Over a thousand years ago , farmdogs accompanied Vikings in their ruthless exploit . Now , the nimble and stocky strain is thrive in a much friendly environment : dog appearance .
The Danish - Swedish farmdog has recentlygainedadmittance to the American Kennel Club ( AKC ) , an across the nation - recognized register of purebred canines that also host the AKC National Championship . The decision think of the breed can now compete for the vaunted Best in Show designation .
For those unfamiliar : The Danish - Swedish farmdog stands near to 15 inch in meridian and resemble aJack Russell terrier — the breed seen in the television sitcomFrasieras well as the 1995 Jim Carrey comedyThe Mask . Some may also mistake it for abeagle . Their temperament is in melodic line with other category - friendly breeds , and they ’re say to make well theatre favourite . They ’re known for mirroring their possessor ’s energy levels and emitting soft yodels when strangers are around .
But cutenesscomesat a Mary Leontyne Price : Breeders buck an average of $ 3000 to $ 4000 for puppies . And as a relative latecomer , the breed ’s U.S. universe is moderately modest . Accordingto the AKC , only 400 or so of the dog live stateside .
belike derived from a pinscher - fox terrier admixture , the firedog wereusedin Europe for one C as moo-cow herders and varmint pursuer . They were particularly democratic in rural areas of Denmark , where they were known as Danish pinscher . But industrialization led to their decline , with farms either shuttering or turning to gravid breeds to handle the increased land area . Their skills had other applications , however : About acentury ago , they assistedclownsand performed trick in thecircus .
The farmdog did n’t officially make its way to the U.S. until 1998 , though Norse immigrants likely brought them along prior to that . Breeders first sought AKC accreditation in 2011 , which sparked a long vetting process and a stopover in performance competitions before getting in full recognized this year . The decision means that the dog can compete against one another in agility and obeisance tests before potentially moving on to the finals , where the top prize is up for grabs .
rival dogs are plain held to a different standard than household pets . Accordingto the Danish - Swedish Farmdog Club of America , the breed ’s read/write head “ should be triangular and a flake small in proportion to the body . The rather broad skull creates the footing and the head is bit by bit pin down towards the muzzle , which is slightly shorter than the skull . ” A neck that ’s too long could be comprehend as a defect in aesthetic judging .
The decision was n’t pass on down in time for the latest AKC championship , which washeldin Orlando , Florida , in December 2024 . Best in Show went to Monty , a gargantuan schnauzer who secured $ 50,000 in swag money .
