## Quick Facts

The Borzoi is a large Russian sighthound that combines a calm manner at home with a strong prey drive and a very fast gallop. In Sweden, the breed is kept primarily as a companion, but its original working style lives on in lure coursing, in which the dog chases an artificial lure under controlled conditions.

- The desired height at the withers is 75–85 cm for males and 68–78 cm for females.
- The breed is generally quiet indoors, independent and neutral to friendly towards people.
- Fast movement in the distance can trigger a chase; a lead, long line or fully enclosed area is therefore a central part of everyday life.
- The long, silky coat needs regular brushing and can shed heavily at certain times.
- The Borzoi is best suited to someone who appreciates a large, sensitive dog and does not expect to let it off the lead in open country.

## Appearance & Coat

The Borzoi is tall, lean and slightly elongated, yet should also be strong and well muscled. Its long, narrow head, deep chest, pronounced abdominal tuck and gently arched topline create the breed's distinctive outline. The bone should be strong without being coarse. The typical trot is long and effortless; when chasing, the dog shifts into a very fast gallop.

The coat is long, light and silky. It may be wavy or form large curls and is shorter on the head, ears and insides of the legs. Longer feathering appears on areas including the neck, chest, backs of the legs and tail. Many colours and colour combinations occur.

Expect to brush the coat a couple of times a week and more often during a moult. Work through to the skin, paying particular attention behind the ears, in the armpits and through the long feathering, where mats can hide. Check the nails, paws, ears and mouth at the same time. The coat does not need to be kept in show condition to remain healthy, but mats must not be allowed to pull on the skin. The Borzoi is not a good choice for anyone who wants a home free from dog hair.

## Temperament & Personality

The Borzoi is usually calm, intelligent and independent, with a keen awareness of movement around it. The breed standard describes its attitude towards people as neutral to friendly. Many individuals are reserved with strangers and bark little, but that is not the same as being fearful or detached from the family. A confident Borzoi can be deeply affectionate without constantly looking for instructions.

The breed's calm reputation does not guarantee that every individual will suit every child or dog. Early, considerate socialisation and the parents' temperaments matter greatly. A dog and young child should always be supervised by an adult, and the dog needs a resting place where it will be left alone. Because a Borzoi is large and fast, an adult should also take responsibility for walks.

Many Borzois live happily with other dogs. A familiar cat in the home may also be compatible, particularly after a carefully managed introduction. This does not automatically make the dog reliable around fast-moving cats or other small animals outdoors. The Swedish breeding strategy for the breed highlights this precise distinction: an animal that belongs to the household may be treated very differently from one that runs away outside.

## Training & Exercise

Training works best as calm teamwork with clear rewards, short sessions and purposeful variety. The Borzoi is intelligent but was bred to make rapid decisions at a distance. Repetition without a clear purpose may therefore reduce engagement, whilst harsh methods risk both welfare and the relationship. Start early with attention to the handler, loose-lead walking, stopping at doors and gates, cooperative handling and a strong recall cue.

Recall matters, but it must not be the only safety plan. When a Borzoi sees possible prey, the decision to chase can happen in an instant. Use a lead or long line where wildlife may appear and choose a fully enclosed area for running freely. In Sweden, dogs may not run loose where wild animals may be present between 1 March and 20 August; during the rest of the year, owners must still prevent their dogs from driving or pursuing wildlife.

An adult Borzoi needs daily exercise combining walks, opportunities to sniff and explore, short training sessions and chances to stretch out in a secure setting. There is no single number of minutes that suits every dog. Adjust the amount to the dog's age, health, the terrain and its recovery. Lure coursing can provide a controlled outlet for breed-typical behaviour in a healthy, mature dog.

Puppies grow quickly and can reach high speeds at an early age. Increase walks and training gradually, and avoid pushing a puppy through long, repetitive or high-impact sessions. Free movement at its own pace on safe ground, sufficient rest and a well-planned feeding routine discussed with the breeder and vet provide a better foundation than trying to exhaust the puppy.

## Health

Sweden's breed-specific breeding strategy describes the Borzoi as a generally healthy breed and has not found a need for a dedicated health programme. That does not mean the breed is free from disease or that all lines are alike. Parts of the evidence come from owner surveys and older insurance data, so percentages should not be treated as an exact risk for an individual dog.

In the 2021 Swedish health survey, gastrointestinal problems were the most commonly reported category, although diagnoses were often missing. The survey also mentions osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, among cancers seen in the breed. Do not ask only for a standard set of test results. Ask the breeder to describe the health and longevity of the parents, siblings and older close relatives, including gastrointestinal problems, gastric dilatation-volvulus, cancer, sudden deaths and temperament.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus is an immediately life-threatening emergency that most often affects large dogs. Unproductive retching, restlessness, a rapidly swollen abdomen and severe pain require an immediate call to a vet and urgent travel to a clinic. Discuss preventive routines with your vet; the Swedish Kennel Club advises avoiding exercise immediately before feeding and for the first few hours afterwards.

A DNA test for degenerative myelopathy, DM, needs careful interpretation. The Swedish breeding strategy describes it as a risk test, not a diagnosis, and several other conditions can produce similar signs. A result should therefore be considered alongside family history and veterinary expertise, not used as a stand-alone prediction of the dog's future.

## History & Origins

The Borzoi was developed in Russia as a fast, strong and weather-resistant hunting dog. The official FCI history traces the breed's development from the fifteenth century and explains how several sighthound and local dog types contributed to the modern Borzoi. The dogs were used mainly for hare and fox and, to a lesser extent, wolf.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Russian nobility organised large hunts involving many sighthounds, scenthounds and riders. The work required a dog to detect movement, accelerate rapidly and act without constant human direction. This explains much of today's combination of calmness, independence and strong responses to visual stimuli.

In 1888, the Moscow Hunting Society adopted a common breed standard. Its main principles remain in the current standard. In Sweden, the Borzoi is now above all a companion dog; lure coursing allows it to use aspects of its natural movement and hunting pattern without live quarry.

## Living with the Breed

Living with a Borzoi takes more planning than its calm indoor behaviour might first suggest. The home needs enough space for such a large dog to turn, lie fully stretched out and move without slipping. A flat can work if stairs, transport, coat care, toilet breaks and access to a secure place to run are properly managed, but a private garden replaces neither walks nor activity. An ordinary fence is not automatically a secure exercise area; assess its height, gates and weak points for the individual dog.

Time alone must be introduced gradually and assessed for each dog. A young puppy should not be left alone, whereas a securely trained adult may cope with a few hours. Swedish Board of Agriculture guidance says dogs should be taken out at least every six hours during the day, with puppies and older dogs going out more often. Plan around the dog's actual responses rather than assuming a quiet dog is always content.

Before buying, you should be able to answer yes to these questions:

- Can I provide safe daily exercise and regular opportunities to run in a fully enclosed area?
- Do I accept that the dog will often need to stay on a lead where wildlife or small animals may appear?
- Do I have the space, suitable car or other travel arrangement and budget for a very large dog?
- Can I care for a long coat and live with heavy shedding?
- Can the breeder describe temperament, health and longevity across several generations rather than simply show isolated test results?

For someone who values an independent partnership and can manage prey drive, size and exercise in practical ways, the Borzoi can be a calm, close family companion with breathtaking speed when given the right outlet.

Borzoi

The Borzoi Club

Svenska Vinthundklubben (Swedish Sighthound Club)

Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

Verein für Deutsche Windhunde (German Sighthound Association)

The Kennel Club (UK)

The Borzoi is a tall, elegant Russian sighthound with a flowing, wavy coat and long, narrow head. Calm, sensitive, and catlike indoors, it is capable of sudden high-speed sprints outside and has a strong chase instinct, needing gentle training, socialisation, and secure exercise areas.

Bravehounds

## 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.

Navarras

## 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)

Svenska Kennelklubben (Swedish Kennel Club)

Dansk Kennel Klub (Danish Kennel Club)

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.

Miss De Vil's

## Quick Facts

In Sweden, the Collie is registered as two separate breeds: the Rough Collie, FCI 156, and the Smooth Collie, FCI 296. They are often discussed together because they share a recent ancestry, the same height range and a similar build, but have different coats. The Border Collie, however, is a different breed with its own standard.

- **Origin:** Great Britain, with strong historical links to Scotland.
- **Roles:** herding dog, working dog and companion.
- **Height:** 56–61 cm for males and 51–56 cm for females in both breeds.
- **Weight:** the Smooth Collie standard gives 20.5–29.5 kg for males and 18–25 kg for females. The Rough Collie standard gives no official weight.
- **Colours:** sable and white, tricolour and blue merle.
- **Longevity:** in a large UK study, the median for Collies as a combined category was 13.3 years. This is a figure for a large population, not a prediction for an individual dog.

A Collie is best suited to someone who wants an active life with a responsive dog and is prepared to examine temperament as carefully as appearance. Coat length makes a clear difference to grooming, but does not reliably predict how energetic, confident or easy-going an individual dog will be.

## Appearance & Coat

The Collie is agile and well balanced, combining strength and mobility without looking heavy or coarse. The long, blunt wedge-shaped head, almond-shaped eyes and ears that tip forwards help create the characteristic expression. Both breeds have the same official height range. The Smooth Collie weight range should not be treated as an official guide for the Rough Collie, whose standard does not specify a weight.

The Rough Collie has a very dense double coat. The outer coat should be straight and harsh, while the undercoat is soft, woolly and dense enough almost to hide the skin. The mane, chest, legs and tail carry more abundant hair. Brush through to the skin and pay particular attention behind the ears, in the armpits and beneath the collar. More frequent combing is needed during a moult. Bathe when necessary.

The Smooth Collie has a short, straight, harsh outer coat with a very dense undercoat. It is much easier to keep free of tangles, but it still sheds. Brushing during a moult removes loose hair and is also an opportunity to check the skin, paws and nails. The coat should not need trimming or clipping to remain manageable.

Both breeds come in sable and white, tricolour and blue merle. White markings may appear on the collar, chest, legs, feet and tail tip, among other places. Colour is a poor basis for choosing a puppy; health, temperament, everyday behaviour and the breeder’s aims matter more.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed ideal is a friendly, active and cooperative dog with no nervousness or aggression. Many Collies learn quickly, pay close attention to their handler and enjoy being part of daily life. That is an excellent foundation for training, but it does not guarantee that every Collie will be confident, quiet, uncomplicated around children or easy for a first-time owner.

Temperament varies between individuals and bloodlines, and fearfulness has been an important focus in Swedish breeding work. Ask for more than general descriptions such as ‘sweet’ or ‘sensitive’. Examine the parents’ full MH behaviour descriptions, meet adult relatives if possible, and ask how the dogs react to unfamiliar people, sudden noises, new surfaces and surprises. How quickly they recover is just as important.

The Collie has a dedicated mental index based on the dog’s own MH results and those of its relatives. There are indices for curiosity/confidence, sociability, play, chase and gunshot response. A value of 100 represents the breed average; it is not a pass mark. An index should be considered alongside the full description, the wider family and the type of home or work for which the litter was bred.

The standards and the Swedish Kennel Club describe Collies as friendly towards dogs and people, but experience, health and training also shape behaviour at home. Assess the individual rather than treating coat length or breed name as a guarantee of personality.

## Training & Exercise

A Collie needs daily physical activity and tasks that make use of cooperation, concentration and curiosity. No credible number of minutes can suit a puppy, an adult competition dog and a senior equally well. Adjust effort and difficulty to the dog’s age, health, experience and recovery.

Combine walks with activities such as tracking, search work, obedience, rally, agility or simple scent games at home. Variety is more valuable than merely increasing speed or distance. Teach the dog to wait and settle as well; an active dog does not need to remain highly aroused all day.

Reward-based training, clear cues and gradually harder tasks suit a dog that enjoys working with people. Break new skills into manageable steps, reward good choices and make the exercise easier if the dog becomes uncertain or loses concentration. Harsh corrections are not a shortcut to confidence.

A Collie can suit a first-time owner who wants to train, can recognise early signs of worry and chooses a litter on the strength of documented temperament. It is a poorer match for someone drawn mainly to the appearance, looking for a fixed exercise timetable or expecting the dog to entertain itself in a garden.

## Health

When choosing a puppy, the actual results matter more than being told that the parents are ‘tested’. Ask for registration numbers and check hip results, MH records, eye findings and any relevant DNA results. Registration requirements and breeding recommendations are not the same thing.

For both Collie breeds, current Swedish Kennel Club registration rules require both parents to have an official hip dysplasia result before mating. Smooth Collie breeding dogs should have grade A or B hips. A Rough Collie with grade D or E must not be used for breeding, and the Swedish Kennel Club recommends a combined parental hip index above 100. The rules therefore differ between the two breeds.

The rules also require a known mental status. For resident Swedish parents born in 2016 or later, the full MH behaviour description must be completed and all 33 positions recorded. The handler may decline the gunshot element without the dog losing its known-status designation. MH describes reactions; the dog does not pass or fail it.

Collie Eye Anomaly, or CEA, is a congenital developmental abnormality affecting the back of the eye. It ranges from CH/CRD, which often causes no vision problem noticeable in daily life, to coloboma and rarer consequences such as bleeding or retinal detachment. Do not ask only whether a dog has been ‘CEA tested’; request the exact diagnosis and the age at examination.

Current Swedish registration rules do not impose a specific eye-examination requirement on Collies. The breed club nevertheless recommends that puppies are examined before leaving the breeder and that breeding dogs are examined again as adults. The Swedish Kennel Club explains that CH/CRD is best detected in young puppies, usually at 8–10 weeks, and recommends an adult examination before first mating in at-risk breeds.

A variant in the ABCB1 gene, commonly called MDR1, can make a dog sensitive to certain medicines. Testing is relevant for both Rough and Smooth Collies. Dogs with two copies are at greatest risk, but a dog with one copy may also react. Keep the result and show it to the vet before medication is given. The test addresses this particular drug sensitivity; it is not a general certificate of health.

The Swedish Kennel Club does not permit registration of puppies produced by mating two merle Collies. Merle combined with sable is also subject to specific rules on DNA status and breeding restrictions. A puppy buyer should therefore ask how the parents’ colours and any merle variant have been established, rather than choosing solely by the puppy’s markings.

## History & Origins

The Collie is a British breed with strong Scottish associations, although its precise early origin is uncertain. The breed standard describes a background in which local dogs mixed with dogs brought to Scotland by the Romans. Rough and Smooth Collies developed from the same working stock and shared bloodlines until relatively recent times.

Collies were first shown in England in 1861. Queen Victoria’s interest later helped make them fashionable as companions and show dogs. Their working ability remained important: the elegant build and responsiveness make more sense when seen in the context of a herding and working dog, not merely an appearance ideal.

During the twentieth century, the Rough Collie in particular became closely associated with the fictional Lassie. Eric Knight created the character in *Lassie Come-Home*, and the 1943 film used a Rough Collie. The stories shaped a heroic image of the breed, but a real dog must be judged by its own temperament, health and upbringing.

## Living with the Breed

A Collie can live in a flat or a house when given enough activity, rest and company. A garden does not replace walks and shared tasks. In a block of flats, the owner should also teach calm behaviour around sounds in communal areas and prevent the dog from spending all day watching the window or front door.

An adult should supervise time with children, set clear rules and provide a resting place where the dog will not be disturbed. Children should not climb on or hug the dog, or bother it while it is eating or sleeping. Even a friendly dog can feel trapped, and an enthusiastic Collie may accidentally knock over a small child during play.

Many Collies can live with other dogs and cats, but introductions should be calm and gradual. Prevent chasing, give the cat clear escape routes and do not leave the animals alone together until their relationship is settled. Small pets need secure accommodation that the dog cannot enter or watch from close range.

Being left alone must be taught gradually. Start with very brief periods when the puppy feels safe and is calm, and increase the duration only when it can settle. The amount of time an adult dog can manage varies; use the dog’s behaviour rather than a general maximum as your guide.

Before buying, the breeder should be able to answer these questions clearly:

- Is the litter Rough or Smooth, and what are adult relatives like to live with?
- What are the parents’ hip results and, for a Rough Collie, their current hip indices?
- Have both parents completed MH, and what do MH, mental index and close relatives show about fearfulness and recovery?
- When were the puppies and parents examined by an eye specialist, and what exact CEA findings were recorded?
- What is each parent’s MDR1 status, and does the mating involve merle?

Coat length alone should not decide the choice. Look for a litter whose health, temperament and everyday behaviour across the wider family can be checked.

Collie

Svenska Kennelklubben (Sweden)

Collie Association (UK)

Dansk Kennel Klub (Denmark)

The Collie is an intelligent, medium‑large herding dog with a long double coat needing regular grooming. Gentle, loyal, and sensitive, it bonds closely with family and prefers kind training. Adaptable to town or country, it needs daily mental stimulation and exercise to stay content.

Damaianus

## 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.

Indramarkens

## Quick Facts

The Dachshund is a German hunting dog in FCI Group 4, developed to work both below and above ground. The breed comes in nine varieties: standard, miniature and rabbit, each combined with a smooth-haired, long-haired or wire-haired coat. It is therefore wiser to choose a Dachshund by size, coat, the breeder's aims and the dogs' actual characteristics than by the breed name alone.

- **Uses:** hunting below ground, hunting by scent, tracking wounded game and companionship.
- **Working style:** persistent, independent and strongly scent-oriented.
- **Size:** determined by chest circumference, not height at the withers or a general weight figure.
- **Coat:** smooth, long or wire, with distinctly different care requirements.
- **Important health issue:** intervertebral disc degeneration and herniation, often grouped under the term IVDD.
- **Best suited to:** someone who wants a low-set hunting dog with a strong desire to work and can provide daily exercise, scent work and consistent training.

The final size variety is not confirmed until the dog is at least 15 months old. The parents provide a reasonable indication, but the puppy's final variety cannot be promised before measurement.

## Appearance & Coat

The Dachshund should be low and long-bodied, yet compact, muscular and agile. Its body was built to work freely in confined spaces, not to be extremely long or heavy. The breed standard specifies ground clearance of about one-third of the height at the withers and a ratio of height to body length of approximately 1:1.7–1.8.

Chest circumference is measured after 15 months of age, from the highest point of the withers to the lowest point of the ribcage. The current ranges are:

- **Standard Dachshund:** males more than 37 cm but no more than 47 cm; females more than 35 cm but no more than 45 cm.
- **Miniature Dachshund:** males more than 32 cm but no more than 37 cm; females more than 30 cm but no more than 35 cm.
- **Rabbit Dachshund:** males 27–32 cm; females 25–30 cm.

The three coat types are more than a difference in appearance. The smooth-haired Dachshund has a short, dense, close-lying coat that normally needs limited routine care but should still be checked after time in rough country. The long-haired Dachshund has an undercoat and longer feathering that should be combed where tangles form easily, particularly behind the ears and on the legs, belly and tail. The wire-haired Dachshund has a topcoat, undercoat, beard and pronounced eyebrows. A correct wire coat is hand-stripped when needed; clipping it does not produce the same coat texture.

Accepted colours and patterns depend partly on coat type. Red, black or brown with tan markings, merle (dapple) and brindle are included in the standard, while wild-boar colours are typical of wire coats. Coat colour is not a shortcut to temperament or hunting drive, but some colour combinations matter for health. Ask the breeder to explain both the registered colour and its inheritance if the puppy is merle.

## Temperament & Personality

The ideal Dachshund is friendly and even-tempered, without fear or aggression, but is also energetic, persistent and self-assured. Its independence comes from work in which the dog must make decisions at a distance from its handler. In daily life, the same trait may appear as a Dachshund checking whether a rule really applies every time.

Hunting drive, sociability, vocality, interest in play and ability to settle vary between individuals and family lines. The Swedish analysis of the Behaviour and Personality Assessment for Dogs, BPH, describes many confident Dachshunds but covers less than one per cent of the Swedish-born population studied. It cannot therefore promise the personality of an individual puppy. Claims that a particular coat type is always calmer, easier to train or less interested in hunting are also too broad.

Instead, ask how the parents and close relatives behave at home, with visitors, on walks and in unfamiliar settings. For a working Dachshund, trial results and practical use are relevant; for a companion, it is equally important to hear specific examples of how the dogs settle after activity, how vocal they are and how they respond to handling. A responsible breeder should be able to describe both strengths and areas that require work.

## Training & Exercise

A Dachshund needs daily physical activity and meaningful scent work, but one fixed number of minutes will not suit every dog. Age, fitness, surface, size variety, health and the way the dog works all affect the appropriate load. A healthy adult can be an enduring walking and outdoor companion, while a puppy should build strength and coordination gradually and a dog with back symptoms needs a veterinary plan.

Tracking, search games, human scent trails and carefully placed food searches allow the Dachshund to use its greatest asset: its nose. Short, clear sessions with a reward the dog genuinely values often work better than repetitions without a clear purpose. Start recall, stop cues, staying with the handler and disengaging from a scent trail early. Obedience does not remove hunting drive, so a long line and thoughtful choice of environment are important when recall is not reliable. In Sweden, dogs must not chase or pursue wildlife outside hunting, and particular supervision is required where wildlife may be present from 1 March to 20 August.

Protecting the back does not mean that a healthy Dachshund should live a sedentary life. There is no evidence that a total ban on all stairs or jumping on and off furniture prevents IVDD by itself. Instead, develop good basic fitness, keep the dog at a healthy body condition, reduce slipping hazards at home and avoid uncontrolled high jumps or collisions. Tailor help on stairs and when lifting to the dog's age, size and health.

## Health

Intervertebral disc degeneration and herniation are the Dachshund's most important breed-specific health issue. IVDD means that the discs between the vertebrae change and may press on nerves or the spinal cord. Seek veterinary care promptly if a Dachshund suddenly develops obvious back or neck pain, arches its back, refuses to move, walks unsteadily, loses strength in its legs or has difficulty controlling urination or defecation. Do not wait for mild neurological signs to resolve on their own.

The Swedish Kennel Club's official spinal X-ray screening for Dachshunds counts calcified discs. It is performed from the dog's second birthday until the day before its fourth birthday, and the result is reported as K0, K1–K2, K3–K4 or K5–K26. K0 means that no calcifications were detected, while a higher K number means more fully or partly calcified discs. The result provides breeding and risk information; it does not guarantee that a dog will never develop, or will definitely develop, clinical problems. Information about disc herniation in parents, siblings and previous offspring is therefore also important.

Spinal screening and eye examinations are voluntary for Dachshunds in Sweden. The Swedish Dachshund Club's breed-specific breeding strategy nevertheless recommends considering back and family history and having breeding dogs' eyes examined before first breeding and later in life. PRA occurs in the breed. The current registration provisions for Dachshunds regulate matters including variety, coat, colour and final size measurement, but do not list back or eye examinations as compulsory conditions for registration. A buyer should therefore ask for the actual results rather than accepting the phrase “health-tested parents”.

Monitor body condition too: a waist should be visible and the ribs should be easy to feel with light pressure. When merle is part of a mating, the breeder should be able to explain the colour genes. Inheriting merle from both parents can result in double merle, which in dogs is associated with an increased risk of hearing and eye problems.

## History & Origins

The Dachshund was developed in Germany from low-legged hunting dogs for work below ground. Such dogs have been known since the Middle Ages, while organised breeding took clearer shape during the nineteenth century. The German Dachshund club was founded in 1888, and breeding came to encompass the three sizes and three coats that make up today's nine varieties.

The breed's low outline, powerful forequarters, stamina and independence have a practical explanation. The Dachshund needed to follow quarry below ground, but could also work as a scent hound or flushing dog and assist in tracking wounded game. In Sweden, it became particularly important as a slow-working scent hound when the roe deer population increased during the 1940s. The Swedish Dachshund Club was founded as early as 1901.

That historical role is still apparent in daily life. A Dachshund that will never hunt still needs outlets for scent work, problem-solving and movement. This is also why a buyer should ask what the breeder genuinely prioritises: work below ground, scent hunting, tracking wounded game, showing or primarily companionship.

## Living with the Breed

A Dachshund can live well in a flat if it receives enough time outdoors, activity and training around sounds in the stairwell and outside the door. The size of the home matters less than the content of the dog's day. Plan several opportunities to go out, time to sniff at an unhurried pace and a place where the dog can rest undisturbed. Time alone should be taught gradually; stop and make the exercise easier if the dog shows distress. The Swedish Board of Agriculture's advice to take an adult dog out at least every six hours during the day concerns toileting and exercise, not how long an individual Dachshund should be left alone.

A Dachshund can be a good family dog with children, but young children and dogs should always have an adult present. Children need to learn not to disturb the dog while it is eating or resting. Young children should not carry a Dachshund; a small dog is easily dropped, and the back and hindquarters need proper support when it is lifted. The dog should always have a safe, undisturbed resting place.

Living with other dogs or cats depends on the individual, previous experience and hunting drive. Make introductions calmly, use a barrier and give both animals separate safe areas. A Dachshund with a strong drive to chase may not become reliable with a rabbit, guinea pig or cat simply because introductions are practised. Secure physical separation may be the right long-term solution.

Before buying, ask for specific answers to the following questions:

- Which size and coat is the puppy expected to have, and how confidently can this be predicted?
- What are the parents used for, and how do they and their close relatives behave in daily life?
- Is there an official K result and information about clinical back problems in parents, siblings or previous offspring?
- When were the parents' eyes last examined, and what do the results show?
- Which BPH, hunting or show results are registered and relevant to this particular litter?
- How have the puppies been introduced to handling, household sounds, people and short periods away from their littermates?

The best match is not automatically the smallest puppy, the quietest one during a visit or the colour that first catches your eye. Choose the combination in which the breeder's aims, the dogs' documented health and temperament, and your own daily life all point in the same direction.

Dachshund

UK Dachshund Club

British Veterinary Association

FCI - Fédération Cynologique Internationale

Dachshund: bold, long‑backed, short‑legged hunting dog, originally bred for badger and rabbit. Comes in smooth, long and wire coats, standard and miniature sizes. Loyal, scent‑driven, independent and vocal. Needs regular but careful exercise and weight control to protect its spine.

Nuits

## Quick Facts

The French Bulldog is a small, sturdy and sociable companion dog from France. It should be lively and active, but its shortened skull and muzzle carry a risk of breathing problems and impaired temperature regulation. Anyone considering the breed should therefore assess function and documented health as carefully as temperament and appearance.

- **Breed group and purpose:** FCI Group 9, companion dog
- **Height at the withers:** males 27–35 cm, females 24–32 cm
- **Weight:** males 9–14 kg, females 8–13 kg
- **Coat:** short, smooth and without an undercoat
- **Colours in the breed standard:** fawn, brindle and pied, with the markings described in the standard
- **Ideal temperament:** sociable, lively, playful and affectionate
- **Important Swedish health assessment:** RFG-Scheme has been mandatory before breeding within SKK since 1 January 2025

The breed is not an obvious choice for anyone seeking a dog with low care needs. A French Bulldog should be able to move freely and breathe freely even while moving. Audible or laboured breathing is not a charming or normal breed trait.

## Appearance & Coat

The French Bulldog should be compact and muscular without becoming heavy, immobile or exaggerated. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, the head is broad and the upright “bat ears” are a defining feature. The whole dog should function in motion: open nostrils, adequate muzzle length, free movement and a body that does not prevent activity matter more than an extreme appearance.

The breed standard specifies different measurements for each sex. Males should stand 27–35 cm and weigh 9–14 kg, while females should stand 24–32 cm and weigh 8–13 kg. These figures are not a target weight for every individual. A suitable body condition depends on the dog’s build, muscle mass and body fat; excess weight puts additional strain on breathing, joints and the back.

The coat is short, smooth, soft and glossy, with no undercoat. Shedding can normally be managed with simple brushing as needed. At the same time, check the nails, paws, ears, teeth and skin. Facial folds should be kept clean and dry, but care should follow the skin’s actual condition. Redness, odour, discharge, itching or soreness call for advice, not simply more frequent cleaning.

The breed standard’s colours are fawn, brindle and pied. Blue and merle are not accepted colours. A puppy marketed as a “rare colour” should be assessed using the same important evidence as any other puppy: registration, respiratory function, the parent dogs and the breeder’s breeding programme.

## Temperament & Personality

According to the breed standard, the French Bulldog should be sociable, lively, playful and affectionate. Many individuals enjoy contact and like to take part in family life. The breed can learn quickly, but independence and stubbornness mean that clear routines and worthwhile rewards often work better than repetition or harsh corrections.

The breed standard describes an ideal, not every dog. Inheritance, early experience, health, pain, environment and training all affect an individual’s behaviour. A dog that struggles to breathe or is uncomfortable because of its skin, back or joints may also have less patience and recover less well. Temperament should therefore be considered alongside physical function.

BPH shows how a particular dog responded during a standardised behavioural assessment. It is not a pass-or-fail test and cannot guarantee a puppy’s future personality. The older Swedish BPH analysis covered only a small proportion of French Bulldogs born in Sweden. For a puppy buyer, it is therefore more useful to meet the dam and ask how the parents and close relatives cope with unfamiliar people, dog encounters, unexpected noises, handling, activity and rest.

The breed can suit a well-informed first-time owner who is prepared for reward-based training, daily activity and possible veterinary needs. It is less suitable when the choice is based mainly on small size, a particular look or the assumption that a short-muzzled dog automatically needs very little exercise.

## Training & Exercise

A French Bulldog needs daily walks, scent work, play and everyday training, but no single number of exercise minutes suits every dog. Age, fitness, weather and, above all, the dog’s breathing and recovery determine what is appropriate. Cooling through panting is less efficient in short-muzzled dogs, so the same activity may be easy on a cool day and unsuitable in hot weather.

Plan several manageable activities rather than one long session that has to be completed. Let the dog sniff, walk calmly over varied ground and use its brain through searches and simple problem-solving. Build fitness gradually and watch the dog throughout the activity. Slow down or stop if breathing becomes clearly noisy or laboured, the nostrils narrow, the dog uses its abdomen forcefully to breathe, falls behind or does not recover normally. Severe breathing difficulty, bluish mucous membranes, unsteadiness, collapse or loss of consciousness requires immediate veterinary attention.

In hot weather, walks need to be moved to cooler times, the pace reduced and the dog given shade, water and a cool place to rest. Never leave the dog in a hot car or another enclosed space. A dog that repeatedly struggles during moderate activity or warm weather needs a veterinary assessment; merely avoiding all exercise is not a solution.

Prioritise attention, calm lead walking, recall, ending play, settling and accepting checks of the mouth, ears, facial folds, paws and nails. Teach the dog to be alone in very small steps once it already feels secure at home. Reward-based methods make each task clear and make necessary handling easier.

## Health

The most important health problem to understand in the French Bulldog is BOAS, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. It occurs when there is insufficient space for the soft tissues within the shortened nose and throat. The consequences can include noisy or laboured breathing, poor stamina, disturbed sleep and difficulty regulating body temperature.

RFG-Scheme is a veterinary assessment that evaluates respiratory function before and after three minutes of brisk exercise and grades the result from 0 to 3. Since 1 January 2025, French Bulldogs have been covered by a Level 2 health programme within SKK: dogs used for breeding must have a result before mating. An official result can be registered from 24 months of age and must be no more than two years old at the time of mating. Grade 0 is recommended; dogs graded 2 or 3 must not be used for breeding under SKK rules. A dog that has undergone airway surgery cannot be assessed within the scheme.

An RFG result describes the dog’s condition at the time of the assessment and does not remove the need for your own observations. It is not a lifetime guarantee and does not cover every other health risk. Before buying a puppy, ask for the parents’ registered names, assessment dates and actual RFG grades. Ideally, see the parents both at rest and after normal movement: breathing should be free, recovery reasonable and the nostrils open. Do not accept “tested” or “vet checked” as a substitute for the registered result.

Other documented areas of risk include allergies and skin disease, problems affecting the back, skeleton and joints including patellar luxation, and injuries to the prominent eyes. This does not mean that every dog will be affected. Ask about recurring skin problems, lameness, back pain and eye injuries in the parents and close relatives. The Swedish breed club also recommends that puppy buyers ask about patellas, the heart and breathing in the adult dogs; these questions should be distinguished from the formal RFG requirement.

Contact a vet about recurring breathing noises, clear exercise or heat intolerance, sleep disturbed by breathing, smelly or painful skin, recurring lameness, back pain, or a red, watery or painful eye. Early assessment is better than waiting for a problem to become “typical of the breed”.

## History & Origins

The French Bulldog was established as a breed in Paris in the late nineteenth century. The first breed club was founded in Paris in 1880, the first dog was registered in 1885 and the first breed standard was adopted in 1898. The French kennel club recognised the breed in the same year.

The breed developed as a companion dog and acquired the compact body, broad head and upright bat ears that still characterise the standard. The French Bulldog was first shown in Sweden in 1913. Its historical type explains the modern appearance, but breeding today should not intensify these features to the point that breathing, eyes, back, tail or movement are adversely affected.

## Living with the Breed

A French Bulldog can live in a flat or a house because the size of the home alone does not determine whether daily life will work. What matters is that the dog receives daily activity, can rest undisturbed and has a secure, cool environment. In a flat, sounds from stairwells and outside windows should be addressed through early training, and access to a lift or the number of stairs may become important if the dog is in pain or has difficulty breathing.

The same safety rule applies with children as with any dog: an adult is responsible for their interaction. Children should not disturb the dog while it eats or rests, climb on it or persist when it tries to move away. Provide a protected resting place and teach both children and dog to interact calmly. Small size and a playful temperament do not automatically make an individual safe with children.

Living with other dogs or cats depends on the individuals and their previous experiences. Make introductions gradually, with a way to separate the animals and without forcing close contact. Socialisation may improve the prospects but cannot guarantee that every combination will work. Pay particular attention to stress, resource guarding and whether another dog’s play becomes too physical for an individual with limited breathing capacity.

Time alone needs to be taught gradually, beginning with very short periods. Increase the duration only when the dog can remain calm, and consider using a camera to detect distress or barking that is not apparent when you return. The breed should not be chosen with a plan to leave the dog alone for most of the day on a regular basis.

Before buying, everyone in the household should be able to answer yes to these questions:

- Can we put unrestricted breathing and sound physical function ahead of an extreme appearance or an unusual colour?
- Can we verify the parents’ identities, RFG grades and assessment dates rather than relying on verbal assurances?
- Can we adapt activity to heat and the dog’s condition without making it inactive?
- Do we have the time and financial capacity to manage the veterinary needs that may accompany the breed’s body shape?

If the answers are yes and the breeder can show verifiable results, the French Bulldog can be a lively and close companion. The most important choice is not the most extreme head or rarest colour, but a dog that can breathe, move, recover and enjoy an active everyday life.

French Bulldog

The French Bulldog Club of England

Société Centrale Canine (France)

The Kennel Club (United Kingdom)

The French Bulldog is a small, muscular companion dog with a short coat and bat-like ears. Affectionate, people oriented, and playful yet calm indoors, it suits apartment life. It needs moderate, carefully managed exercise, regular skin, ear, and nail care, and attention to breathing and weight.

Siaöns

## Quick Facts

The Irish Wolfhound is a very large, rough-coated sighthound from Ireland. It combines a sighthound's speed and hunting instinct with a generally friendly nature, but its size affects almost every practical decision, from the car and home to the way a puppy is raised.

- **Breed type:** A sighthound in FCI Group 10, originally used to hunt wolves and other large game.
- **Size:** The standard sets minimums of 79 cm and 54 kg for dogs and 71 cm and 41 kg for bitches. An average height of 81–86 cm is desirable for dogs; there is no stated maximum height or weight.
- **Build:** Powerful and muscular, but not as massive as a Great Dane. It should carry more substance than a Scottish Deerhound without losing the lines and mobility of a sighthound.
- **Temperament:** Usually friendly, affectionate and calm at home. Hunting drive can be strong and varies between individuals.
- **Activity:** Needs daily exercise, mental stimulation and safe opportunities to stretch out at speed. The amount should reflect age, fitness and recovery.
- **Coat:** Rough and hard on the body, legs and head, with marked eyebrows and a beard. It needs regular attention but should not be clipped like a soft-coated companion breed.
- **Worth knowing:** The breed has a shorter life expectancy than many smaller dogs. Heart health, early puppy testing for portosystemic shunt and disease in close relatives are important questions before buying.

## Appearance & Coat

An Irish Wolfhound should be large and imposing without looking heavy or clumsy. It has a long body, deep chest, well-muscled limbs and a long, gently curved tail. Movement should be easy and active. It is less massive than a Great Dane, while carrying more weight and power than a Scottish Deerhound.

The size figures are often misunderstood. The standard gives minimum measurements for both sexes and a desirable average of 81–86 cm for dogs, but no official maximum. A bitch's size and the eventual weight of either sex cannot therefore be read as a narrow range. Proportion, strength and sound movement matter more than aiming for the largest possible dog.

The coat should be rough and hard, particularly above the eyes and under the jaw. Permitted colours include grey, brindle, red, black, pure white and fawn, as well as the colours seen in the Scottish Deerhound. Comb and brush as the individual coat requires, tease out tangles and remove dead, untidy hair without stripping away the protective topcoat. Check the beard, ears, feet, nails and skin too. Bathing should be guided by dirt, skin condition and daily life, not a fixed timetable.

## Temperament & Personality

The Irish Wolfhound is generally friendly and people-oriented, but a breed description cannot guarantee the character of every dog. Early socialisation, the parents' temperaments and the dog's own experiences all affect confidence and sociability. Because of its size, even an enthusiastic greeting, play or a sudden pull on the lead calls for good control.

This is a sighthound with a hunting background. A dog that is quiet indoors may react in an instant to a deer, hare or running cat. Off-lead freedom should therefore depend on the individual's proven recall and the surroundings, not on the assumption that a gentle manner means little prey drive. A securely fenced area is often the best place for full-speed running.

Many live happily with other dogs. Life with cats or smaller animals is more individual: a puppy may learn the rules at home without losing its chase response outdoors. Introduce animals calmly, give the cat escape routes and keep physical control of the dog until their behaviour together is predictable.

A steady adult can be gentle and patient with children, but active adult supervision is still essential. The dog's body can knock over a small child unintentionally. Teach children to leave the dog alone while it eats or sleeps and give the dog a resting place where it will not be disturbed.

## Training & Exercise

An Irish Wolfhound needs consistent, kind training that still works when the dog outweighs its handler. Start early with attention, loose-lead walking, recall, handling and calm passage past people, dogs and wildlife. Short, clear sessions and rewards usually suit the breed better than harsh corrections or long, repetitive drills.

Build recall gradually, moving from easy settings to more difficult distractions. Use a long line in unfenced places until recall remains reliable around likely prey. No training method can promise that a sighthound will always abandon a chase, so a lead and fencing are safety tools, not signs of failed training.

An adult benefits from varied walks, scent-based activities and opportunities to move more freely in a safe place. No evidence-based number of minutes suits every dog. Instead, watch its gait, breathing, willingness and recovery during and after exercise. Increase exertion gradually and adjust it in hot weather, during illness or when fitness is poor.

Puppies grow quickly and should be allowed to play and move at their own pace. Avoid long repetitive distances, high jumping and hard fitness work before the body has matured. Everyday movement, play on suitable surfaces, breaks and new environments build both body and confidence. Ask for advice based on the individual puppy's growth and body condition rather than using a universal minutes-per-month formula.

## Health

A healthy start depends on choosing a breeder carefully, followed by appropriate care throughout life. Irish Wolfhounds have a shorter life expectancy than many smaller breeds. Swedish and international evidence particularly highlights heart disease, cancer, pneumonia and portosystemic shunt. Individual dogs may remain healthy for a long time, but the breed's risks should not be played down.

Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, and the rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation occur in the breed. Atrial fibrillation can be present before an owner notices clear symptoms and may precede heart muscle disease. Echocardiography shows the heart's structure and pumping function, while an ECG assesses its rhythm; the two tests answer different questions and may need to be combined. Ask when both parents were last examined, which methods were used and what is known about hearts in earlier generations. A normal result reduces uncertainty at that time but cannot guarantee that disease will never develop.

In a portosystemic shunt, or PSS, blood is diverted past the liver. The breed has an established early bile-acid check, usually performed when puppies are about six to eight weeks old and before they leave the breeder. Ask to see the litter's results and how any abnormal value was followed up. This is more informative than a general assurance that the line is healthy.

Osteosarcoma and other cancers, as well as serious pneumonia, are among the breed club's health priorities. Persistent lameness, pain or swelling needs veterinary assessment. Seek help promptly for marked lethargy or respiratory symptoms too, as pneumonia can develop rapidly and severely in this breed.

The deep chest also brings a risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus, or GDV. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to vomit, a rapidly swollen or painful abdomen, pronounced restlessness, pale gums, weakness or collapse are emergency warning signs. Go straight to a vet; this cannot be treated at home. Discuss individual risk and possible preventive gastropexy with a vet. The operation reduces the risk of the stomach twisting but does not prevent every episode of bloating.

When assessing a litter, distinguish compulsory registration rules from breed-club health recommendations. The absence of a compulsory result does not make a health question unimportant. Ask for dated examination reports, the puppy's PSS result and straightforward information about longevity and causes of death among close relatives.

## History & Origins

The Irish Wolfhound has roots in Ireland's large hunting dogs, but the modern breed is the result of a documented nineteenth-century reconstruction, not an unchanged line stretching back to antiquity. In AD 391, a Roman consul wrote about Irish dogs sent to Rome. Such dogs were used to hunt wolves and other large game.

Once wolves disappeared from Ireland, the need for these dogs declined and the type came close to extinction by the end of the seventeenth century. In the later nineteenth century, Captain George Augustus Graham gathered the remaining dogs thought to represent the type and rebuilt the breed. Scottish Deerhounds were used in the process, with occasional Borzoi and Great Dane crosses. The breed was shown in its own class in 1879, and the Irish breed club was founded in 1885.

This modern history explains both the relationship with other large sighthounds and why legends about ancient wolfhounds should not be treated as a complete pedigree for today's dogs. The first Irish Wolfhound arrived in Sweden in 1931, and the Swedish Irish Wolfhound Club was formed in 1976.

## Living with the Breed

Living with an Irish Wolfhound is chiefly about space, safety and planning ahead. The breed can live in a flat if it receives suitable activity and the home works in practice, but a very large dog needs room to turn and rest, non-slip surfaces and an easy route outside. Several flights of stairs without a lift are especially difficult for a growing puppy or an injured adult that cannot be carried.

Test the car with an adult dog in mind: it must be able to lie safely, get in without risky jumps and still be transported if it becomes ill. Check that gates and fences can contain a tall, fast dog. A supportive bed, stable food and water bowls and enough room around meals also make daily life easier.

Time alone must be introduced gradually in short, secure stages. A calm breed is not automatically comfortable with long days alone, and a large distressed dog can harm both itself and the home. Arrange a dog sitter or other help before buying if working days will regularly exceed what the dog can manage.

These questions are particularly useful when choosing a breeder:

- Can you meet the dam, and how do both parents behave around people, dogs and ordinary environments?
- When were both parents last examined by echocardiogram and ECG, and what results are known in close relatives?
- Has the whole litter been tested for PSS before leaving, and will you receive a copy of the result?
- What longevity and causes of death are known among the parents, siblings and previous offspring?
- How will you provide secure exercise, transport, insurance and help if the dog cannot walk unaided?

The right home need not be the largest, but it must be practically prepared. Someone who appreciates a friendly sighthound, can manage its hunting drive and has the budget and space for a very large dog may find a distinctive companion. Anyone wanting reliable off-lead freedom everywhere, owning a small car or expecting a dog to tolerate long days alone should choose another breed.

Irish Wolfhound

Irish Wolfhound Club of Great Britain

Irish Wolfhound Club of Northern Ireland

The Irish Wolfhound Club (Germany)

Irish Wolfhounds are giant, tall hounds with a strong yet graceful build and a rough, weather‑resistant coat. Calm, gentle and sensitive, they are low‑key indoors but need steady exercise and space. They have notable health risks and a relatively short lifespan, so careful breeding and care are vital.

Manowar

Kitenga

## Quick Facts

The Havanese is a small FCI-recognised companion dog in Group 9. The FCI lists Cuba as the country of origin and describes how the dog type reached the island from the western Mediterranean. The breed standard gives a height of 23–27 centimetres, with a tolerance of two centimetres in either direction, but no official weight range. Assess likely adult size from height, build, body condition and the parents rather than a promised number of kilograms.

The standard’s ideal is an attentive, affectionate, cheerful, friendly and playful dog. That is a breeding goal, not a guarantee of how every individual will behave with children, unfamiliar people or other animals. Swedish BPH behavioural data instead shows clear variation within the breed.

The long coat is the breed’s biggest day-to-day commitment. It needs to be combed all the way to the skin and may require frequent care, especially during the change from puppy to adult coat. Having little or no undercoat does not make the Havanese allergy-free; dog allergens come from sources including skin particles and saliva and vary between individuals.

## Appearance & Coat

The Havanese should be small, low to the ground and sturdy without becoming heavy or restricted. Body length should relate to height at the withers by roughly 4:3. The front legs should be straight and parallel, and movement light, springy and directed forward. When assessing a dog, look for free movement without obvious lameness, uneven loading or front legs that bow markedly outwards. A profuse coat must not hide poor function.

The breed standard specifies a height of 23–27 centimetres. The stated tolerance extends the accepted range to 21–29 centimetres. The standard gives no ideal weight. Two dogs of the same height can therefore weigh differently because of frame, muscle and body condition. A dog close to either limit is not automatically better or worse, but the Swedish breeding strategy describes a trend towards larger, heavier dogs and stresses that the breed should retain its toy-dog character.

Under the standard, an adult’s outer coat should be very long, about 12–18 centimetres, soft and straight or wavy; it may also form curly strands. The undercoat is poorly developed and often absent. White, fawn, black, Havana brown, tobacco brown and reddish brown occur, as do patches and tan markings in permitted colours. Do not let colour outweigh health, temperament and sound function when choosing a puppy.

The standard calls for a natural coat and does not allow a show coat to be cut to an even length, with limited exceptions around the feet, forehead and muzzle. This is a rule about breed-typical appearance, not a reason to leave painful mats in place. Work a comb through small sections and pay particular attention behind the ears, in the armpits, on the legs and under a harness or collar. Frequency depends on length, texture, moisture and how readily the coat tangles; daily attention may be needed during the coat change.

Introduce the puppy gradually to combing, paw handling, nail trimming and tooth brushing, and pause if it becomes frightened or stressed. Bathe when the coat needs cleaning and dry it thoroughly. Brush the teeth daily with dog toothpaste, as small dogs are more commonly affected by tartar and periodontal disease.

## Temperament & Personality

Under the standard, the Havanese should be attentive, friendly and playful, but individuals differ in how they meet the world. The standard describes a desired temperament. It should not be used as proof that a puppy will automatically be good with children, quiet, fearless or easy for a first-time owner.

The Swedish Kennel Club’s 2026 BPH analysis includes 233 assessed Havanese. Among the participating dogs, there was substantial variation in how intensely they greeted unfamiliar people, how much they played, how curious they were and how they reacted to unstable surfaces. Many showed low social fear and did not threaten strangers, but the data covered only about 1.5 per cent of Swedish-born dogs from the analysed birth years. The findings therefore describe the participating dogs, not every Havanese.

BPH is a description, not a test that a dog passes or fails. Ask to see the parents’ full results and examine the individual reactions. Meet the puppy’s mother in her home environment and observe whether she can greet, choose not to engage, and recover from something unexpected without prolonged fear or stress.

Young children and the dog need adult supervision, and the dog needs a protected resting place. Its small body can be injured by rough play even if the dog seeks contact. Introductions to dogs and cats should be gradual, with distance, escape routes and a way to separate the animals. Previous experiences and the individual dog’s social skills matter more than the breed name.

## Training & Exercise

The Havanese needs daily movement, mental activity and practice in settling. There is no well-supported number of minutes that suits every dog. Adjust walks, play and other exertion to age, fitness, health, weather and recovery.

The breed was developed for companionship and often enjoys cooperation. Scent work, tricks, everyday obedience, rally obedience and appropriately adapted agility can provide useful variety, but competition is not required. Prioritise recall, loose-lead walking, waiting, releasing objects, being examined calmly and settling while things happen nearby. Use reward-based training with clear criteria and avoid physical or psychological coercion.

Alertness may become barking when someone moves through a stairwell or when the dog expects activity. Reduce unnecessary watching at windows and doors, reward calm behaviour and give the dog a clear alternative task. Treat grooming and short periods alone as skills to train from the start. House training is built through frequent opportunities to go outside, supervision and rewards, not punishment or an assumption that the breed is difficult to train.

## Health

The Swedish breed-specific breeding strategy describes the Havanese as a relatively healthy breed, but a careful puppy purchase still requires checking recommendations and actual results. Current Swedish Kennel Club registration rules contain no breed-specific Level 2 or 3 requirement for patellas, eyes or heart in the Havanese. That does not make the examinations unimportant. The breed club’s recommendations are more extensive and must be distinguished from formal conditions for registering a litter.

The breed club recommends that breeding dogs receive a patella examination after one year of age and have no abnormal findings. It also recommends eye examinations roughly annually from one year to at least six years, with a result no more than one year old at mating, and a heart examination with no abnormal findings before mating. These recommendations are conditions for the breed club’s puppy referral service, but they are not the same as an SKK registration requirement.

Ask for the dogs’ registration numbers and verify the result, date and actual status in SKK Avelsdata. The words “health-tested” are not enough. Patella results can be registered from twelve months and are graded from 0, normal, to 3, a permanently luxated kneecap. Even a good individual result should be read alongside information about parents, siblings and previous offspring, because the family picture provides more information than a single examination.

Straight front legs and free movement matter to health as well as show results. The Swedish breeding strategy highlights bowed front legs, isolated cases of a shortened ulna, known as short ulna, and back pain and disc herniation. A study of 355 Norwegian Havanese found an association between an FGF4 variant on chromosome 18 and leg length/front-leg shape. It demonstrates an association in the population studied, but not that every dog with the variant develops clinical problems or that a particular DNA test is a Swedish requirement.

Watch the dog walk and turn, check that it loads its front legs evenly, and ask about lameness, pain, back problems and surgery in close relatives. Also ask about recurring eye problems, heart murmurs and persistent itching or other skin problems, as the Swedish breeding strategy identifies these areas. A veterinarian should assess symptoms; a breeder should be able to show what has actually been examined and why.

## History & Origins

The Havanese has a documented connection with both the western Mediterranean and Cuba. The FCI standard describes small companion dogs developing along the Spanish and Italian coasts and being taken to Cuba at an early stage by Italian sea captains. Cuba is listed as the country of origin, while the FCI holds patronage for the standard.

The old Cuban bloodlines disappeared on the island, but descendant dogs survived in the United States and were used to rebuild the modern population. The Swedish breed-specific breeding strategy describes a very small founder population, which helps explain why genetic diversity and restrained use of individual breeding dogs remain important. This is better documented than claims that the breed is Cuba’s official national dog or has an exactly known founding year.

The first dogs of the breed were imported and registered in Sweden in 1988, and the first Swedish litters were registered in 1989. Since then, the Havanese has grown greatly in popularity as a companion dog.

## Living with the Breed

The Havanese can live successfully in many types of home if the owner has time for coat care, daily activity and training. A flat is not automatically a problem, but stairwell sounds, distance to a toileting area and the opportunity to train calm behaviour must be manageable. A garden does not replace walks, exposure to different environments or companionship.

Time alone must be taught gradually. Start with very short periods when the dog feels secure and increase them only when it can rest without barking, pacing or showing other signs of stress. A puppy cannot be left on the same basis as an adult dog. Plan how working days will be managed before buying.

Try the grooming routine in practice before deciding. Ask the breeder to show how a comb is worked all the way to the skin, how long a complete session takes and how the coat changes during adolescence. If the family cannot keep the coat free of mats, it needs a different care plan developed with a knowledgeable groomer; breed-typical appearance must never take priority over the dog’s welfare.

Before buying, meet the puppy with its mother where the dogs live and verify registration numbers, pedigree and identity. Compare the parents’ patella, eye and heart results with the breed club’s current recommendations, and ask about temperament, front legs, backs and skin in close relatives. A puppy born in Sweden must be at least eight weeks old at collection and have a veterinary inspection certificate no more than seven days old at that time.

The best choice is not automatically the smallest, fluffiest or most outgoing puppy. Choose a dog from parents that move freely, have documented examinations, recover well and can be handled calmly. That tells you more about future daily life than colour, a marketed weight or labels such as “allergy-friendly” and “perfect family dog”.

Havanese

The Havanese is Cuba’s national toy breed, a sturdy, lively companion with a long, silky, low‑shedding coat. Affectionate and people‑oriented, it suits families, apartments or houses. It needs regular grooming, daily walks, play, mental stimulation, and dislikes long periods alone.

Callunavias

## 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.

Sagolis

## Quick Facts

The Cocker Spaniel is a British flushing and retrieving gundog that also makes an active companion. The breed tends to be cheerful, sociable and cooperative, but hunting drive, activity level and ability to settle vary between individuals and breeding lines. The most important choice is therefore not only the breed, but also the breeder and line that suit your daily life.

- **Size:** males are usually about 39–41 cm at the withers and females 38–39 cm. Weight is often around 13–15 kg.
- **Activity level:** high. The breed needs physical activity, scent work, training and time to wind down every day.
- **Coat care:** the coat needs to be combed and brushed through thoroughly every week. Trimming roughly every other month is a useful guide, but the need depends on the coat, lifestyle and how the coat is kept.
- **Life expectancy:** about 11–15 years is a broad guide, not a guarantee for an individual dog.
- **Best suited to:** an owner who wants to do things with their dog and has time for both training and regular coat care.

Some dogs are bred primarily for work in the field, while others are bred mainly with the breed standard and other traits in mind. The difference may be visible in working style, build and coat, but type alone does not determine what a dog will be like. Tell the breeder how you live, ask what the parents are used for and, if possible, meet adult relatives before choosing a puppy.

## Appearance & Coat

The Cocker Spaniel is a compact, robust and well-balanced dog with long, low-set ears and an alert expression. The coat should be flat and silky, with longer feathering on areas including the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. The breed comes in many recognised colours, both solid and in various particolour or roan combinations.

Height at the withers is about 39–41 cm for males and 38–39 cm for females. An adult dog often weighs around 13–15 kg. These measurements describe the breed’s typical build, but do not predict a puppy’s future activity level or whether a particular dog will suit your home.

Coat care is a real part of everyday life. Comb down to the skin at least once a week and pay particular attention to areas where tangles form easily, such as behind the ears, in the armpits and in the feathering on the legs and feet. Regular baths followed by thorough drying can make the coat easier to manage. Many dogs need help from a skilled groomer roughly every other month; a dog with a profuse show coat may require more work, while a shorter or more practical trim can be managed differently.

Check the ears, skin, nails and feet at the same time. An unpleasant smell, redness, discharge, itching or repeated head shaking are signs that need attention, not something to mask with a fixed cleaning routine. Ask the breeder or an experienced groomer to show you how to keep the hair around the feet and ears tidy without irritating the skin or ear canal.

## Temperament & Personality

A Cocker Spaniel should be friendly, affectionate, lively and inquisitive, and many enjoy working closely with their person. This makes the breed rewarding to train and easy to engage in shared activities. At the same time, a dog may act independently when a scent or movement becomes more interesting than its handler. Friendliness in the breed description is therefore a desired trait, not a promise that every dog will automatically cope with every setting.

The distinction between working-bred and more show-oriented Cockers matters, but should not be exaggerated. Working-bred dogs are bred with a clear focus on performance in the field. Dogs bred mainly towards the breed standard may still have clear hunting traits and substantial activity needs. If you intend to hunt with your dog, choose documented working lines. If you mainly want a companion, you should still expect an active dog and ask how the parents and adult relatives behave in everyday life.

BPH results can provide more information about dogs’ responses to people, play, surprises and different surfaces, for example. BPH is a Swedish behavioural description carried out in a set situation, not a test that a dog passes or fails, and it does not capture every trait needed for field work. Treat the result as one part of the picture alongside the breeder’s aims, the parents’ everyday behaviour and any hunting or working records.

## Training & Exercise

The Cocker Spaniel needs physical activity and mental work every day, but one fixed number of minutes will not suit every dog. Age, health, breeding line, intensity and opportunities to recover all affect the need. A good routine includes walks in varied surroundings, scent and search games, retrieving or another cooperative exercise, as well as learning to rest when nothing is happening.

The breed’s background makes activities that involve searching, finding and cooperating particularly natural. Tracking, spaniel work, retrieving, nosework, obedience and agility are examples, but simple everyday exercises work too: finding an object, following a short trail or bringing in a toy on cue. A working-bred Cocker may need more purposeful work than an ordinary walk provides. A great deal of fast activity without planned recovery does not automatically produce a calm dog.

Start recall, handler focus and impulse control early. Begin where distractions are limited and increase the difficulty gradually; use a long line where hunting interest may take over. Reward-based, clear and brief training usually suits a quick, engaged Cocker better than harsh corrections or long, repetitive sessions. Also spend time teaching calm handling of ears, feet and coat so that recurring care is safe and comfortable for both dog and owner.

## Health

A Cocker Spaniel can live a long and active life, but health should be assessed through verifiable results, not simply through a breeder saying that the line is healthy. For a litter to be registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, both parents must have a recorded hip dysplasia (HD) status. Ask for the parents’ registered names or registration numbers and check their results in the Swedish Kennel Club’s Avelsdata or Hunddata databases.

The Cocker Spaniel Club of Sweden’s current puppy referral rules give buyers a practical Swedish checklist, but following the rules is voluntary. Results must be known before mating. Both parents must have a hip result of A, B or C; if one dog has a C result, the recommendation is for the parents’ average hip index at mating to be above 100. The eye examination certificate must be no more than two years old at mating, and at least one parent must be DNA-tested clear or hereditarily clear of familial nephropathy, FN. These are the breed club’s referral conditions, not a guarantee that a puppy will never become ill.

Do not ask only whether “all the tests have been done”. Ask to see the exact result, date and identity for both parents. FN and renal dysplasia, RD, are different kidney diseases, so an FN DNA result does not rule out every kidney problem. A prcd-PRA DNA test reports status for one particular inherited variant, while an eye examination can detect clinical changes and other eye diagnoses. The tests complement one another but do not answer the same question.

Long ears and profuse feathering make ear checks a practical routine. Keep the ears dry after bathing and swimming, and consult a vet if there is pain, smell, redness, discharge or recurring itching. Do not treat a dog yourself simply because the breed is often associated with ear problems.

## History & Origins

The Cocker Spaniel comes from Great Britain and was developed to flush and retrieve birds in close cooperation with the hunter. It was recognised as separate from the Field Spaniel and Springer Spaniel shortly after the Kennel Club was founded in 1873. The older name “cocking spaniel” is linked to its work with the woodcock.

Different breeding directions have become more distinct over time. Working-bred dogs have been selected for traits such as search pattern, speed, desire to work and responsiveness in the field, while other breeding places greater emphasis on the breed standard. Both belong to the same breed, but the distinction helps explain why two Cocker Spaniels may require quite different daily lives. The English Cocker Spaniel should not be confused with the American Cocker Spaniel, which is a separate breed.

## Living with the Breed

A Cocker Spaniel can live successfully in a family with children, a flat or a home with other animals, but none of these outcomes follows automatically from the breed name. The individual dog’s traits, early training and daily routines matter, as does the responsibility taken by the adults.

An adult must always supervise interactions with young children. Children need to learn not to disturb the dog when it is eating or resting, when it withdraws or when it shows that it wants to be left alone. The dog needs a safe resting place that the children respect. Meet the parents if possible and ask the breeder how they respond to handling, noises, visitors and children instead of accepting the label “family dog” as sufficient.

The breed can often live with other dogs, but a cat or smaller animal may trigger hunting interest. During introductions, allow the animals to become familiar with each other’s scent first and then meet under control, using distance, a barrier or a lead. The cat must always have a safe escape route, and the dog must not be allowed to practise chasing. Do not leave them alone together until their interactions are stable.

A flat is not a problem in itself if the dog receives enough outdoor activity and can settle indoors. In a building where sound carries, you will also need to prevent barking at noises or in anticipation of activity through calm routines and training around sounds in communal areas. A garden does not replace walks, scent work or shared training.

Time alone must be taught gradually. A young puppy cannot be left alone at first; begin with very short periods once the puppy feels secure and increase them only while it remains calm. There is no single duration that every Cocker Spaniel can manage. Arrange a dog sitter or another solution if daily life regularly requires more time alone than your particular dog handles well.

Before buying, check three things: which traits the breeder actually prioritises, how the parents and adult relatives behave, and which registered health results are available. When the line, activity needs and coat care suit the household, you have the best foundation for what the breed was developed to be — a cheerful dog that wants to work closely with its person.

Cocker Spaniel

Svenska Spaniel och Retrieverklubben - SSRK (Sweden)

Dansk Spaniel Klub (Denmark)

American Kennel Club (Provides UK information)

Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), Belgium

Cheerful, medium‑sized gundog with a sturdy build, soft expression, and long silky ears. Bred to hunt woodcock, it loves sniffing, searching, and joining family activities. Sensitive and people‑oriented, it needs daily exercise, mental stimulation, and regular grooming to stay healthy and content.

Waterstreams

## 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)

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.

Eve's Ink

## Quick Facts

The Whippet is a British, FCI-recognised sighthound in Group 10. The breed was developed for speed and work, and the breed standard describes a combination of muscular power, strength and elegance without exaggeration. It is therefore an athletic dog, not merely a slender companion.

The desired height at the withers is 47–51 cm for males and 44–47 cm for females. The breed standard does not specify an ideal weight. Assess weight and body condition in relation to the individual dog's size, muscle and fitness rather than against a fixed number.

Before buying, you should focus particularly on safe exercise, prey drive, cold weather and documented health in the family. A Whippet can be an adaptable companion, but needs opportunities to run safely, gradual training to be left alone and careful management around wildlife and small animals.

## Appearance & Coat

The Whippet should be built to function at speed. The standard calls for, among other things, a deep chest, power over the loin, strong hindquarters and free, long movement with powerful drive. Movement should be parallel and neither short, stilted nor exaggerated. An extremely thin or weak dog is therefore no more typical of the breed than a heavy, cumbersome one.

The difference in desired height between the sexes is small, yet individuals can still differ clearly in build. Because the standard gives no weight, a single number on the scales is a poor criterion for choosing a dog or judging its health. It is better to assess proportions, muscle, movement and current body condition with the breeder or a veterinarian.

The coat should be fine, short and close. All colours and colour combinations are permitted except merle. The breed standard does not state whether the Whippet has an undercoat. You should therefore assess the individual dog's coat density and tolerance of cold rather than assume that every Whippet has exactly the same protection.

The fine coat provides little protection from cold and wet weather. Some Whippets need a well-fitting coat on cold walks, while the weather, activity and individual dog determine when it is necessary. Shivering, slowing down or clearly seeking warmth are signs to stop or provide more protection. Grooming is otherwise straightforward, but the skin, paw pads and nails should be checked after activity in scrub, crusted snow or uneven terrain.

## Temperament & Personality

The breed standard describes the Whippet as gentle, affectionate and even-tempered, with the ability to adapt both at home and in sporting settings. This is the breed ideal, not a guarantee for every individual. Breeding, early experiences, health and everyday training all affect how an individual dog behaves.

Swedish BPH behavioural assessment results provide a more nuanced picture. By July 2024, 373 Whippets had been assessed. Among Swedish-born dogs from 2004–2023, participation amounted to 323 of 8,641 dogs, or 3.7 percent. On average, the assessed group was moderately social, relatively playful and fairly secure and curious. At the same time, there was greater variation in areas including greeting, curiosity and play. The results describe the participating dogs and should not be treated as a promise about a puppy or the whole breed.

With children, calm handling and an undisturbed resting place matter more than the label “family dog”. An adult needs to supervise, and children should not disturb a dog that is eating or resting. Meetings with other dogs should also be introduced in a controlled way, particularly if the dogs differ in size, play style or experience.

A Whippet can live with a cat, but the breed name does not guarantee success. Prey drive and reactions to fast movement vary. Start at a distance with a physical barrier, keep the dog on a lead, give the cat a safe escape route and supervise until both animals are relaxed. A dog accepting the family cat does not reliably predict how it will react to unfamiliar cats or small animals outdoors.

## Training & Exercise

A Whippet needs daily physical and mental activity, but neither the breed standard nor Swedish authority guidance specifies a fixed number of minutes or requires the dog to run off lead at full speed every day. Adjust the workload to age, health, fitness and surface. Walks, scent work, everyday obedience and occasional opportunities to stretch out in a safe place provide a good mix.

Training should be reward-based, progressive and tailored to the individual. Short sessions with a clear goal often work better than many repetitions. Prioritise recall, checking in around movement, waiting calmly, accepting paw handling and settling after activity. Start in easy environments and increase distractions once the behaviour is reliable.

Prey drive is a safety consideration, not a character defect. The breed's background means that fast movement can trigger pursuit, but the strength of that response varies. Recall reduces risk without making every open space safe. Use a lead or long line where wildlife, traffic, cyclists or small animals may appear, and choose properly enclosed areas when the dog is to run free.

Swedish rules also require particular care around wildlife. From 1 March to 20 August, dogs must be prevented from running loose in the countryside, and during the rest of the year you must still be able to stop the dog from driving or pursuing wildlife. Lure coursing and other organised sighthound activities can provide a controlled outlet for the chase, but they are options rather than requirements for a good life.

## Health

The Whippet is not included in any of the Swedish Kennel Club's health programmes, so there are no breed-specific health examinations that must be completed before mating in Sweden. This does not make documentation unimportant. The Swedish Whippet Club's current breed-specific breeding strategy recommends examinations and follow-up that a puppy buyer should ask about specifically.

The breed club recommends cardiac auscultation of breeding dogs, meaning that a veterinarian listens to the heart with a stethoscope. If a murmur is heard, the dog should be examined further by a veterinarian specialising in cardiology. MMVD occurs in the breed, but a murmur is a finding, not a diagnosis in itself. The club also recommends eye examination and BPH behavioural assessment, and advises waiting until the dog is at least two years old before breeding. These are recommendations, not Swedish registration requirements for the breed.

The eye situation needs equally careful wording. A small number of Swedish PRA cases have been documented, while only a small proportion of dogs have been examined for inherited eye disease. The issue can therefore neither be described as common nor dismissed. Ask to see dated results for the parents and how the breeder uses results from relatives.

Injuries deserve more attention than a long list of possible diseases. In the breed club's 2020 health survey, which received responses concerning 367 individual dogs, owners reported that 42.7 percent had experienced an accident requiring veterinary care; wounds were the most common. A survey does not show the risk for every dog, but it supports checking skin, paws and movement after fast activity and choosing surfaces and enclosures carefully.

Also ask about testicular status in males and immune-mediated disease among close relatives. The breed strategy describes clustering in families but not a simple mode of inheritance that a single DNA test can resolve. Information about parents, littermates and older relatives can therefore be more useful than a general statement that the line has been health tested.

Cardiac findings in a Whippet also need to be interpreted with knowledge of the breed. Studies of healthy Whippets show that some ECG and ultrasound measurements can differ from general canine reference values. Tell the veterinarian that the dog is a Whippet and how it is trained. This can reduce the risk of misinterpretation, but must not be used to dismiss a murmur, symptoms or the need for further investigation.

## History & Origins

The Whippet's documented history begins in Great Britain. The breed was mentioned in an official show context in England in 1876, and The Kennel Club recognised it in 1890. Whippet racing is documented from the 1890s, while the breed standard states that the dog was originally used for hunting by sight or scent.

The breed is associated particularly with northern England and racing, but the earliest breeding decisions are not fully documented. Greyhounds and some terrier breeds are often cited as possible influences, while the Swedish breed strategy notes that written accounts from the earliest breeders are lacking. These crosses are therefore best described as likely theories rather than a precise recipe.

The breed's earlier work is still apparent in its construction and interest in movement. Today's Whippet is also an established companion and sporting dog. Its history helps explain speed and prey drive, but should not be used to claim that every individual must compete or reacts to wildlife in the same way.

## Living with the Breed

A Whippet can live successfully in a flat if daily life provides enough time outdoors, activity and opportunities to settle. The size of the home matters less than access to suitable outdoor areas, the noise environment and how often the dog needs to be left alone. For an individual that reacts to sound or struggles to settle, a noisy apartment building can be more demanding than the floor plan suggests.

Being left alone should be trained gradually. Start when the dog feels secure at home, leave for a very short time and increase it only while the dog remains calm. The breed often being described as affectionate does not mean every Whippet develops separation problems, and a second dog is not a reliable solution. Assess the individual dog's behaviour and take a step back in training if it shows signs of distress.

Plan for warmth, rest and safe transport as well. A short-coated dog may need extra protection in cold weather, but fit and freedom of movement matter more than a long equipment list. A quiet, sheltered sleeping place and gentle handling after strenuous activity also help you notice wounds, soreness or changes in movement early.

Before buying a puppy, ask for specific evidence:

- registered information and dated heart and eye results for both parents;
- BPH results or a clear description of temperament in the parents and close relatives;
- information about injuries, heart disease, eye disease, testicular status and immune-mediated disease in the family;
- the breeder's plan for socialisation, habituation to different environments and support after the puppy goes home.

The Whippet is best suited to someone who values a close companion while respecting that it is a fast sighthound. The deciding question is not whether the breed is always calm, easy or family-friendly, but whether you can provide safe exercise, consistent training and room for the variation between individuals.

Whippet

Medium sighthound combining racing speed with calm companionship. Sleek, lean and Greyhound‑like, with a short, easy‑care coat but little weather protection. Sensitive, gentle and people‑oriented, it needs kind training, safe chances to sprint, soft warm bedding and a stable, quiet home.

Lyckovinstens

## Quick Facts

The German Spitz – Kleinspitz is a small, alert companion and watchdog that tends to stay close to its family and quickly notices what is happening around it. It is best suited to an owner who enjoys an active small dog, trains calmly and consistently, and can help it distinguish ordinary everyday sounds from events that genuinely require attention.

- **Country of origin:** Germany
- **Breed type:** One of five size varieties of German Spitz
- **Purpose:** Companion and watchdog
- **Height at the withers:** The ideal height is 27 cm, with a permitted variation of 3 cm either way
- **Weight:** The breed standard does not specify a fixed weight. As a practical guide, many Kleinspitz weigh around 5–8 kg, but suitable body condition and proportions matter more than a particular number
- **Coat:** Long, straight outer coat with a dense, soft undercoat
- **Typical traits:** Alert, lively, trainable and often reserved with strangers

The Kleinspitz is a distinct, recognised size variety, not a crossbreed. Its size limits are nevertheless close to those of the Mittelspitz and Pomeranian. In Sweden, certain matings between neighbouring varieties are permitted. Puppies are initially registered as the larger parent’s variety, and for dogs later measured at a show, the final size variety can be determined from 15 months of age. A prospective puppy buyer should therefore ask about both parents’ size and how the breeder handles variety registration.

## Appearance & Coat

The Kleinspitz should be compact and almost square, with a pointed muzzle, small upright ears and a high-set tail carried over the back. The abundant coat forms a distinct ruff around the neck and feathering on the hind legs. Beneath the coat, the body should remain well proportioned and movement should be flowing and springy.

The breed’s ideal height is 27 cm, and the permitted range is 24–30 cm. Rather than stipulating a set number of kilograms, the breed standard links weight to the dog’s size. Assess body condition by touch and with a vet when necessary; a full coat can conceal excess weight and can also make a slender dog look heavier than it is.

Accepted colours include white, black, brown, orange and wolf sable, as well as several clearly defined colour varieties, including cream, orange sable, black and tan, and parti-colour with a white ground. Merle is not included in the breed standard. Colour is a matter of appearance and should never take priority over health, temperament and a carefully considered mating.

The coat consists of a straight, harsher outer coat and a short, thick, cotton-like undercoat. Brush or comb right through to the skin about once a week and more often during shedding periods. Pay particular attention behind the ears, in the armpits and beneath a harness or collar. The coat should not routinely be shaped by extensive trimming. Bathe the dog when it is dirty rather than following a fixed timetable.

## Temperament & Personality

The Kleinspitz is usually lively, attentive and strongly oriented towards its people, but it is not automatically sociable with everyone it meets. The breed standard describes a dog with a natural wariness of strangers, without fearfulness or aggression. In everyday life, this may mean that the dog prefers to observe a visitor before seeking contact.

A tendency to bark is an important part of the breed decision. A Kleinspitz often reacts quickly to sounds, movement in a shared stairwell or someone arriving at the door. The goal need not be a completely silent dog, but one that can alert and then settle again. Reward calm behaviour, create distance from recurring triggers and avoid inadvertently reinforcing every alarm by rushing to the window with the dog.

BPH, a standardised behavioural assessment, still has only a small Kleinspitz sample whose owners chose to participate. On average, the group appeared relatively confident and showed few threatening or aggressive reactions, but it was not markedly sociable with strangers either. These findings describe the participating dogs, not every individual. The parents’ behaviour, early experiences and the breeder’s environment offer better guidance about an individual puppy than the breed name alone.

The breed is often described as having little hunting drive, but this is not a guarantee of reliable recall. Curiosity and excitement may still prompt a Kleinspitz to chase birds, wildlife or bicycles. Train recall in gradual stages and use a long line where the surroundings require it.

## Training & Exercise

The Kleinspitz needs daily physical activity and mental engagement, but exercise should be adapted to the individual dog’s age, health and experience rather than a universal number of minutes. Several walks, opportunities to sniff and short problem-solving sessions will often suit it better than one long, monotonous outing.

The breed is quick and trainable, which makes reward-based training effective but also exposes unclear rules. Work in small steps and reward the behaviour you want: four paws on the floor when greeting, attention before a door opens and quiet after an alert. Harsh corrections risk causing fear or more noise and have no place in modern dog training.

Scent work, tricks, balance exercises and everyday obedience can provide useful variety. A healthy adult Kleinspitz may also enjoy longer walks, but fitness should be built gradually. Puppies should be able to move freely in varied ways without forced distances or repetitive jumping. Its small body does not make the dog a fragile ornament, but it does need protection from falls, rough play and exertion for which it is not ready.

Accustom the dog early to brushing, tooth brushing, nail trimming and being examined. Short, positive handling sessions make recurring care easier and improve the chance of noticing changes in the skin, eyes, mouth or movement.

## Health

The Kleinspitz is generally regarded as a relatively healthy small breed, but a considered purchase requires more than a broad claim about healthy lines. Ask to see the official results for both parents and which problems have actually occurred among close relatives.

The Swedish breed club recommends that breeding dogs have normal kneecaps and eyes without recorded abnormalities. Patellar findings are recorded on a scale from 0 to 3, so the actual result must be considered; saying that a dog has been “patella checked” does not reveal what the examination found. An official eye examination must be carried out by an authorised veterinary ophthalmologist and provides a current picture of the dog’s eye status, not a lifelong guarantee.

Recommendations for knee and eye examinations should not be confused with a central health scheme or a separate registration requirement for the Kleinspitz. What matters to a puppy buyer is the actual results, the date of the examinations and how the breeder uses them in breeding decisions.

Be cautious about broad claims concerning DNA tests for PRA. A test that identifies a particular gene variant in another breed does not rule out every form of progressive retinal atrophy in the Kleinspitz. Eye examinations, family history and transparent reporting of findings therefore cannot be replaced by a vague statement that the dogs have been “DNA tested”.

Abnormal coat loss appears in descriptions of small German Spitz, but terms such as BSD or “black skin disease” are used as informal umbrella labels rather than a single confirmed diagnosis. A dog with abnormal hair loss needs veterinary investigation rather than a diagnosis based on its breed or appearance.

As with other dogs, weight management and dental care form part of preventive care. Introduce tooth brushing early and make it a calm daily routine.

## History & Origins

The modern breed origin of the German Spitz – Kleinspitz is in Germany, and it belongs to the FCI group for Spitz and primitive types. The FCI places the five German Spitz varieties under the same breed standard: Wolfspitz/Keeshond, Giant Spitz, Medium Spitz, Miniature Spitz and Pomeranian.

The German Spitz has historically been described as a watchdog and companion. The international breed standard received definitive recognition in 1957, although its wording and size rules have since been revised. Older accounts link German Spitz to very early European dog types, but these origin stories should be read as cynological tradition rather than proven ancestry for today’s Kleinspitz.

The shared standard explains why the boundaries between varieties still have practical importance in breeding and registration. A Kleinspitz is therefore not merely “a small Spitz” in an everyday sense, but the size variety that should fall within the measurements and overall appearance set out in the breed standard.

## Living with the Breed

The Kleinspitz can live successfully in either a flat or a house if it receives activity, rest and help managing sounds. The size of the home matters less than the way daily life is organised. In a flat with poor sound insulation, however, a prospective owner should take the breed’s quick alarm response seriously and plan calmness training from the outset.

With children, the breed can become an engaged family dog, but adults must always take responsibility for the interaction. The dog needs an undisturbed resting place, and children must learn not to disturb it while it is eating or sleeping. Because the Kleinspitz is small, extra care is needed when lifting it and during lively play. No dog, regardless of breed, should be left alone with young children.

Compatibility with a cat or another dog depends more on the individuals and the introduction than on the breed name. Initial meetings should be calm and gradual, with opportunities for distance and separate resources. Previous experience of the other species is helpful but does not guarantee that every combination will work.

Time alone needs to be introduced gradually once the dog feels secure in its new home. A young puppy cannot be left alone, and adult dogs vary greatly in what they can cope with without stress. Increase the duration in small steps and reduce it again if the dog begins to bark persistently, pace, destroy things or show other signs of distress.

The Kleinspitz is therefore best suited to someone who wants a small but active dog, can live with regular coat care and is prepared to work on noise, social confidence and everyday skills. It is a poorer choice for someone seeking a quiet, independent dog that is satisfied with brief toilet walks and can be left alone for long working days.

German Spitz – Kleinspitz

VDH (Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen)

The German Spitz – Kleinspitz is a small, squarely built, fox‑faced companion with a dense double coat and curled tail. Alert, lively and strongly bonded to its people, it adapts well to city or country life, needs regular grooming, exercise and training, and can be vocal and watchful.

Norrviddens

## Quick Facts

The Yorkshire Terrier is a small British terrier kept primarily as a companion, but it should still be alert, intelligent and spirited, with an even temperament.

- The breed is recognised by the FCI as British terrier number 86, in Group 3 and the Toy Terrier section.
- The breed standard sets a maximum weight of 3.2 kg but no minimum weight or height at the withers. In practice, many dogs are heavier than the standard maximum.
- “Teacup” is not an official Yorkshire Terrier size category. The label therefore cannot guarantee a dog’s adult size or health.
- The coat should be straight, glossy, fine and silky. A long coat requires considerable care; clipping it short reduces the work but does not make it maintenance-free.
- The clearest documented health priorities are the teeth, retained deciduous teeth and patellar luxation, or slipping kneecaps.

## Appearance & Coat

The Yorkshire Terrier should be compact, neat and well proportioned, with an upright carriage and free movement. It may be very small, but it should not look fragile or exaggeratedly miniaturised.

The 3.2 kg maximum describes the show standard’s ideal, not a promise for every adult dog. The standard gives no height at the withers. SKK reports that most dogs are around 20–25 cm and that many weigh more than the standard maximum; even puppies in the same litter can reach different adult sizes. A puppy buyer should therefore ask for the actual weights of the parents and adult relatives rather than rely on terms such as “mini” or “teacup”.

The standard adult coat is dark steel blue over the body and clear golden tan on areas including the head and chest. The hair should be straight and glossy with a fine, silky texture, not woolly. Puppies are born black and tan, and the steel-blue adult colour develops gradually. The pace at which colour and texture mature varies, so a puppy coat cannot show exactly what the adult dog will look like.

A long coat needs frequent, thorough combing all the way to the skin, particularly where the hair is exposed to friction. Many companion dogs are clipped short for an easier routine. This makes bathing, drying and detangling less time-consuming, but the dog still needs brushing and must learn to accept handling around the face, ears, feet and nails. The coat has no undercoat, which can also mean that the dog needs protection in cold, wet weather.

The Yorkshire Terrier is sometimes described as suitable for people with allergies because it sheds little visible hair. That is misleading as a guarantee: no dog is allergen-free, and dog allergens come from sources including saliva and skin cells. Anyone who has or suspects an animal allergy should seek medical advice before getting a dog.

A tricoloured Biewer Terrier is not a special Yorkshire Terrier colour. In Sweden and the other Nordic countries, the Biewer Terrier is treated as a separate breed, despite its close historical relationship with the Yorkshire Terrier. It is not, however, recognised by the FCI.

## Temperament & Personality

The Yorkshire Terrier is generally attentive, curious and ready to act, rather than a passive lapdog. The breed standard emphasises intelligence, spirit and an even disposition, but sociability, barking and interest in chasing vary between dogs and are influenced by upbringing and training.

Its quick response to sounds and movement can make the breed inclined to sound the alarm. That does not mean every dog barks excessively. A dog that is allowed to investigate its surroundings calmly, rewarded for quiet behaviour and taught to settle is better equipped to handle sounds at the door and movement outside a window. Simply interrupting barking without changing its cause rarely creates a sustainable routine.

The terrier background may show as an interest in toys, scents and small animals. Recall and the ability to disengage from something exciting therefore need training, even with a dog that is easy to pick up. Living with a cat or another dog depends more on the individual, the introduction and daily routines than on a simple yes-or-no verdict for the breed.

With children, the small body is the most important practical consideration. A child must be able to let the dog move away, play at floor level and refrain from carrying or chasing it. Contact with young children should be supervised. The same care is needed during play with much larger dogs, because friendly but physical play can still be too rough for a Yorkshire Terrier.

## Training & Exercise

The Yorkshire Terrier needs daily physical and mental activity, but there is no meaningful number of minutes that suits every dog. A good day includes several toilet outings, walks with time to sniff, play, simple problem-solving and training in which the dog can succeed.

Adapt the amount and intensity to age, fitness, weather and the individual. It is more useful to observe how the dog functions in everyday life and adjust one thing at a time than to chase a generic number of minutes.

Reward-based training suits the breed’s quick understanding. Prioritise engagement, recall, loose-lead skills, a calm resting place and an alternative behaviour when the dog wants to alert. Also practise grooming, showing the teeth and nail care in small steps. This makes everyday care safer and reduces the need to restrain the dog.

Socialisation does not mean that a puppy must greet everyone. It needs calm, positive experiences of people, dogs, surfaces, traffic and household sounds without being pressured. The breed may also enjoy scent work, rally obedience, tracking, tricks or agility adapted to its size. The particular activity matters less than giving the dog ways to use both body and mind.

## Health

The Yorkshire Terrier is relatively long-lived as a population, but the teeth and knee joints deserve particular attention. SKK highlights dental calculus, retained deciduous teeth and patellar luxation as issues to know about.

A British study published in 2025 reviewed the records of 3,308 Yorkshire Terriers attending general veterinary practices during 2016. Periodontal disease was the most common specific diagnosis and was recorded in 21.1 per cent during the study year. Retained deciduous teeth were recorded in 3.57 per cent, and the researchers also identified patellar luxation as a breed predisposition. The figures describe a British study group during a defined period, not the risk for a particular Swedish dog, but they make dental care a clear everyday priority.

Start getting the puppy accustomed to tooth brushing early. Daily tooth brushing is the best practical protection against plaque and calculus, but training should be built without force. Ask a veterinarian to check the transition to adult teeth if deciduous teeth remain as the permanent teeth erupt or if the dog appears to have a painful mouth.

Ask the breeder to explain what is known about teeth, bite and knee joints in the parents and close relatives. Ask whether the parents have been examined for patellar luxation and request documented results if available. A single test can reduce uncertainty but can never guarantee a healthy puppy.

There is no universal, permanent Yorkshire Terrier test package across all kennel clubs. Before buying or breeding, check the current Swedish registration rules and recommendations from SKK and the breed club rather than relying on an old list found online.

In the British study, the median age at death was 13.56 years, supporting the picture of a long-lived breed. This is a population measure, not a forecast for an individual. Body condition, oral health, movement, behavioural changes and regular veterinary care need attention throughout life.

## History & Origins

The Yorkshire Terrier developed in northern England during the 1800s and took shape in Yorkshire’s textile districts. From the 1850s, weavers and wool-mill workers bred very small, soft-coated terriers that retained the terrier’s interest in hunting and also became sought-after companion dogs.

The breed’s exact recipe is not securely documented. The old Black and Tan Terrier, together with the Maltese, Dandie Dinmont Terrier and Skye Terrier, are mentioned as probable contributors. It is therefore more accurate to speak of likely ancestors than to name a definite cross.

The breed name was accepted around 1870, and the Yorkshire Terrier was recognised as a breed in 1886. During the later 1800s, it moved from the small terriers of working communities to a modern companion and show dog. The rat-catching story has a reasonable basis in the terrier background and the breed standard’s description of hunting instinct, but not every early dog necessarily worked in a mine or factory.

The elegant coat has since received great attention, but the breed’s alert expression, initiative and interest in movement remain important to the breed as a whole.

## Living with the Breed

The Yorkshire Terrier can live well in a flat or a house when it receives activity, calmness training and regular care. The size of the home matters less than whether the household can manage noise, provide time outdoors and create a secure daily rhythm.

Time alone needs to be introduced gradually from very short periods and adapted to the dog’s response. The Swedish Board of Agriculture advises that dogs should be taken outside at least every six hours during the day, but this does not mean that a dog can cope with six hours alone. Puppies and older dogs need more frequent outings, and a dog showing distress needs a different arrangement regardless of what the clock says.

The breed best suits someone who wants a small but active dog and accepts three recurring parts of everyday life: coat, teeth and training. A family with young children or large dogs also needs clear safety routines. Cold and wet weather may require protection, particularly when the coat is clipped short or the dog is standing still.

Before buying a puppy, it is sensible to:

- meet the dam and ask how the parents and adult relatives behave in everyday life
- request the actual weights of the parents and adult relatives and reject promises of a particular “teacup” size
- review documented dental, bite and patella history as well as current breeding recommendations
- decide whether to maintain a long coat or keep the dog clipped, and learn that routine before purchase
- arrange toilet outings, alone-time training and a dog sitter before the puppy comes home.

In the right household, the Yorkshire Terrier is a small, engaged everyday companion with a distinct terrier character. It is easy to take along, but it should be treated as an active dog, not an accessory.

Yorkshire Terrier

Deutscher Verband für das Hundewesen (German Kennel Club)

Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club)

The Yorkshire Terrier is a tiny, confident toy dog originally bred as a rat catcher in northern England. It has a fine, silky coat needing regular grooming, is lively, intelligent and often vocal. Yorkies bond closely with their families, need daily activity, and can live a long, active life.

Bokellas

## Quick Facts

The Australian Shepherd was developed in the United States as a herding and working dog and suits people who want to train and work with their dog every day. It is quick, responsive and versatile, but its working drive and guarding and herding instincts mean it is rarely suited to someone primarily looking for an undemanding companion.

- The breed belongs to FCI Group 1 and was developed to work sheep and cattle on farms and ranches.
- Desirable height at the withers is 51–58 cm for males and 46–53 cm for females. The breed standard gives no ideal weight.
- The coat is medium-length, weather-resistant and has an undercoat. The base colours are blue merle, black, red merle and red, with or without white markings and tan points.
- The tail may be naturally long or short. Tail docking is prohibited in Sweden.
- An Australian Shepherd needs daily physical activity, problem-solving, co-operation and opportunities to settle.
- For Swedish breeding dogs, official hip dysplasia (HD) status and known mental status through an MH assessment are key checks. MH records reactions; it is not a pass-or-fail test.

## Appearance & Coat

The Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized, well-balanced and mobile dog that should be slightly longer than tall. It should be muscular and solid without becoming heavy or clumsy, because its construction must allow quick changes of direction and sustained work. The standard specifies desirable height but no ideal weight. Assess an adult by its proportions, body condition, movement and function rather than relying on a weight range said to come from the standard.

The coat is straight to wavy, medium-length and weather-resistant. The amount of undercoat varies with factors including climate and season. A correct coat needs regular combing and closer checks during shedding, but not an identical weekly schedule for every dog. Feel through the coat to the skin and pay particular attention to areas where friction can easily cause tangles, such as behind the ears and in the feathering. Check the skin, paws and nails at the same time after work in woodland or rough ground.

The four base colours are blue merle, black, red merle and red. All may occur with or without white markings and tan points. Eyes may be brown, blue or amber, including combinations, flecks and marbling. Different-coloured eyes are therefore permitted and, by themselves, say nothing about the dog's temperament.

The tail may be naturally long or naturally short. The latter is often called NBT, natural bobtail, and must not be confused with a docked tail. The Swedish Kennel Club registers the breed with a tail designation showing whether the dog has a full-length tail, a bobtail, a tail shorter than normal, no tail or a docked tail. For a puppy buyer, the registration entry is better evidence than guessing from a photograph.

## Temperament & Personality

According to the breed standard, the Australian Shepherd should be an intelligent working dog with strong herding and guarding instincts, an even disposition and a good-natured manner. It may be reserved when first meeting strangers, but breed-typical neutrality is not the same as fear or aggression. The Swedish Australian Shepherd Club therefore emphasises that neutral is a clearer term than reserved.

There is considerable variation between individuals and families. Some dogs work very intensely in relation to people and their surroundings, while others are more balanced in everyday life; the strength of herding, guarding, sound reactions and social interest can also differ. Labels such as working line or show line are not enough to predict a puppy's temperament. Look instead at the parents, mature close relatives, the breeder's goals, working records and documented mental assessments.

As a herding dog, the breed uses its body and movement to control livestock. This can produce a strong interest in things that move. In daily life, a dog may want to follow, stop or control running children, bicycles, joggers or other animals. This is a possible breed trait, not something every Australian Shepherd does and not an excuse to let the behaviour continue. Distance, a lead or barrier, a trained alternative and rewards for checking in make the situation safer while the skill is being taught.

MH is particularly useful when comparing breeding dogs and relatives. The assessment records how a dog reacted to contact, handling, play, surprises, noise and gunshots, among other things. It cannot on its own predict how a puppy will develop, and it does not measure the whole of working ability. Read the full record and ask how the dog behaves and recovers in ordinary environments.

## Training & Exercise

An Australian Shepherd needs both movement and tasks involving scent work, problem-solving and co-operation every day, but a fixed number of hours does not describe what an individual dog needs. A calm woodland walk, tracking or searching, everyday obedience, herding, working trials, agility and other well-planned training place different demands on the dog. Adapt volume and intensity to age, health, previous conditioning and recovery.

A manageable daily life requires more than making the dog physically tired. Prioritise the following from an early age:

- engagement and responsiveness even when something is moving nearby,
- recall, first practised in an easy setting and secured with a long line when needed,
- loose-lead walking, handling and the ability to wait,
- a clear transition between activity and calm,
- the ability to disengage from following or controlling children, vehicles and animals.

Training should be reward-based, progressive and adapted to the individual. The breed often learns quickly, which also means accidentally rewarded habits can become established quickly. Make the desired behaviour easy to choose, increase difficulty gradually and do not use fear, threats or physical punishment.

Puppies and young dogs need movement, environmental experience, rest and short learning sessions, not an adult dog's workload or an exercise schedule based on a fixed number of minutes. The aim is a dog that can work with commitment, remain responsive and then settle. If activity increases while the dog finds it harder to sleep, relax or cope with everyday stimuli, the plan needs reviewing rather than simply adding more speed.

## Health

For a Swedish puppy buyer, the crucial distinction is between binding registration rules, breed-club recommendations and optional DNA tests. Under the current Swedish Kennel Club rules, official hip dysplasia status is required before mating and, for resident Swedish breeding dogs covered by the rules, known mental status through a complete MH assessment is also required. Known status does not automatically mean a good hip result or a desirable mental profile; check the actual result.

In its breed-specific breeding strategy, SASK generally recommends hip grades A or B and an eye examination for breeding dogs. The club also highlights the value of checking hip results in close relatives because the breed has no hip index. Elbow dysplasia (ED) screening is voluntary and is not a specific registration requirement for the breed. Ask the breeder to show what was actually examined, on which dog, on what date and with what result rather than accepting the phrase health tested.

DNA tests are available for CEA, HSF4 and MDR1, among others, but SASK does not prescribe one universal panel for every mating. Each test concerns a particular gene or risk variant. A clear HSF4 result, for example, does not rule out every form of cataract and does not replace a clinical eye examination. Relevant tests are selected according to documented risks in the family and the planned mating.

MDR1, also called ABCB1, can affect how certain medicines are distributed in the body and reach the brain. An individual dog's status cannot be determined from its appearance. If the dog has been tested, the result should be recorded in its veterinary notes; medicine selection and dosage always belong with the veterinarian.

Two merle dogs should not be mated. The combination can produce puppies with two copies of the merle variant and an increased risk of deafness and visual or eye abnormalities. The naturally short NBT tail has a different genetic basis. SASK recommends caution with matings in which both parents carry the NBT variant as well, but the two issues should not be confused.

## History & Origins

Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd as it is known today was developed in the United States. The FCI standard links the name to Basque shepherds who came to the United States from Australia during the nineteenth century. The precise contribution of older herding dogs is less certain, so a detailed account of a fixed breed recipe should be treated as theory.

American sheep and cattle farmers continued selecting dogs for versatility, independent work, intelligence and herding ability. After the Second World War, awareness of the breed grew as Western riding, rodeos, horse shows, films and television reached a wider audience. The modern breed's American ranch background explains both the paradox in its name and why function remains central to its description.

## Living with the Breed

The Australian Shepherd is best suited to a routine that includes planned activity, learning and recovery even during ordinary working weeks. A large garden does not replace shared tasks, and competition ambitions are unnecessary if the dog still has a meaningful and varied life. Anyone wanting a dog that mainly joins shorter walks should choose a less demanding type.

With children, an adult should always be present, the dog needs an undisturbed resting place and the household needs a plan for high-energy play. Interrupt and create distance before the dog begins to fixate on or control movement. Children should not be responsible for situations in which a quick, strong dog may react to its surroundings.

Living with dogs or cats depends on the individuals and the introduction, not the breed name. Find out about the parents' and the particular dog's history. Begin calmly with separate safe spaces, a barrier and a lead, give the cat an unobstructed escape route and progress only when both animals can remain relaxed. Small pets may require permanent physical separation.

The breed can live in a flat if it gets enough time outdoors, meaningful tasks and rest, and the owner can manage reactions to noise. In a building with poor sound insulation, owners need to prevent noises in shared areas from prompting the dog to guard and bark. Time alone should be trained gradually and judged by the individual dog's behaviour. The Swedish Board of Agriculture's advice to take a dog out at least every six hours during the day is an outing guideline, not a measure of how long an individual is comfortable being alone.

Before buying a puppy, ask for the parents' registration numbers, hip results, full MH records, dates and results of eye examinations, and relevant DNA results. Also check the tail designation and working achievements, and ask how mature close relatives behave around people, noise, movement, rest and recovery. Those details say more about what daily life with the dog is likely to be like than colour, eyes or whether the breeder calls the dogs working-line or show-line.

Australian Shepherd

Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK)

Dansk Kennel Klub (DKK)

The Australian Shepherd is a medium, athletic herding dog, highly intelligent and energetic. Loyal and people oriented, it bonds closely and needs substantial daily exercise, training, and mental work. Its striking, weather resistant coat and varied eye colors add to its appeal.

Aymik's

Cidelott's

Velikij

## Quick Facts

The Alaskan Malamute is a large, powerful sledge dog for people who enjoy an active outdoor life and can provide work, training and close social contact. The breed was developed to pull heavy loads over distance, not to win short speed races. An Alaskan Malamute is strong, independent and accustomed to using its own judgement.

- The FCI places the breed in Group 5 among the Nordic sledge dogs, with the United States as its country of origin.
- The breed standard’s preferred freighting size is 63.5 cm and 38 kg for males, and 58.5 cm and 34 kg for females. There is a natural range of sizes, and function and proportions matter more than exact measurements.
- The Alaskan Malamute has a coarse outer coat and a dense, woolly undercoat that protect it in a harsh climate and shed heavily during seasonal coat changes.
- The breed ideal is friendly, affectionate and sociable with people. Its strength, prey drive and independence nevertheless call for a knowledgeable owner.
- A good routine includes daily physical and mental activity, together with regular tasks that use the dog’s stamina.

This is rarely the right choice if you mainly want a biddable dog for short walks. The breed may suit you if outdoor life is already part of your routine and you enjoy long-term training with a dog that does not follow commands automatically.

## Appearance & Coat

The Alaskan Malamute should look like the working dog it is: powerful and muscular, yet mobile, balanced and enduring. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, the chest is deep and the feet are large and strong. Movement should be steady and efficient, never cumbersome or stilted.

The head is broad and the expression soft. The eyes should be brown and almond-shaped; blue eyes are a disqualifying fault under the breed standard. The well-furred tail is carried over the back like a loose, waving plume when the dog is not working. It should not be tightly curled against the back.

The coat consists of coarse guard hairs and a dense, oily, woolly undercoat that the standard describes as roughly 2.5–5 cm deep. It is short to medium along the sides and longer around the neck and shoulders, along the back, over the hindquarters and on the tail. A long, soft coat is not part of the breed ideal. Usual colours range from light grey to black and from sable to red. White predominates on the underside, parts of the legs and the facial markings; all-white is the only permitted solid colour.

Everyday coat care is mainly about running your hands through the coat and brushing out loose undercoat before it packs together. More frequent attention is needed during the major seasonal sheds. Check the skin, feet, nails and any areas where moisture or debris may remain at the same time. The breed standard says the coat should be shown naturally and not trimmed, apart from a neat outline around the feet. Veterinary advice should take priority when there is a medical need.

The heavy coat makes planning for warm weather important. Schedule demanding activity for cooler times, provide water, shade and good ventilation, and watch how the dog recovers. Persistent panting, heavy drooling, red or dry gums, anxiety, confusion, weakness or collapse may indicate heatstroke and require prompt veterinary attention.

## Temperament & Personality

The Alaskan Malamute should be affectionate and friendly, but combines its sociable nature with marked independence. It was not bred to be a one-person dog and often wants to take part in family activities. Friendliness in the standard is a breeding ideal, however, not a guarantee of how every individual will behave in every situation.

As a working polar dog, the Alaskan Malamute has had to cooperate without constant detailed direction. It may understand a task quickly and still choose something else if the reward, habit or environment is more compelling. Training works best when rules are clear, rewards are worthwhile and the same behaviour pays off consistently.

The breed’s natural prey drive affects both off-lead freedom and life with other animals. Some individuals can live comfortably with a cat or smaller dog after a careful introduction, while others need permanent separation from small pets. Assess actual history and behaviour instead of relying on breed labels or a puppy’s early calmness. The breed club’s breeding strategy states that the breed should be socially functional with other dogs and that aggressive behaviour is undesirable, but individuals and combinations differ.

## Training & Exercise

An Alaskan Malamute needs far more than access to a garden: it needs daily movement, mental activity and regular work suited to a sledge dog bred for endurance. The right amount depends on age, fitness, weather, health and the activity itself. Judge the dog’s enthusiasm, movement and recovery instead of chasing a fixed number of minutes.

Pulling, carrying a pack, longer hikes, running and tracking can give the breed purposeful work. A properly fitted harness, safe equipment and guidance from someone experienced with working sledge dogs become important as the load increases. A puppy first needs environmental exposure, play, everyday skills and gradual muscle development. Dogs may enter official Swedish polar-dog working tests only from 24 months of age. That is an eligibility rule, not proof that every two-year-old is ready for heavy work.

Practise everyday skills in short, clear sessions:

- Teach the difference between pulling work and an ordinary walk by using different equipment, cues and starting routines.
- Reward the dog when the lead hangs loose, and practise before it develops its full strength.
- Build recall gradually in a secure enclosure or on a long line, but do not plan daily life around the dog having to be off lead where wildlife is present.
- Train pauses and recovery as systematically as speed and strength.
- Use scent work, problem-solving and new environments to complement physical exercise.

If the dog’s movement deteriorates, it fails to recover normally or becomes reluctant to work, reduce the load and find the cause. Being a hardy breed does not mean it should work through pain or heat stress.

## Health

For the Alaskan Malamute, hips, elbows, eyes and polyneuropathy are the most important documented areas to check before buying a puppy. The key is to distinguish the Swedish Kennel Club’s registration requirement from the breed club’s more extensive breeding recommendations.

For a Swedish litter to be registered, both parents must have an official known hip dysplasia status before mating. A known result does not automatically mean clear hips. The breed club recommends HD grade A or B and elbow dysplasia grade 0 in both parents. It also recommends that both parents have an eye examination clear of hereditary eye disease no more than 24 months before mating.

Figures in the Swedish breeding strategy show why the wider family picture matters. Among dogs hip-scored in 2020–2023, 78 per cent had grade A or B and 22 per cent grade C or D. For elbows, 95–97 per cent of the dogs examined received grade 0. Of 1,240 dogs eye-examined in 1990–2023, 12 per cent had cataracts and 82 per cent were completely clear of recorded hereditary eye disease. These figures cover examined dogs during the stated periods and do not describe the risk for a particular puppy. Ask for results from parents, siblings, previous litters and other close relatives, not just two certificates.

Alaskan Malamute polyneuropathy, AMPN, is an inherited neurological disease. Early signs may include a hoarse bark or noisy breathing and poor coordination in the hind legs; onset is normally between four and 14 months of age. The known NDRG1 variant is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern:

- A clear dog does not carry the tested variant.
- A carrier has one copy, will not become ill from this particular variant but can pass it on.
- A genetically affected dog has two copies and must not be bred from; two carriers must not be mated together.

The breed club recommends that at least one parent has been DNA tested clear or is documented as clear through its parents. The test covers only the NDRG1 variant and does not rule out other neurological problems. Check both the test results and the wider health history.

## History & Origins

The modern Alaskan Malamute is an American reconstruction of the powerful freighting and sledge-dog type found in north-western Alaska. Malamute-type dogs kept by Inuit communities became the model for the breed, but it is more accurate to describe a reconstructed breed than an entirely unchanged line from ancient times.

The gold rush at the end of the nineteenth century created heavy demand for sledge dogs, and many types were crossed for transport and racing. In the 1920s, an American project began to collect dogs that matched the image of the hardy, heavy freighting dog. According to the Swedish breeding strategy, the so-called Kotzebue line was founded with six or seven individuals. The American Kennel Club recognised the Alaskan Malamute as a breed in 1935.

The breed’s function remains central to the standard and to Nordic breeding. The first documented import to Sweden arrived in 1976, and working tests are still used to assess strength, endurance and willingness to work. The breed should not be judged solely by a wolf-like appearance or the amount of coat.

## Living with the Breed

Living well with an Alaskan Malamute requires planning for activity, strength, prey drive, warm weather and social contact. A house with a garden does not meet those needs by itself, and living in a flat is not automatically impossible. Assess access to exercise and safe training, a cool resting place, manageable stairs, how noise may affect neighbours and a plan for times when the dog cannot come along.

Time alone must be introduced gradually. A young puppy cannot be left alone, while a secure, trained adult may manage a few hours; the individual dog’s response should determine how quickly the time increases. The Swedish Board of Agriculture’s advice to offer a toilet break at least every six hours during the day does not mean a dog is content to be left alone for that long. Arrange a dog sitter or another solution if the working day does not fit the dog’s needs.

Two simple rules apply around children: an adult must always be present with young children, and the dog must have a protected resting place. An adult also needs to take responsibility for walks and physically demanding activities with such a strong dog. Teach children to leave the dog alone while it eats, sleeps or moves away.

If the home includes a cat, small pets or several dogs, you must be able to separate them physically. Ask the breeder about the parents’ prey drive, behaviour around resources and everyday life with other dogs, and ask how the particular puppy has responded in different situations. Early socialisation helps, but it does not remove prey drive or guarantee future compatibility.

Check before buying:

- Swedish Kennel Club registration and the parents’ official hip results.
- Hip, elbow, eye and AMPN results in line with breed-club recommendations, including dates and family history.
- How the parents work, recover and behave with people and dogs in everyday life.
- Whether at least one parent has passed an approved pulling test and how the breeder preserves the breed’s working ability.
- What support the breeder provides with training for pulling work, health, feeding and rehoming.

The breed can suit a first-time owner, but there is little room for error once an independent dog is fully grown and powerful. Practical help from the breeder, breed club and an experienced trainer should be in place before problems arise. The best match is a home that values the breed’s work as much as its appearance.

Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan Malamute Club of the United Kingdom

The Alaskan Malamute is a large, powerful Arctic sled dog bred by the Mahlemut Inuit to pull heavy loads. It has a dense double coat that sheds heavily, a friendly, social nature, strong prey and working drive, high exercise needs, and can be independent and challenging to train.

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