AKC Herding · UKC Northern Breed · FCI standard 237

Norwegian Buhund.

FCI utilization: farmdog and herder; for the farmer mostly used as a guard and herding dog, 'a versatile all-round breed'. AKC standard: a herding dog, a self-appointed watchdog. UKC: herded sheep and guarded farms in western Norway, today works with livestock and guards home and family. RKC: versatile as a herder of sheep and a guard dog of the farmyard. AKC page: herders, guardians of flock and family, all-purpose farmhands. Wikipedia: watch dog and all-purpose farm and herding dog..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

26–40LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 30.9 to 40 lb; breed bitches 26 to 35.3 lb.

1HRSExercise, every dayRoyal Kennel Club: exercise up to 1 hour per day.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 16.9 to 18.5 in · bitches 16 to 17.7 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2020

Center blank: the standards print ranges, no ideal. Low and high span the AKC, UKC and FCI bands (FCI 45 cm is 17.7 in); the AKC disqualification limits are in the text only.

Weight

dogs 30.9 to 40 lb · bitches 26 to 35.3 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2020

Center blank: ranges only. Low and high span the AKC, UKC and FCI figures.

Coat

AKC: outer coat thick and hard but rather smooth lying, soft dense undercoat, shorter on head and front of legs, longer on neck, chest and back of thighs; not trimmed except the feet. UKC: double, thick rich hard close-lying outer coat. FCI: thick, hard, smooth-lying outer coat over a soft dense undercoat. Colors wheaten (pale cream to bright orange) or black, as little white as possible. RKC: coat length short; sheds.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2020

Shedding

AKC page: blows the undercoat once or twice a year. RKC: sheds. Wikipedia: extra brushing needed when blowing coat twice a year.

Breed clubAKC

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · Double coat: thick, hard, rather smooth-lying outer coat over a soft dense undercoat (AKC standard, FCI); RKC lists the coat length as short.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2020

Derived from the coat description (medium double = 3). No measured data.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

Royal Kennel Club: exercise up to 1 hour per day.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band 'up to 1 hour' recorded as 60 minutes. The AKC page asks for more (see exercise_need); both stand.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC page: very energetic dogs that need vigorous exercise that lets them run fast, twice a day; long all-day hikes, running with a bicycle, ball retrieving; obedience, tracking and agility. Wikipedia: needs extensive daily exercise or turns destructive.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The RKC band and the AKC page disagree on the amount; both stand.

Energy

AKC page bands: Energy Level 4 of 5, Mental Stimulation Needs 4, Trainability 3, Barking Level 4, Affectionate With Family 5, Good With Young Children 3, Good With Other Dogs 3, Openness To Strangers 3, Watchdog/Protective Nature 4, Playfulness 3, Adaptability 4. RKC: lifespan over 12 years; size medium. AKC page header life expectancy 12 to 15 years (the AKC's own figure, not a study).

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands, not measured. No Dogs Trust or Teng row exists for this breed, so no lifespan row is written.

Grooming load

3 of 5 · RKC: grooming more than once a week; coat length short; sheds. AKC page: brushed two to three times a week, more during the once-or-twice-yearly coat blow.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band 'more than once a week' = 3. AKC page rates Coat Grooming Frequency 2 of 5.

Grooming

More than once a week (RKC); two to three times a week, more when blowing coat; naturally clean, nearly odorless, dries itself after a bath (AKC page). AKC bands: Coat Grooming Frequency 2, Shedding 3, Drooling 1.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Breed clubFCI Standard No. 237, 2026

Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Primary game

Sheep (UKC, RKC); Wikipedia adds cattle and sheep. The FCI history names the dog's herding ability in the Norse King Sagas but no stock.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2009

Stock worked, not game.

Also used on

UKC: occasionally used for hunting bear and wolf in western Norway. Guard of the farmyard and family (FCI, UKC, RKC, AKC page).

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club, 2009

Editorial views are shown beside the standard, labelled; where they disagree both stand (Chad, Oct 8 2026).

Search pattern

AKC standard: a lot of energy, strength and stamina; honorable scars and broken teeth from herding duty are acceptable. AKC page: bred to work and herd for hours at a time, so very energetic dogs that need vigorous exercise twice a day. UKC: courageous, energetic, eager to please. Voice on the stock and single dog or team work are not stated by any source read.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2020

No source describes the herding method (gather, drive, heel or tend).

Field trial standard

FCI: Group 5, Section 3 Nordic Watchdogs and Herders, without working trial. AKC page lists obedience, tracking and agility as outlets and does not name herding trials. The AKC herding test and trial rules were not read.

Breed clubFCI Standard No. 237, 2026

AKC herding titles for the breed not read.

Cold water

4 of 5 · Thick hard smooth-lying coat that sheds foreign matter and dries itself after a bath (AKC page); bred on the rainy western coast of Norway (Wikipedia) and a herder and farm dog in a northern climate (FCI, UKC).

DerivedAKC

Derived from coat plus the breed's work in wet northern weather. No cold-water work is described, so 4 and not 5.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

7.4% · OFA all-data: 417 evaluations, 7.4% dysplastic (mild 4.6, moderate 2.6, severe 0.2).

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA all-data is undated ('current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026') and skews to breeding stock: submissions come from breeders screening before breeding and under-represent affected dogs.

Most common disorders

AKC page: hip dysplasia, von Willebrand's disease and eye disease. RKC: lists a DNA test for hereditary cerebellar ataxia (HCA) as Best Practice. Wikipedia (editorial): prone to inherited eye issues and hip dysplasia.

Breed clubAKC

No VetCompass paper or club survey was read.

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 3; Barking Level 4; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

USOphthalmologist evaluationACVO/OFA · American Kennel Club, Herding Group Health Testing Requirements (recommended tests from the national breed club / CHIC; Australian Shepherd entry)
USHip evaluationOFA or PennHIP · American Kennel Club, Herding Group Health Testing Requirements (recommended tests from the national breed club / CHIC; Australian Shepherd entry)

UKHip testingBVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, Best Practice · The Royal Kennel Club, Norwegian Buhund breed page
UKEye testingBVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme, Best Practice · The Royal Kennel Club, Norwegian Buhund breed page
UKDNA test for hereditary cerebellar ataxia (HCA)The Kennel Club, Best Practice · The Royal Kennel Club, Norwegian Buhund breed page

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 7 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Buhund, Norsk Buhund

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Your norwegian buhund, on the record.

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