About the Breed

What is ?

Danish-Swedish Farmdog (DSF) is an intelligent, lively, alert, fast-learning, friendly and non-aggressive dog breed. These qualities make the DSF an amazing active family companion, who easily adapts to his owner’s lifestyle. It is to be noted though, that this dog will leave no mouse hole unnoticed and will relentlessly try to dig the hole’s inhabitant out. It is a skilled hunter, who tends to chase anything moving – already mentioned rodents as well as cats, squirrels, hares and other animals living in fields or forests. Leadership, exercise and training are important and should start while the dog is still a young puppy. The DSF enjoys travelling. It is a small dog with huge heart and appetite for fun and excitement. The DSF’s constant happiness brings contentment and joy to its family. It is a ray of sunshine from the Scandinavia.

How Should the Dog Look Like?

Front legs straight and parallel. Due to the wide and deep chest, the front legs are placed rather wide. Pasterns strong and springy. Small, oval, and moderately tight-knit feet. Hind legs parallel and well-muscled. Fairly broad thighs. Well angulated stifles and hock joints. Parallel and free gait.

Only hard, short and smooth coat is allowed for this breed. White color must be dominating. Flecking in the white color is not a fault. Patches may have different colors, sizes, and combinations - black, brown, agouti, yellow, and all shades of tan and fawn.

Fun fact

standard specifically states general elegant appearance as a fault.

 

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog is a very old breed, no one knows the origin of the breed with certainty. Dog skeletons found in Viking burial sites are similar to Farmdog types. In any case, typical Danish-Swedish Farmdogs have been found in all of the “old” Denmark. During the occupation of Sweden in the 17th century, the Farmdogs spread to Sweden as well. This dog was originally called the old Danish Fox Terrier or Scanian Terrier, even though this breed is most closely related to the pinscher family.

Until the 1960’s, this little Farmdog could be found all over in the countryside of Denmark and southern Sweden. During the industrialization, there were fewer and fewer small farms in Denmark and Sweden. At the same time, the population of Farmdogs decreased. Throughout the 1970’s the interest in this breed got renewed and during the 1980’s, it became clear to the breeders that the DSF breed needs saving and preserving. Danish and Swedish Kennel Clubs made a joint effort to find the remaining dogs, set a written standard and save the old breed from extinction. The “new” breed was declared by both kennel clubs and its official name became Danish-Swedish Farm Dog. This was in 1987. The breed was provisionally approved by FCI in 2008. The FCI acceptance on definite basis was reached on April 29th, 2019. FCI Group 2: Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs, section 1: Pinscher and Schnauzer type, breed number 356. Original name of the breed is Dansk-Svensk Gårdshund (Gård or Gaard means farm, Hund means dog). The original and main purpose of the DSF was to be a rat (and other pests) catcher.

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