"Zathras"
Countten Saang Annebo CGC PT
Swedish Vallhund
The Swedish Vallhund is an ancient spitz breed going back to the time of the Vikings.
It is very closely related to the Pembroke Welch Corgi & is possibly the PWCs ancestor. The Swedish Vallhund had been common prior to WWI. But like so many European breeds, the World Wars nearly caused its extinction. The breed was salvaged from one male (Mopsen) and three females (Vivi, Lessi, Topsy) beginning in 1942.
The Swedish Vallhund received full AKC recognition on June 27, 2007. There are currently around a thousand SVs registered with the AKC. Around 20-30 litters are born in the US each year. They have been approved to compete in ASCA stockdog trials for many years now.
Vallhunds can be born with no tail, a stumpy tail or a full tail which can be straight or spitz-curled. They are always sable (of the same usage of sable as in the German Shepherd Dog.). Females are 12” short. Males are an inch less short. Weight around 20-30 pounds.
Vallhund translates as herding dog. In Sweden, its current official name is Vastgotaspet "Spitz of the West Goths" after the Swedish province Vastergotland in which the revived breeding program originated. They are known as Västgötaspids in Denmark and Westgotenspitz in Germany. Though in former times, it was probably known as the Vikingarnas Dog.
It is very closely related to the Pembroke Welch Corgi & is possibly the PWCs ancestor. The Swedish Vallhund had been common prior to WWI. But like so many European breeds, the World Wars nearly caused its extinction. The breed was salvaged from one male (Mopsen) and three females (Vivi, Lessi, Topsy) beginning in 1942.
The Swedish Vallhund received full AKC recognition on June 27, 2007. There are currently around a thousand SVs registered with the AKC. Around 20-30 litters are born in the US each year. They have been approved to compete in ASCA stockdog trials for many years now.
Vallhunds can be born with no tail, a stumpy tail or a full tail which can be straight or spitz-curled. They are always sable (of the same usage of sable as in the German Shepherd Dog.). Females are 12” short. Males are an inch less short. Weight around 20-30 pounds.
Vallhund translates as herding dog. In Sweden, its current official name is Vastgotaspet "Spitz of the West Goths" after the Swedish province Vastergotland in which the revived breeding program originated. They are known as Västgötaspids in Denmark and Westgotenspitz in Germany. Though in former times, it was probably known as the Vikingarnas Dog.
Zathras
Etiology (or What’s in a name):
Zathras' registered name was given to her by her breeder. Countten is the kennel name. Saang is “two” in Thai as this is their second litter and the breeder has an adopted son from Thailand. The breeder, Joy Roberts, named all the pups after towns in Sweden. Thanks Joy for letting me have this wonderful gal. Following my tradition of naming my dogs after scifi characters, I gave my SV the call name of Zathras after a character (OK actually 10 identical characters all played by the same person, the late Tim Choate) on Babylon 5 pictured to the right. |
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Epilog
Zathras died 28 May 2020 at the age of 13 years.