AKC Breed Standard

 Official AKC Standard of the Icelandic Sheepdog

General Appearance: The Icelandic Sheepdog is a Nordic herding Spitz, slightly under medium sized, sturdy with erect ears and a curled tail. Seen from the side the dog is rectangular. The expression is gentle, intelligent and happy. A confident and lively bearing is typical for this dog. There are two types of coat, short and long, both thick and very weather resistant. There is a marked difference in appearance between the sexes.

Size, Proportion, Substance: Ideal height at the withers: Dogs 18”; Bitches 16 1Ú2”. Rectangular and strong. Seen from the side, the dog is rectangular, the length of the body measured from the point of shoulder to point of buttock is greater than the height at the withers. The depth of the chest is equal to the length of the foreleg.

Head: Strongly built with close fitting skin. Triangular when seen from above or the side. Skull - Slightly longer than muzzle and somewhat domed. Stop - clearly defined though neither steep nor high. Nose – Black. Dark brown on chocolate brown and some cream dogs. The nasal bridge is well-developed, strong and straight. Muzzle – Slightly shorter than skull, tapering evenly towards the nose to form a blunt triangle when seen from both above and from the side. Lips – Black, close fitting. Dark brown on chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Bite – Scissor bite. Teeth – Complete dentition preferred. Cheeks – Clean and flat. Eyes – Almond shape of medium size. Dark brown. Can be slightly lighter in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Eye-rims are black. Dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Ears – Erect and of medium size, set well apart without being low set. Close to equilateral triangle. With firm edges and slightly rounded tips. Very mobile, reacting sensitively to sounds and showing the dog’s mood. Faults – Blue, yellow or round eyes and very light eyes.

Neck, Topline, Body: Neck – Moderately long, clean and muscular with no loose skin. The neck is slightly arched and the head is carried high. Body – Rectangular and strong, fairly short loin and in harmony with general appearance. Back – Level, muscular and strong. Loins – Broad and muscular. Croup – Moderately short and broad, very slightly sloping and well muscled. Chest – Long, deep and well sprung. Belly – Only a slight tuck up. Tail – High set, curled over and touching the back.

Forequarters: When seen from the front the forelegs are straight, parallel and strong. Angulation – Shoulders are well laid back, oblique and muscular. Dewclaws – Required and may be double. Forefeet – Slightly oval, toes well-arched and tight with well-developed pads. Faults – No dewclaws.

Hindquarters: When seen from behind the hind legs are straight, parallel and strong. Thighs – Broad and well muscled. Dewclaws – Required. Well-developed double dewclaws desirable. Hind feet – Same as forefeet. Faults – No dewclaws.

Coat: Double coat, thick and extremely weather resistant. Coat length ranges from short to long. There are two types: Short-haired – The outer coat of medium length, fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The hair is shorter on the face, top of head, ears and front of legs. It is longer on the neck, chest and back of thighs. The tail is bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat. Long-haired – The outer coat is longer and fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The hair is shorter on the face, top of head, ears, and front of legs, longer on the neck, withers, chest and back of thighs, with fringes on the back of the forelegs. The tail is very bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat. Presentation is to be in a natural, unaltered condition. Specimens where the coat or whiskers have been altered by trimming or clipping shall be so Page 2 of 2 severely faulted as to be effectively eliminated from competition. Coat quality is more important than length.

Color: The allowed colors are fawn and or red in various shades ranging from cream to reddish brown, chocolate brown in various shades, shaded grey, and black. White always accompanies the color. Lighter shading often occurs on the underside of the dog anywhere from the throat to the tip of the tail. On shaded grey and quite often on fawn and reds, a dark mask, dark tips to the outer hairs and dark hairs in the coat may occur as an overlay or sable appearance. Black and chocolate brown dogs most often have traditional tan markings in any of the various colors, on the cheeks, over the eyes (eyebrows), below the tail, on the underside of the tail and on the legs. Pied dogs have patches of color on the body. On a white background and can have the accompanying white markings. The patches of color, which can vary in size should predominate. The white markings, which are often irregular, are a blaze or a part of the face, collar, chest, socks of varying length and tip of tail. Color on or near the ears is preferred. Faults - A solid black or brown mantle or saddle on fawn or red dog (hound markings).

Gait: Displays agility and endurance with good driving action covering the ground effortlessly.

Temperament: The Icelandic Sheepdog is a hardy and agile herding dog which barks, making it extremely useful for herding or driving sheep and other livestock. The Icelandic Sheepdog is by nature very alert and will always give visitors an enthusiastic welcome without being aggressive. The Icelandic Sheepdog is cheerful, friendly, inquisitive, playful and confident with a gentle temperament. A confident and lively bearing is typical for this dog.

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in proportion to its degree.

Approved November 10, 2025
Effective March 2, 2026