Karmactive Staff
A new dog breed has joined America’s most prestigious dog registry. The Danish-Swedish Farmdog became the 202nd breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as of January 2024.
The United States is home to around 350 breeds of dogs, thus making AKC recognition even more highlighting.
“They’re interesting, fun little dogs,” says Carey Segebart, incoming president of the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America. “They’re essentially up for anything. They succeed at most everything.”
These dogs find their origins in farms of Denmark and Sweden. In the past, they helped farmers with rats and mice. They also watched over livestock and played with children. Some even performed in circuses as clown assistants.
The breed’s numbers declined when industrialization took hold in Denmark and Sweden. But the Danish Kennel Club and Swedish Kennel Club worked together to continue breeding and retrieving these dogs, saving them from extinction.
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This recognition brings new opportunities as theycan now compete in major shows like the AKC National Championship. However, they’ll have to wait until 2026 to enter the Westminster Kennel Club show.
The news has sparked both excitement and worry among breed experts. “We don’t want the breed to just explode too quickly,” Segebart explains. Currently, the typical wait for a puppy is a year or more.
The Danish-Swedish farmdog is the AKC’s 202nd breed and “a wonderful addition to a family that is able to provide it with the exercise and mental stimulation that it needs,” said the club’s Gina DiNardo.
The dogs will compete in the “working group” alongside other working breeds. They’ve already shown success in agility and obedience contests.
For families thinking about getting this breed, experts stress the importance of research. These dogs need active owners who can keep them busy. But for the right family, they can be both working partners and loving pets.
