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Swedish Vallhund

The breeds · herding

AKC Herding · UKC Herding · FCI standard 14

Swedish Vallhund.

FCI 14 utilization: 'Herding Heeler' (Group 5, Section 3 Nordic Watchdogs and Herders). AKC standard: for centuries a farm dog used for herding cattle; versatile in its desire to do traditional herding or, trained, to compete in obedience, tracking and agility and serve as a family companion. UKC: farm dogs, primarily herding cattle. RKC: developed as a cattle droving dog, supposedly of Viking origin. SVCA: an all-purpose farm dog that guarded home and family, controlled rodents and herded cattle; revived from near extinction in 1942 by Count Bjorn von Rosen and K. G. Zettersten.

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.

13 / 12INHeightdogs 13, bitches 12.2. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
20–35LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 20 to 35 lb; breed bitches 20 to 35 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayUp to 1 hour per day (RKC). 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 13 in (12 to 14) · bitches 12.2 in (11.5 to 14)

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2005

Center is the FCI ideal (31 cm = 12.2 in). Low and high span AKC, the AKC breed page, UKC and FCI; the UKC's breed-wide 12 to 14 counts in both sex rows.

Weight

dogs 20 to 35 lb · bitches 20 to 35 lb

Breed clubAKC

Breed-wide bands counted in both sex rows; low is the AKC page minimum, high the shared maximum.

Coat

AKC: medium length, harsh, topcoat close and tight, undercoat soft and dense; short on the head and forelegs; sable pattern in greys through reds, with lighter 'harness markings' that are essential; white limited to a narrow blaze, neck spot, slight necklace and leg and chest markings. FCI 14: top coat of moderate length, hard, tight and close to the body, undercoat soft and very dense; grey, greyish brown, greyish yellow, reddish yellow or reddish brown with harness markings. Tail natural (long, stub or bob) or docked

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2005

Shedding

Sheds (RKC 'Sheds: yes'). AKC breed page shedding level 4 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · AKC: medium-length harsh hair, topcoat close and tight, undercoat soft and dense; a fluffy coat is a serious fault. FCI 14: top coat of moderate length, hard, tight and lying close, undercoat soft and very dense

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2005

Derived from the coat description (medium double coat = 3). Not a measurement.

The dog at home

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

Exercise need

Up to 1 hour per day (RKC)

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: up to 1 hour = 60.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day; small house, small to medium garden, town or country. UKC: 'requires plenty of exercise and mental stimulation'. AKC breed page: energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5, 'boundless energy'

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

AKC breed page: energy level 4 of 5, playfulness 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5, barking level 3 of 5, trainability 4 of 5. AKC standard: watchful, energetic, fearless, alert, intelligent, friendly, eager to please

Breed clubAKC

Grooming load

2 of 5 · Once a week (RKC grooming band); AKC breed page coat grooming frequency 2 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: once a week = 2.

Grooming

RKC: once a week; short coat that sheds. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5. AKC standard: shown untrimmed, in a natural state

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

FCI 14 utilization: 'Herding Heeler' (Group 5, Section 3 Nordic Watchdogs and Herders). AKC standard: for centuries a farm dog used for herding cattle; versatile in its desire to do traditional herding or, trained, to compete in obedience, tracking and agility and serve as a family companion. UKC: farm dogs, primarily herding cattle. RKC: developed as a cattle droving dog, supposedly of Viking origin. SVCA: an all-purpose farm dog that guarded home and family, controlled rodents and herded cattle; revived from near extinction in 1942 by Count Bjorn von Rosen and K. G. Zettersten

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

A heeler: FCI names the utilization and the club says it nips at the hocks. Sweden's registry calls the breed Vastgotaspets (RKC, SVCA).

Primary game

Cattle (SVCA: originally herded cattle). UKC: primarily herding cattle

Breed clubSwedish Vallhund Club of America

Also used on

Sheep and other farm animals (SVCA); guarding the home and family and controlling rodents (SVCA). Competes in obedience, agility, tracking and herding, and flyball (SVCA, UKC)

Breed clubSwedish Vallhund Club of America

Search pattern

Low to the ground, rounding stock up and nipping at the hocks (SVCA); FCI 14 names the utilization Heeler. Voice: the SVCA calls the breed often chatty, a Spitz that announces strangers and 'sometimes' tends to bark; AKC breed page barking level 3 of 5 and 'unique vocalizations'

Breed clubSwedish Vallhund Club of America

Single or pack work is not described by any source read.

Field trial standard

AKC herding program: the Swedish Vallhund is an eligible breed. Non-competitive Instinct Test, Herding Test and Pre-Trial test in a fenced arena on ducks, sheep or cattle; competitive trials at Started, Intermediate and Advanced levels on Courses A, B and C. FCI 14: Group 5, Section 3 Nordic Watchdogs and Herders, 'Without working trial'

Breed clubAKC

How common the problems are

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

Hip dysplasia

9.9% · 9.9% dysplastic of 614 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 89.3% normal; mild 9.0%, moderate 0.8%, severe 0.2%; breed rank 133 in the OFA table

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is higher. OFA figures are US dogs; they are not mixed with the UK sources.

Elbow dysplasia

1.9% · 1.9% abnormal of 264 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 98.1% normal; grade 1 1.5%, grade 2 0.4%, grade 3 0.0%; breed rank 130 in the OFA table

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Same voluntary-registry caveat as hips: under-reported, skewed toward breeding stock.

Most common disorders

The parent club's Health & Genetics page (2016 capture) is built around eye disease: 'Abnormal Findings in the Eyes of Swedish Vallhunds' (a 2006 article by Dr. Andras M. Komaromy, updated 2007 and 2011) and a January 2015 update on Swedish Vallhund retinopathy research, with genetics and testing information. The AKC lists hip and eye evaluations plus an SV retinopathy DNA test among the national breed club's recommended tests

Breed clubSwedish Vallhund Club of America

Names the club's health focus, not a prevalence. The article texts and any newer club health page were not read; no VetCompass Swedish Vallhund paper was found.

More

akc bands

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

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. 9 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Vallhund, Västgötaspets, Vastgotaspets

Every breed, read the same way.

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Your swedish vallhund, on the record.

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