July 18th - Icelandic Sheepdog Day

The Icelandic Sheepdog is Iceland’s native breed of dog. It is the descendant of the dogs brought to Iceland by the original Viking settlers (AD 870-930).
The dogs became indispensable in the rounding up of livestock and in the daily work on the farms. Their method of working adapted to the local terrain, farming methods and the people’s hard struggle for survival over the centuries.

Excerpt from FCI-Standard

Tomorrow, July 18, 2024, will mark the ninth celebration of Icelandic Sheepdog Day. It has become a tradition for owners of Icelandic Sheepdogs to make their dogs “extra” visible on this day.

Sómi, Hraundís, and I will join others at the Heritage museum Glaumbær from 4 PM to 6 PM. I was also asked to give a short presentation on the Icelandic Sheepdog and the exhibition I intend to open this year.

At the Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavík, Icelandic Sheepdogs will welcome visitors from 1 PM to 4:30 PM in honor of the day.

I would have liked to be ready to open the exhibition on this day, but as I have written before, construction was delayed particularly due to the weather. However, progress is good now, and the building will be erected soon. Therefore, it should be possible to open the exhibition later this year. Good things take time, and I prefer to do this project well rather than in haste.

I wish all owners and their dogs a happy day tomorrow!