functional construction with temperament and working ability.

The first breed standard was written in 1899 following proposals by A. Meyer and Max von Stephanitz. The breed's working ability soon led to uses beyond herding. The German Shepherd Dog has since gained a prominent role as a working, competition and service dog in many fields.

This history explains why cooperation, endurance, scent work and a functional body remain central to the breed. It also explains why the breed should not be judged only by silhouette or colour. A sound German Shepherd Dog should be able to work and move efficiently; appearance should support function.

## Living with the Breed

The German Shepherd Dog can live well in a family and even in an apartment, but only if the owner can provide training, recovery, space and safe day-to-day management. A garden does not replace activity, and the type of home does not replace planning. In a building with poor sound insulation, owners also need to prevent and train barking and reactions to sounds in the stairwell or outside windows.

An adult must be present around children, especially because the breed is large and strong. Children should not be responsible for walks or intervene in highly aroused situations. The dog needs an undisturbed resting place, and children and dogs should not be left alone together. Suitability for family life depends on the individual dog's temperament, experiences and training, not on the breed name.

The same caution applies to other animals. A German Shepherd Dog can live with another dog or a cat, but this cannot be promised on the basis of breed. Let dogs meet calmly, preferably on neutral ground. When introducing a cat, provide dog-free escape routes for the cat; use a barrier and a lead, and prevent chasing from the first meeting. Proceed only when both animals are relaxed and supervise them until their interaction is stable.

Time alone must be trained gradually. A young puppy should not be left alone, and a secure adult that has been trained to stay alone can normally manage a few hours rather than a full working day. Increase the time in small steps and arrange a dog sitter or another solution if daily life requires more time alone than the individual dog can handle calmly.

The best home for a German Shepherd Dog does not have a particular address. It has adults who want to train, can read the dog's signals, follow up its health and provide both meaningful activity and genuine rest throughout the dog's life.

German Shepherd Dog

Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) e.V. (Germany)

Den Danske Kennel Klub (Danish Kennel Club)

The German Shepherd Dog is a medium‑large, athletic working breed, highly intelligent and trainable. Loyal and naturally protective, it needs extensive daily mental and physical exercise. It has a double coat with notable shedding and is widely used in police, military, and search and rescue roles.

Hurulunda

Tail Tip's

Eyeq's

## Quick Facts

The Flat Coated Retriever is a recognised British retrieving gundog in FCI group 8. The breed was developed to search for and retrieve shot game on land and in water, so cooperation, the desire to retrieve and the ability to work in varied terrain are central traits – including in dogs that live mainly as companions.

- The preferred height is 58–61 cm for males and 56–58 cm for females.
- The preferred weight in good condition is 27–36 kg for males and 25–32 kg for females. These figures describe the breed standard's ideal, not what every adult dog will weigh or measure.
- The accepted colours are black and liver.
- The breed ideal is a positive, friendly, alert and responsive dog. Energy, intensity and the ability to settle vary between individuals and families.
- A Flat Coated Retriever needs physical activity, scent work, problem-solving and cooperation every day. Long walks alone do not replace meaningful tasks.
- Tumours are an important health concern in the breed. No single test can show that a puppy or breeding line is free from future cancer risk.

## Appearance & Coat

A Flat Coated Retriever should be powerful without being cumbersome and racy without looking slight. Functional balance matters more than heavy bone, an excessive coat or a high body weight. Movement should be free, flowing and true when viewed from the front and rear.

The head is long and well moulded, with a flat, moderately broad skull and only a slight stop. The jaws should be long and strong enough for retrieving work. The body has a deep, fairly broad chest and a short, strong loin. The tail is carried gaily but not much above the level of the back.

The coat is dense, fine to medium in texture and as flat as possible. The legs and tail have clear feathering when the dog is fully mature. Only black and liver are included in the standard; yellow does occur but is not an accepted show colour.

Coat care should follow the dog's actual coat and way of life, not a fixed calendar. Comb down to the skin and pay particular attention behind the ears, in the armpits and through the feathering. After swimming or working in water and dense cover, dry the dog and check for tangles, irritated skin, seeds, small wounds and damaged pads. Keep the ears dry and check them if there is an odour, redness or itching. Trimming can keep the feet and feathering functional, but the coat should not be shaped into a heavy or exaggerated outline.

## Temperament & Personality

A Flat Coated Retriever should be confident, positive, friendly, alert and responsive, but the breed standard is a breeding ideal – not a guarantee for every individual. A puppy buyer should therefore assess the parents, adult relatives and how the breeder follows the dogs' everyday behaviour, rather than accepting that the breed is simply cheerful.

In the Swedish Kennel Club's BPH analysis of 209 Swedish-born dogs, the breed was generally perceived as confident, energetic, curious, playful and sociable. The same analysis stresses variation within the breed and notes that high curiosity and quick reactions may also be linked to difficulty settling. The material is a description of participating dogs, not a prediction for a puppy. Look for both a willingness to work and the ability to recover: can the adult dogs greet people without losing all self-control, accept handling calmly and rest when nothing is happening?

The breed is often sociable, but suitability with children, dogs or cats should never be assumed from the breed name. A strong, enthusiastic dog can knock over a small child without intending harm. A responsible adult should always be present with a young child and dog, and the dog needs an undisturbed place to rest. Introductions to dogs and cats should be gradual. Previous experience, interest in chasing and the ability to disengage on cue matter more than a general breed description.

## Training & Exercise

A Flat Coated Retriever needs to use both body and mind every day, but there is no credible universal quota in minutes or hours. The right level depends on age, health, fitness, the intensity of the activity and how the dog recovers. A good day combines movement, scent work, retrieving, cooperation and undisturbed rest.

Retrieving and searching often provide more than simply extending a walk. Dummies, simple marked retrieves, close searches, tracking, gundog training or the Swedish Funktionsbeskrivning Retriever assessment can provide outlets for the traits the breed was developed to use. Field trials and practical hunting suit owners who want to develop the work further, but every owner can build everyday tasks in which the dog searches, carries, delivers and waits for a cue.

Reward-based, progressive training suits a quick and cooperative retriever. Prioritise these skills early:

- engagement and loose-lead walking before the dog reaches full strength;
- recall and stopping even when something moves or smells exciting;
- calm greetings with all four paws on the ground;
- carrying and releasing objects without conflict;
- steadiness, settling and the ability to come down after activity;
- cooperative handling of paws, ears, mouth and coat.

Water work can be a useful outlet, but an interest in water is not the same as knowing how to swim. Start in shallow water, show the dog a safe way out, avoid fast-flowing or very cold water and never leave the dog unsupervised. Growing dogs need varied loads built up gradually; repeated sharp stops, high jumps and one-sided ball throwing are not a shortcut to good fitness.

## Health

Tumours are the most important breed-specific health issue for a puppy buyer to understand. The Swedish Kennel Club and the breed club describe an overrepresentation of several tumour types, and the Flat Coated Retriever has a documented predisposition to histiocytic sarcoma, among other conditions. This does not mean that every dog will become ill, but the risk cannot be dismissed because of a DNA test, a normal veterinary certificate or young, healthy parents.

Ask for the ages and causes of death of parents, grandparents, full and half-siblings and dogs from previous litters. Ask which diagnoses were confirmed by a vet and how the breeder uses information about older relatives. In your own dog, a new or growing lump, persistent lameness, unexplained weight loss or a clear change in appetite and energy should be assessed by a vet. These signs have many possible causes and should not be self-diagnosed as cancer.

For offspring to be registered in Sweden, the Swedish Kennel Club requires both parents to have an official hip status before mating. A known status means that a result exists – not automatically that the hips are graded A or B. Check the actual grade and the results of close relatives. Elbow screening is an important check that the breed club would like to see in more dogs, but it is not a separate registration requirement for the breed under the 2026 rules.

Eye screening is not a formal Swedish Kennel Club requirement for the breed either. The current recommendation from the Swedish Flatcoated Retriever Club is for breeding dogs to have an eye certificate no more than two years old at the time of mating. The club also recommends gonioscopy where possible and avoiding a mating that doubles a known degree of pectinate ligament dysplasia, PLD. Ask to see the date, diagnoses and complete result – the words 'eye tested' are not enough.

Renal dysplasia, RD, occurs in a small number of serious cases. There is no validated DNA test for RD in the Flat Coated Retriever, so a commercial test result should not be used as proof that a dog or mating is clear. A known diagnosis in close relatives and the breeder's openness are more relevant here.

## History & Origins

The Flat Coated Retriever was developed in Great Britain as a retrieving gundog for work after the shot. Its task was to search for and retrieve shot birds and small game on land and in water, which explains the breed's combination of scenting ability, cooperation, carrying and sustained movement.

The FCI recognised the breed definitively in 1954 and places it among the retrievers that are subject to a working trial. The Flat Coated Retriever arrived in Sweden in the 1960s. Precise accounts of which types of dog were crossed at each stage of its development vary between historical sources; the secure and practically important point is that the modern breed should still function as a retriever, rather than merely have a retriever-like appearance.

## Living with the Breed

The Flat Coated Retriever is best suited to someone who wants to live with an active working retriever and who also intends to train calm behaviour. The breed can suit a committed first-time owner, but it is not automatically easy: its size, speed and exuberant greetings require planning, and the need for cooperation continues throughout life.

Flat living can work if going outside is straightforward, the dog receives meaningful activity and the household trains for noise, greetings in shared spaces and rest. A garden does not replace walks or shared work. Time alone must be built gradually from short, secure periods; a young puppy cannot be left alone, and adult dogs vary in what they can manage. If the working day regularly involves a long absence, a reliable plan for company and exercise is needed before buying the dog.

Before choosing a puppy, you should be able to get clear answers to these questions:

- What are the parents used for, and how do they behave during activity, handling and rest?
- What official hip grade does each parent have, and are there elbow results and a history of joint health in close relatives?
- When was the latest eye examination, what did the full certificate show, and are gonioscopy results available?
- How old were close relatives when they died, what were the causes, and which tumour diagnoses or RD cases are known?
- How does the breeder follow the health, temperament and working ability of previous litters over time?

The right home gains a willing, sociable and versatile working dog. A mismatch often occurs when the friendly breed ideal is taken to mean that the dog will cope with children, other animals, long days alone and a life without real tasks by itself.

Flat Coated Retriever

The Flatcoated Retriever Society of Great Britain

The Swedish Kennel Club (Svenska Kennelklubben)

The Norwegian Kennel Club (Norsk Kennel Klub)

The Danish Kennel Club (Dansk Kennel Klub)

The Kennel Club (United Kingdom)

Flat Coated Retrievers are medium‑large, athletic gundogs with sleek black or liver coats and friendly, puppy‑like attitudes. Energetic, people‑oriented, and highly trainable, they need plenty of exercise, positive training, close family life, and attentive health care.

Comics

## Quick Facts

The Dalmatian is a medium-sized, athletic and sociable dog best suited to someone who wants to share an active daily life with their dog. It can make a lovely family companion, but this is not a breed to choose for its looks alone. A Dalmatian needs well-planned exercise, training, recovery time and plenty of contact with its people.

- **Origin and breed group:** Croatia; FCI Group 6, Scenthounds and Related Breeds.
- **Size:** The breed standard gives a height of 56–62 cm for males and 54–60 cm for females. As a rough guide, the Swedish Kennel Club gives a weight of about 27–32 kg for males and 24–29 kg for females.
- **Coat:** Short, harsh and dense, with black or liver spots on a white ground.
- **Activity level:** Energetic and built for endurance. The breed needs physical activity, opportunities to use its nose and think, and help learning to settle.
- **Important checks before buying:** Ask to see the puppy's BAER result for both ears, the parents' hearing results, and clear information about their HUA or LUA status. Also ask for hip, elbow and BPH behaviour-assessment results where available.

A Dalmatian can suit a committed first-time owner who is prepared to learn about the breed's particular health considerations and establish consistent routines. It is a poor choice for anyone looking for a dog content with short walks, likely to be left alone frequently, or expected to become reliably safe off lead without systematic training.

## Appearance & Coat

The Dalmatian should be strong and well balanced without looking heavy. Its body is slightly longer than it is tall, with an approximate ratio of 10:9 between body length and height at the withers. The short, glossy coat lies close to the body and shows off the athletic outline.

The ground colour is pure white. Spots should be black or liver, clearly defined and evenly distributed. They are normally around two to three centimetres across on the body and smaller on the head and legs. Puppies are born white, with the spots appearing gradually.

The coat requires no elaborate clipping. Brush as needed to collect loose hair, using the opportunity to check the skin, ears, paws and nails. Bathe the dog when dirty rather than according to a fixed schedule. A short coat does not necessarily mean little hair around the home: how noticeable shedding is varies between dogs, seasons and households.

The short coat provides limited protection when the dog is standing still, wet or exposed to severe cold. Adjust the pace and length of walks to the weather and the dog's response. A coat may be sensible in cold conditions, particularly if the dog becomes tense, seeks warmth or is reluctant to move on. Dry the paws and coat after wet walks or outings on salted winter paths.

## Temperament & Personality

A well-adjusted Dalmatian is friendly, lively, loyal and trainable. The breed standard also describes a degree of independence. In daily life, this often means a dog keen to join family activities but one that needs clear routines and a worthwhile reason to co-operate. Fearfulness, nervousness and aggression are not part of the standard's ideal, but a breed description can never guarantee the character of an individual dog.

Claims about hunting drive need qualification. The international breed standard mentions a pronounced scent-hound instinct, while the Swedish Kennel Club's short breed guide describes hunting interest as low. That difference is a good reason to assess the individual rather than rely on a label. Ask how the parents behave around wildlife and read their BPH behaviour-assessment results if they have been assessed. Practise recall on a long line where necessary, and do not let the dog off lead in unsecured places until its response has been tested thoroughly.

Many Dalmatians want to stay close to their family and are sensitive to mood and unclear expectations. Short, straightforward sessions with rewards and clear breaks will often work better than nagging or harsh corrections. Practise settling in a designated resting place as deliberately as handling, recall and walking with you.

With children and other animals, individual character, experience and household routines matter more than the breed name. A large, fast-moving adolescent can knock over a small child without intending harm. A responsible adult must therefore always supervise young children and the dog, and the dog needs a protected place where it can rest undisturbed.

## Training & Exercise

The Dalmatian needs regular, varied activity, but there is no exact number of minutes that suits every dog. A good routine alternates walks, scent work, short training tasks, free movement where it is safe, and uninterrupted rest. Age, health, fitness and how the dog feels that day should determine the amount.

The breed historically accompanied carriages and horses, and many adult Dalmatians enjoy endurance exercise. That does not mean a puppy should be exercised like a fully conditioned adult. Let a young dog explore at its own pace, build body awareness and learn everyday skills rather than chasing mileage. Running alongside a bicycle or other repetitive conditioning work should wait until the dog is physically mature. Start with short, easy sessions, increase gradually, and stop if the dog is lame, stiff, reluctant or unusually tired.

Prioritise skills that make an active life safer:

- attention and walking with you even when something moves nearby
- recall first practised on a long line with controlled distractions
- calm waiting, settling and the ability to wind down after activity
- co-operative handling of ears, paws and mouth
- stop and direction cues before the dog accompanies a bicycle or horse

More speed is not always the answer for a restless adolescent. If the dog becomes increasingly over-aroused, sleeps poorly or struggles to concentrate, it may need simpler tasks and more recovery rather than another demanding session.

## Health

Two issues are particularly important for a Dalmatian buyer: congenital hearing loss and the breed's handling of uric acid. Ask for the actual test results and learn what they mean; do not settle for the vague claim that a litter is “health tested”.

### Hearing and BAER

BAER is a veterinary hearing test that assesses each ear separately. It shows whether a dog hears in both ears, hears in one ear, or is deaf in both. Ask to see the puppy's own certificate as well as the parents' results.

The Swedish breed-specific breeding strategy reports BAER results submitted from 2018 to 2023. Within that particular group of tested dogs, about 86 per cent heard in both ears, just over 11 per cent heard in one, and just over 2 per cent were deaf in both. Those figures describe submitted results from tested dogs; they are not a precise prediction for every new litter.

A dog that hears in one ear is regarded as clinically hearing and may cope very well in daily life, although poorer sound localisation can require extra care near traffic and in other hazardous settings. The Swedish Dalmatian club recommends BAER-tested parents, mating a unilaterally hearing dog only to a bilaterally hearing dog, and never breeding from a deaf dog.

### HUA, LUA and urate stones

HUA and LUA describe different variants of the SLC2A9 gene, which affects the transport of uric acid. HUA Dalmatians excrete more uric acid in their urine and consequently have a greater tendency to form urate crystals and stones. An increased risk does not mean that the dog is certain to become ill. Nor do crystals in a sample prove by themselves that a stone is present.

LUA Dalmatians carry a gene variant that produces normal uric-acid handling. It was introduced through a documented cross-breeding project in the United States in the 1970s and is now present in registered Dalmatians, including dogs in Sweden. LUA does not protect a dog from every other urinary-tract problem.

Ask the breeder for the documented HUA or LUA status of the puppy and its parents, and whether urinary stones have occurred in the family. An HUA dog should have ready access to water and regular opportunities to urinate. Food and any treatment should be tailored with a vet if the dog develops problems; one rigid diet does not suit every individual. Repeated attempts to urinate, pain, blood in the urine or an inability to pass urine require prompt veterinary attention.

### Results, recommendations and rules

The Swedish Dalmatian club recommends measures including BPH behaviour assessment, BAER testing of breeding dogs and carefully planned matings based on hip and elbow results. These are breeding recommendations. The Swedish Kennel Club's 2026 registration rules impose no Dalmatian-specific requirement for BAER, hip or elbow screening, BPH, or HUA/LUA status; the breed's special registration provision concerns colour designation. A careful buyer can nevertheless request the results, check dates and identities, and discuss what they mean for the particular mating.

## History & Origins

The Dalmatian's official country of origin is Croatia, and its name is associated with the historic region of Dalmatia. Its earliest history should be described cautiously, but the breed standard refers to paintings and church chronicles from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The name “Dalmatian dog” appeared in a description from 1771, and in 1790 the dog was illustrated and described as the “Dalmatian or Coach Dog”.

In England, the Dalmatian became known as a carriage and stable dog from the middle of the eighteenth century until the early twentieth century. The dogs accompanied horse-drawn vehicles and consequently became associated with horses, endurance and travelling longer distances. The first unofficial standard was written in 1882 and became official in 1890.

The carriage-dog history helps explain the breed's activity profile, but it does not dictate how much exercise an individual dog needs or mean that every Dalmatian will be safe around horses. Introduce horse and dog under control and teach the dog where to stay before they move together.

## Living with the Breed

Living well with a Dalmatian depends more on daily structure than the size of the home. Flat living can work if the dog receives enough activity, regular toilet breaks and peace indoors. Sensitivity to noise and barking need early attention, especially with close neighbours. A garden is no substitute for walks, training or time together.

Time alone must be introduced gradually. A young puppy should not be left alone. Later, begin with very short, calm absences and increase them only when the dog can genuinely rest. An adult dog that has been trained to cope alone can normally manage a few hours, but ability varies. Do not plan daily life around a supposed breed-specific maximum.

If the Dalmatian will live with a cat, first give the cat a dog-free area and access to high places or escape routes. Begin with scent swapping and short meetings with the dog on a lead, reward calm behaviour and interrupt attempts to chase. Do not leave them alone together until their interactions have remained settled over a substantial period. The same caution is needed around small animals.

Before buying a puppy, it is sensible to check:

- the puppy's BAER certificate for the right and left ear
- the parents' BAER results and the puppy's documented HUA or LUA status
- the parents' hip, elbow and BPH results, where available, and the breeder's interpretation of the mating
- how the parents behave around people, dogs, wildlife and noise, and how readily they settle in ordinary daily life
- how the breeder socialises the puppies and what support will be available after purchase

The Dalmatian suits someone who values a close, expressive dog with plenty of stamina and is willing to invest time in both activity and calm. Choose a breeder and an individual on the basis of documented results and observed everyday behaviour, not spots or general promises about the breed.

Dalmatian

Dalmatiner Klub Deutschland e.V. (Germany)

The Dalmatian is a medium, athletic dog with a short white coat and distinct black or liver spots. Originally a carriage and guard dog, it is energetic, intelligent, and needs far more exercise than average. Loyal and people‑oriented, it may struggle when left alone and is prone to deafness and urinary stones.

Jilloc's

## Quick Facts

- The Chinese Crested Dog is a small companion dog with two coat varieties: hairless and powder puff. Both can be born in the same litter.
- The ideal height at the withers is 28–33 cm for males and 23–30 cm for females. The current breed standard does not specify an official weight.
- The hairless variety has a crest on its head, so-called socks on its feet and a plume on its tail. The powder puff has a long, soft coat over its entire body.
- The breed ideal is a cheerful dog that should never be vicious. Even so, there are clear individual differences in sociability, curiosity, vocal behaviour and confidence.
- Skin or coat care, tooth brushing and protection suited to the weather need to be part of everyday life from the outset.
- When choosing a puppy, eye examination results, PLL status, dental status and the health and temperament of close relatives matter more than general promises about the breed.

## Appearance & Coat

The Chinese Crested Dog is small, active and graceful without necessarily being fragile. The breed includes both the elegant deer type and the somewhat heavier cobby type. The body should be moderately long to long, with a level back and long, flowing, free movement. All colours and colour combinations are permitted.

The ideal height at the withers is 28–33 cm for males and 23–30 cm for females. The current breed standard gives no weight, so the figure of 5.4 kg as an upper limit should not be treated as the modern ideal. Assess an adult dog by its proportions, muscle and body condition instead.

In the hairless variety, the body should be largely bare, with long hair on the head, feet and tail. The amount of body hair nevertheless varies between individuals. Ask to see the puppy before it has been trimmed, and ask the breeder to demonstrate how that particular dog's skin and furnishings should be cared for. The skin should be fine, soft and warm to the touch.

The powder puff has a thin undercoat covered by a veil of long, soft hair. The coat should be flowing rather than heavy or woolly. Part the coat and comb all the way down to the skin. Pay particular attention to early tangles wherever hair is dense or subject to friction. A weekly routine for bathing and checking the coat can be a starting point, but its condition should determine how often it needs detangling, washing and thorough drying.

Hairless skin needs to be checked for chafing, redness, spots and dryness. Young dogs can develop blackheads and spots during periods of hormonal change, although the extent varies greatly. Provide shade and suitable clothing when sun, wind, wet weather or cold make it necessary. A powder puff may also need weather protection because its fine coat provides relatively little warmth and is not particularly water-resistant. If the skin remains inflamed or itchy, or develops sores that do not heal, a vet should assess the cause and help with the choice of products.

Neither the hairless variety nor the powder puff is allergy-free. Dog allergens are found in substances including skin cells, sebum, saliva and urine, and levels also vary between dogs of the same breed. A small amount of loose hair is therefore no guarantee for a family affected by allergies.

## Temperament & Personality

The Chinese Crested Dog should be cheerful and not vicious, but the breed encompasses many different personalities. In data from Sweden's BPH behavioural assessment, the dogs assessed appeared relatively confident, moderately curious and not generally vocal or aggressive. The same data show considerable variation in how dogs greet unfamiliar people, play and respond to unexpected events.

That is more useful than labels such as “Velcro dog” or “one-person dog”. One individual may seek a great deal of physical contact, while another may be more independent. Some greet visitors immediately; others prefer to observe first. Ask the breeder how the parents and close relatives cope with handling, new people, noise, settling and brief separations. Look for a puppy that can explore at its own pace and recover after something unexpected.

The breed can be alert and may bark when something happens, but that does not mean every dog is very vocal. In a home where noise carries easily, it is sensible to reward calm behaviour around doors, windows and sounds in communal areas from an early age. Find out whether the dog can also settle when nothing is happening. The ability to rest matters just as much as playfulness.

With children, the interaction matters more than the breed label. The dog's small size calls for extra care if children want to pick it up or carry it, but there is no general rule that the breed is suitable only for older children. Young children and dogs should always be supervised by an adult, and the dog needs a quiet place where it will not be disturbed.

## Training & Exercise

The Chinese Crested Dog needs daily movement and mental activity, but there is no well-founded time formula that suits every dog. A good day might include walks with time to sniff, play, a short skills session and calm recovery. An active individual may enjoy longer outings, agility, rally obedience, heelwork to music or tracking, while another may prefer less demanding activities.

Adjust duration and intensity to the dog's age, fitness, the weather, its movement and how well it recovers. A hairless dog that tenses up in the cold is not having a worthwhile walk simply because a target duration has been reached. Choose protection and surroundings to suit the conditions, and add indoor training when needed.

Reward-based training works well for teaching everyday skills. Start with recall, walking on a lead, settling in one place, leaving objects and stopping an activity when asked. Also practise cooperative handling of the mouth, feet, skin, coat and ears. This makes tooth brushing, bathing, clipping and veterinary visits less stressful.

Socialisation does not mean that the puppy has to greet everyone. Instead, let it encounter different people, dogs, surfaces, sounds and environments at a distance where it can still eat, think and choose whether to make contact. If it becomes frightened, make the situation easier and give it time to recover. This builds greater confidence than forcing an encounter.

## Health

There are no breed-specific health tests that must be completed before a Chinese Crested Dog litter can be registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, SKK. The breed club does, however, issue clear breeding recommendations. The distinction matters when assessing a litter: guidance can be highly relevant without being mandatory.

The breed club states that both parents should have an eye examination no earlier than 18 months of age, with a certificate no more than one year old at the time of mating. It also states that both should have a known DNA status for primary lens luxation, PLL. In addition, it recommends a known DNA status for prcd-PRA and a known patellar status established from 12 months of age. A patellar examination is therefore an important point to check, but it is not a specific registration requirement for the breed. Veterinary auscultation of the heart before breeding is described as desirable, rather than as a formal requirement or recommendation in the club's “must” and “should” categories.

Ask to see the result itself, its date and the dog's identity. A DNA test applies only to the mutation analysed and does not replace a clinical eye examination. A healthy carrier of a simple recessive condition does not automatically have to be excluded from breeding, but should be mated to a genetically clear dog so that affected puppies are not born. A genetically affected dog must not be used for breeding.

Eye conditions highlighted in the breed include PLL, different forms of PRA or retinopathy, and dry eye. Ask about examination results and symptoms in older relatives as well. The breed club's health review also discusses heart conditions that tend to appear later in life and indications of back problems. These findings justify questions about older relatives and early heart murmurs or back symptoms; they do not mean that every dog will become ill.

Hairlessness and dentition are linked through a variant of the FOXI3 gene, which affects the development of both hair and teeth. Hairless dogs may therefore lack some permanent teeth or have unusually shaped, forward-pointing teeth. Powder puffs do not have this specific genetic effect and should normally have a complete scissor bite. Congenitally missing teeth are not the same as periodontal disease, but both varieties need daily tooth brushing to limit plaque and gum disease. Monitor the change from puppy to adult teeth, and ask a vet to assess retained deciduous teeth, pain, bad breath or difficulty chewing.

In a large UK study, median life expectancy was 13.4 years among 928 Chinese Crested Dogs. The confidence interval for the median was 13.0–13.8 years. This result describes the study population, not how long an individual dog will live.

## History & Origins

The breed's early history is uncertain. China is listed as the country of origin and Great Britain holds responsibility for the breed standard, but it is not possible to trace an unbroken line from ancient Chinese hairless dogs to today's breed. Stories about dogs aboard trading ships, rat-catching and life during the Han dynasty should therefore be treated as theories rather than established facts.

The documented modern milestones are clearer. Chinese Crested Dogs were shown in the United States between 1885 and 1926, after which they were scarcely seen for nearly 50 years. Organised breeding in Britain was re-established with imports from the United States between 1965 and 1968. The first dogs arrived in Sweden in 1972, the first Swedish litter was born that year, and the dogs were registered with SKK in 1973. The Chinese Crested Club of Sweden was founded in 1990.

## Living with the Breed

The type of home does not by itself determine whether a Chinese Crested Dog will thrive. Both a flat and a house can work if the dog receives activity, rest and gradual training to be left alone. Assess the home in terms of noise, access to suitable places for walks and how easily the dog can get away from draughts, strong sunlight and commotion. A small body does not mean small needs.

A young puppy should not be left alone. Once it feels secure at home, training can begin with the puppy relaxing while you move behind a gate or leave the room very briefly. Increase the time only while the dog remains calm. An adult dog that has been trained gradually can often cope alone for a few hours, but individuals vary greatly. A camera can help reveal pacing, panting, barking or an inability to settle.

Cats and other dogs can live successfully with the breed, but low prey drive or trouble-free coexistence cannot be promised on the basis of breed alone. Make introductions gradually, prevent chasing, and give the cat a secure escape route and separate resources. Adapt play to the dogs' sizes and communication styles. Small pets should be kept safely apart unless you can control the situation with confidence.

The right home needs to be ready for the differences between the two coat varieties, daily dental care and a dog that needs both closeness and the ability to feel secure on its own. Meet adult relatives if possible, see the puppy untrimmed and check documented health results. These checks say far more than promises that all Chinese Crested Dogs are quiet, allergy-friendly or automatically easy family pets.

Chinese Crested Dog

The Chinese Crested Dog is a fine‑boned toy breed, either hairless with silky crest and furnishings or Powder Puff with a soft full coat. Affectionate and people‑oriented, they train well with gentle methods, need protection and care for skin or coat, and moderate daily exercise.

Speechless

Wallwein's

Beer-Sebas

## Quick Facts

The Keeshond is the same breed variety as the Wolfspitz in the FCI standard and the largest of the German Spitz varieties. Its country of origin is Germany, but the name and cultural history are strongly associated with the Netherlands.

- **Breed type:** medium-sized watchdog and companion dog in FCI Group 5
- **Height at the withers:** 49 cm, with a permitted variation of 6 cm in either direction
- **Weight:** the breed standard gives no set weight in kilograms; weight should be appropriate for the dog's size
- **Coat:** grey-shaded double coat with abundant undercoat, a mane-like ruff and distinct dark facial markings
- **Typical traits according to the breed standard:** alert, lively, trainable, devoted to its owner and often reserved with strangers
- **Hunting drive:** the standard describes an absence of hunting instinct, but each dog's recall and interest in wildlife still need to be trained and assessed
- **Important before buying:** ask for clear health records, especially which PHPT test was used, which laboratory performed it and what the result was

The Keeshond is best suited to someone who accepts regular coat care and wants to train both calm behaviour and everyday skills. A friendly breed description does not make every individual quiet, comfortable alone or safe with every child and animal.

## Appearance & Coat

The Keeshond is a squarely built spitz with a wedge-shaped head, small upright ears and a plumed tail carried curled over the back. The ratio of height at the withers to body length should be approximately one to one, creating the compact outline.

The grey-shaded colour consists of silver-grey hair with black tips. The muzzle and ears are dark, while the mane, shoulders and breeches are lighter. A defining feature is the so-called spectacles: dark lines and shading running from the outer corner of the eye towards the ear.

The double coat has long, straight and firm guard hairs over a short, thick, cotton-like undercoat. The hair is shorter on the head, ears, fronts of the legs and paws. The breed standard requires an abundant coat but also says that it must not appear to have been shaped by trimming.

Grooming must reach all the way to the skin. Work in small sections with a brush and comb, especially behind the ears, in the armpits, around the breeches and beneath the harness. A comb that moves through freely is a better check than a rigid weekly timetable. More frequent sessions are needed during heavy shedding. Accustom the puppy early to coat care and other handling.

The coat should not be clipped to create a different outline. If medical treatment requires shaving, follow veterinary advice. Check the skin while combing; sores, odour or a sudden coat change are reasons to contact a vet.

The dense coat requires extra planning in warm weather. Exercise during cooler parts of the day, provide water and shade, and shorten activity before the dog becomes distressed. Heavy panting, lethargy, drooling or weakness can be signs of overheating and should be taken seriously.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed standard describes the Keeshond as alert, lively, highly devoted to its owner and easy to train, with natural reserve towards strangers and little hunting drive. This is a description of the desired breed temperament, not a promise of how every individual will react.

The breed's readiness to notice activity around the home may show as barking at the door, in a shared stairwell or when people pass. In a building with poor sound insulation, noise is therefore a more important question than floor area. Teach the dog early to leave the door and settle after a few barks, and give it a clear place where it can relax without monitoring everything.

A somewhat reserved Keeshond should be able to investigate a new situation and recover without being pushed into contact. Let the puppy encounter people, environments and sounds in manageable amounts and reward voluntary curiosity. Fear or aggression should not be dismissed as typical of the breed.

Before buying a puppy, meet the dam and preferably other adult relatives. Watch how they respond to visitors, how quickly they settle and how they accept handling. Ask whether parents or relatives have completed BPH or MH behavioural assessments and read the actual results when available. This is more informative than labels such as “social” or “family-friendly”.

## Training & Exercise

The Keeshond needs physical activity and mental stimulation every day, but there is no authoritative number of minutes that suits every individual. Age, health, fitness, weather and the ability to settle should determine duration and intensity.

A good daily routine combines walks with scent work, short training sessions and problem-solving. The breed may enjoy everyday obedience, rally obedience, nose work or trick training, for example. Variety is better than simply increasing the pace. An adolescent dog that never practises settling can become more aroused, not more content.

Use reward-based training and divide skills into small steps. Four areas are particularly useful:

1. **Alerting and quiet:** teach the dog to leave the door and settle after acknowledging a sound.
2. **Recall:** build it on lead or a long line with gradually harder distractions. Low hunting drive in the standard does not guarantee reliable off-lead control.
3. **Grooming cooperation:** reward short sessions with the comb, paw checks and examination before the coat becomes difficult to manage.
4. **Time alone:** begin with very brief separations when the dog feels secure and increase according to that individual's response.

Puppies should not be exercised like adult dogs. Prioritise short periods of movement, sleep, exposure to everyday environments and cooperative play, increasing the load gradually. In hot weather, calm walks during cooler parts of the day are safer than following a fixed exercise programme.

## Health

The main breed-specific health issue to understand in the Keeshond is primary hyperparathyroidism, PHPT, but both its inheritance and the test used must be described correctly. PHPT affects calcium metabolism when one or more parathyroid glands begin to function independently and excess parathyroid hormone leads to raised blood calcium.

A 2025 study found that all 18 Keeshonden with a well-supported PHPT diagnosis were heterozygous for a variant in the SIRT6 gene. The researchers considered the variant likely to be disease-causing and confirmed an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. It should therefore not be managed like a recessive trait where two “carriers” simply need to avoid being mated together.

Not all PHPT tests analyse the same genetic change. The newer test from the British research group is based on the SIRT6 variant. Cornell University also offers a different test that looks for a 194-base-pair inserted DNA sequence on chromosome 20. Cornell states that its assay is analytically validated but could not be clinically validated because diagnosed cases were unavailable. The result should therefore be interpreted with caution. A statement that a dog is “PHPT tested” is too vague. Ask to see the laboratory report showing the dog's identity, sample date, laboratory, the variant or insertion analysed, and the result itself.

The current Swedish Kennel Club breed page also mentions hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and skin problems, but describes them as not particularly common. In the Swedish Kennel Club's 2026 registration rules, the Keeshond is not marked as a breed for which official HD status is a specific prerequisite for registering offspring. Still ask which examinations have been completed for the parents and close relatives. Foreign recommendations, such as British advice on hips, elbows, eyes and PHPT, must not be presented as Swedish registration requirements.

Do not choose a puppy on the basis of one line in a DNA report. Ask about the parents' age, general health, skin, movement and diseases among close relatives. Check that each document belongs to the correct dog rather than accepting phrases such as “health tested” or “healthy line”.

## History & Origins

The Keeshond has Germany as its official country of origin and belongs to the German Spitz; Wolfspitz and Keeshond are two names for the same FCI variety. This explains why a breed with a strong Dutch identity is still listed as German in the modern breed standard.

In the Netherlands, these grey spitz dogs were used as alert watchdogs on barges. During the eighteenth century, the type became associated with the Dutch Patriot movement. One of its leaders, Cornelius “Kees” de Gyselaer, owned such a dog, and the link to “Kees's dog” is commonly given as the background to the name Keeshond.

The breed was introduced in Britain as the “Dutch Barge Dog” in the early twentieth century, and a British breed club was formed in 1925. The first import to Sweden came from England in the 1950s. The Dutch history should not be confused with the official FCI country of origin.

## Living with the Breed

The Keeshond can live successfully in many homes when the family meets its needs for company, coat care, activity and training around barking and settling. A garden is not a shortcut to a contented dog, and a flat is not an automatic barrier. The daily routine and how much the dog's alert barking affects neighbours are what matter.

With children, the same safety rules apply as for other dogs: an adult should be present with young children, the dog needs an undisturbed resting place and the adults retain primary responsibility. Teach children not to climb on the dog, disturb it while eating or sleeping, or pull its abundant coat. Assess the individual dog's confidence and recovery rather than choosing the breed solely because it is labelled a family dog.

Low hunting drive does not mean that every Keeshond will immediately live safely with a cat or small animal. Find out about the dog's previous experience and response to movement. During introductions, the cat should have high, separate escape routes, the dog should remain under control, and meetings should be short, calm and gradual. The same principle applies to new canine relationships: arrange controlled meetings and read the individuals' signals.

The Keeshond's social nature makes alone-time training important, but there is no set duration that every individual can handle comfortably. Some dogs may eventually remain calm for a couple of hours while others react after only minutes. Train gradually and consider using a camera to see whether the dog settles or shows stress by pacing, panting, barking or trying to escape. Arrange daytime care if daily life requires longer absences than the dog can manage comfortably. The Swedish rule that an adult dog should be taken outside at least every six hours during the day concerns opportunities to relieve itself; it is not a target for time left alone.

Before buying, ask the breeder to show you:

- originals or verifiable copies of the PHPT report and other completed health examinations
- how the dam and other adult dogs respond to visitors, handling and rest
- how the coat is combed down to the skin and which tools are needed
- how the puppies have been introduced to sounds, surfaces, people, brief handling and settling
- registration details and any BPH, MH or joint results for parents and close relatives

For a first-time owner, a Keeshond can be a reasonable choice if there is time for reward-based training and extensive coat care. Anyone who needs a very quiet dog, long periods alone or a hair-free home should think particularly carefully.

Keeshond

The Keeshond is a medium, sturdy spitz with a thick wolf‑grey double coat and trademark eye “spectacles.” A devoted family companion, it is affectionate, alert, and vocal but rarely aggressive. Intelligent and lively, it trains well with gentle methods and needs regular brushing and daily interaction.

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