Swedish Vallhund
The Swedish Vallhund, the Vastgotaspets, drove cattle on Swedish farms and is old enough to have travelled with the Vikings, which is why the argument about whether it or the…
About the Swedish Vallhund
The Swedish Vallhund, the Vastgotaspets, drove cattle on Swedish farms and is old enough to have travelled with the Vikings, which is why the argument about whether it or the Welsh Corgi came first has never been settled. It was rescued from near extinction in the 1940s by two Swedish enthusiasts who went out looking for surviving farm dogs.
Dogs stand 33 to 35 cm, long in body and low to the ground but built like a small spitz rather than a Corgi, with prick ears and a harsh close coat in grey through red sable with lighter harness markings. Tails range from full to natural bob and both are correct. The breed is bold, noisy and busy, and a stud should be clean in front, without any twist in the foreleg.
Swedish Vallhund retinopathy is the breed's own inherited eye disease and there is a DNA test for it that a stud owner should be able to produce. A current eye certificate and a hip score should come with it. Ask about patellar luxation and about back problems in the line, since a long-backed dog earns that question, and ask what the coefficient of inbreeding for the mating would be.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Swedish Vallhund
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — Retinopathy (Swedish Vallhund) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 9 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 44 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Swedish Vallhund stud dogs
No Swedish Vallhund studs are listed right now
When a Swedish Vallhund on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Swedish Vallhund litters
No Swedish Vallhund litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
