Meet the Danish-Swedish farmdog, the newest breed in the American Kennel Club's lineup
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Say hello to the latest dog in the American Kennel Club's lineup of recognized breeds. Or you might say “hej.”. The Danish-Swedish farmdog — yep, that's the official name — joins the pack this week. The designation makes the breed eligible to compete for many best in show trophies, and it likely augurs more widespread interest in the small, sprightly dogs. The prospect both gladdens and concerns their biggest fans.
“We’re excited about it. We’re looking forward to it,” said Carey Segebart, one of the people who worked to get Danish-Swedish farmdogs recognized by the AKC. She proudly plans to debut one of her own at a dog show this month near her Iowa home.
Still, she thinks increased exposure is “a double-edged sword” for the fleet, versatile pups. "We don’t want the breed to just explode too quickly," she said. Called the farmdog or DSF for short, the breed goes back centuries in parts of what are now Denmark, southern Sweden and some other European countries, according to the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America.
“They’re interesting, fun little dogs,” said Segebart, who has owned them since 2011 and is the club's incoming president. “They’re essentially up for anything. They succeed at most everything.”. In their original homelands, the dogs’ main job was rodent patrol, but they also would herd a bit, act as watchdogs and play with farmers’ children. Some even performed in circuses, according to the club.
After Denmark and Sweden became more urban and suburban in the 20th century, farmdog fanciers set out to secure the breed's place in both nations (where “hej” translates to the English “hello”). Kennel clubs there began registering farmdogs in 1987.
