What is the status of the Icelandic Sheepdog today?

A few days ago, the Icelandic Kennel Club (HRFÍ) published statistics on puppy registrations from the past year. The Icelandic Sheepdog ranked fifth, with 100 registered puppies from 21 litters. In comparison, the Labrador Retriever ranked first, with 374 puppies from 55 litters.

Last year, the Icelandic Sheepdog Department received a letter from a lecturer at the Agricultural University of Hvanneyri, stating that the Agricultural Genetic Resources Committee was developing a national plan for the protection and conservation of genetic resources in Icelandic nature and agriculture for the next five years. A specific section of the plan focuses on the Icelandic Sheepdog, and they requested information on the number of living Icelandic Sheepdogs in Iceland and abroad. As indicated in the board meeting minutes of DÍF (the Icelandic Sheepdog Department), the breeding committee is currently processing its reports to determine the actual size of the breed population in Iceland today.

It will be very interesting to see what the actual population size is, as the database only shows the number of dogs registered with HRFÍ since its inception. That number stood at 4,503 the last time it was checked, but it does not provide an exact count of how many are alive today.

I found an article from 1988 stating that only 100–200 Icelandic Sheepdogs existed at the time and that there was significant concern about the small population size and the challenge of maintaining sufficient genetic diversity. The article also mentioned that Icelanders’ awareness of how valuable the Icelandic Sheepdog was had been relatively low at the time. However, there was strong demand from abroad for pure bred puppies from Iceland.

Now I ask – perhaps once again – has that changed? Do Icelanders understand our national dog better now than they did 37 years ago? I cannot compare, as I moved to the country in 1995, but I feel that Icelanders are generally aware of their national dog. There are also more dogs now than in 1988, but I would like to see even more Icelandic Sheepdogs – not least as a part of the Icelandic countryside and as working companions for farmers.

The 1988 article states that the price of a puppy at that time was 30,000 ISK. Today, the price is around 350,000 ISK, which, as far as I know, is the lowest price for a pure bred puppy with a pedigree from HRFÍ. Therefore, the price of our national dog should not be an obstacle for those who wish to own an Icelandic Sheepdog and thereby support the status of this national treasure.