If you want a dog that is highly trainable and can do multiple of task, then Daniel Swedish farmdog is the ideal dog for you. Appearance wise, this dog is similar to jack Russell terrier and has pinscher blood in its blood line too.
Origin
This breed is a thousand year old and its original name was Old Danish Fox Terrier or Scandia Terrier. This dog is even called as rat dog because of its extraordinary skills in catching rats and other kinds of rodents.
This dog was bred to do multiple jobs in the farms of Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein and Scandia like protecting the livestock from animals and birds, catching any small creature etc. So this dog was originated in Denmark and Sweden. In rest part of the world, this is a rare breed. This dog was even used for entertainment purpose in circus.
Characteristics
- This dog is generally a healthy breed but is not a hypoallergenic
- Puppy price ranges from $500 to $800
- Male height lies within 32 to 39 cm and female height lies within 30 to 37 cm
- Their coat is short and smooth and the ground color is predominately white
- They weight around 15 to 25 kg at maturity
- They can live up to 10 to 15 years
- This breed requires plenty of vigorous exercise on daily basis
- They give approximately 2 to 4 puppies
- They are energetic and highly intelligent dogs
- These dogs should not be trusted with small creatures like birds, rabbits and guinea pigs. As they may easily prey upon them
- Because of their tiny size they are suitable apartment if provided exercise on regular basis.
Appearance
This dog looks like Jack Russell terrier. Even the temperament and behavior of this dog also matches with jack Russell terrier. Farm dog is small in size and has rectangular built up body with deep and wide chest. Their jaws are stronger and possess long tail or bob tail. Their head is round and triangular in shape and ears are folded in forward direction.
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Size and Weight
Male height lies within 32 to 39 cm and female height lies within 30 to 37 cm. They weigh around 15 to 25 kg at maturity.
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Coat and Color
They have short and smooth coat. Generally there are two types of coat-smooth or broken. Broken coat is long and gives eyebrows and a beard like feature to dog. Few dogs also possess rough coat. This coat is even longer than the broken coat. Colors of the coat are white with shades of brown and red.
Danish–Swedish Farmdog Temperament
- Personality - It is an active and agile breed. It loves to attract human attention by doing silly things. It is also good with other animals leaving rodents, guinea pigs and birds. This breed loves to play with children and has knack for wooing them. These dogs are quick learners and pick up new skills efficiently.
- Behavior - They are easy going and friendly breed. As it is a working class breeds so it is eager to do any kind of work like herding cattle, picking up balls, throwing it, running with the master alongside etc. This breed remains calm and composed and barks only when necessary.
- Training - This dog is quite quirky in nature. You need to have patience to train this breed because it has independent way of thinking. Never be harsh on this breed because it may retaliate back to you in anger. This can also make your dog aggressive in nature. Be sweet with this dog because ultimately this dog is a human lover and is obedient to his master.
- Activities Requirement - You need to keep this breed busy with all sorts of work else it can take out his stored energy by destroying things in the apartment. You need to give him minimum 3 hours of physical and mental stimulation. A long walk and active playtime is all what he desires for.
Feeding
Since this is a small breed so food should be provided that is meant for this breed. Small breed dogs are generally over active so their diet should contain fat for proper working of their metabolism. Choose a diet for them that contain higher level of protein in diet.
Life Span
If given proper diet and health care facilities then this dog can live up to 12 to 15 years.
Health Issue
This dog is a healthy breed and doesn’t face any major health issues. However like humans they may also carry any genetic disorder. For disease free life of your dog, select the breeder that provides medical history of parents and its baby health.
Few diseases that affect the health of this dog are- hip dysplasia, dental problems, and patellar luxation. This dog is not hypoallergenic so make sure nobody in your family is suffering from asthma or having allergy from dog.
Grooming
These dogs do not possess dog’s odor so bath it when necessary. Their coat is short that sheds minimal all year round and one time heavy shedding is done by them at the time of change of season.
Brushing the coat is essential to get rid of mates and debris and dead hair. You should also clean its ear monthly and brush its teeth weekly so that it doesn’t suffer from any oral health problem.
Habitat
They are well suited for apartment style living only if provided regular based exercise and can also live happily on farms. They can tolerate moderate hot and cold weather.
Danish–Swedish Farmdog Pet Names
- Carla
- Jenny
- Jack
- Liza
- Victory
Things To Consider Before Buying
Pros
- They are loyal and obedient breed
- Highly trainable and can pick up new skills fast
- Helpful to farmers in herding cattle and livestock.
Cons
- If you have small animals in your house chances are high that this dog can prey upon them and kill them brutally
- Needs lot of exercise else becomes destructive
- This breed is not hypoallergenic.
