Pish for thee Iceland Dog! Thou prick-ear´d cur of Iceland!

Yesterday, we welcomed a group of British tourists in our popular program, Horses & Heritage. As often before, the visitors showed no less interest in the dogs than the horses, and they of course received an introduction to Icelands national dog.

The group had been to Glaumbær and had received information about the British nobleman Mark Watson and his rescue measures regarding the old farm. I explained to the people the role Watson played in the rescue of the Icelandic Sheepdog, and they were quite surprised that the breed is not well known in Britain and not recognized by the British Kennel Club. 
I then told them that the Icelandic Sheepdog was particularly favored by the British elite in the 16th century and that William Shakespeare even mentioned it in the play "Henry V.", written around 1600:

Pish for thee Iceland Dog! Thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland!

These are probably not the nicest words that have been written about the Icelandic Sheepdog, but nevertheless, they are evidence that the dog breed from our remote island in the Atlantic was known in Britain at that time.

Our British guests found it very interesting to learn about the Icelandic Sheepdog and its connection to their own homeland.