Spotlight Breed: Danish-Swedish Farmdog 

Welcome to our Spotlight Breed article of the week. This is where we feature a fun and unique dog breed from around the globe! We are excited to spotlight the Danish-Swedish Farmdog today. Also known as the “DSF”, the breed comes from Denmark and southern Sweden. They traditionally live on farms and were bred to perform several jobs, including hunting, tracking, and keeping watch. However, there is so much more to learn about this awesome breed!

The DSF tends to be highly sensitive, independent, and assertive. Therefore, the breed may not be the best fit for a novice owner. Interesting enough, this breed bonds very well with their “pack”, but they can tolerate being alone as well. This is where the independence comes into play! If you are catering to their physical and mental needs of stimulation, the DSF will do just fine.

Let’s look at the overall friendliness of the breed. The DSF is one of the friendliest breeds out there! They are affectionate with family, love to be around kids, and can socialize great with other dogs. However, they may struggle when it comes to strangers. They may be shy and indifferent, or even aggressive. For this reason, it is important to socialize dogs at a young age, regardless of breed. This will help them respond better to strangers in public.

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog is easy to train. They are great at forming an association between a prompt, an action, and a consequence very quickly. However, keep in mind that due to their level of high intelligence, they may possess a “what’s in it for me” attitude. If this happens, we recommend positive reinforcement during your training sessions. This should do the trick!

It is important to know that this breed has a high prey drive. Dogs who were bred to hunt have a strong desire to chase. Anything running by a DSF may trigger an instinct to chase. With this being said, you will need to ensure that the DSF is always leashed or contained in an enclosed area! Furthermore, this breed will typically not be best suited in a house with other animals such as cats or hamsters.

Are you looking for a dog breed that is intelligent, independent, and assertive? If so, the Danish-Swedish Farmdog may be a good fit! We will leave you with our favorite quote about the breed: “I don’t need therapy. I just need my Danish-Swedish Farmdog!”