Danish-Swedish Farmdog Gains Full Recognition From the American Kennel Club

Over a thousand years ago, farmdogs accompanied Vikings in their ruthless exploits. Now, the nimble and compact breed is thriving in a much friendlier environment: dog shows.

The Danish-Swedish farmdog has recently gained admittance to the American Kennel Club (AKC), an nationally-recognized registry of purebred canines that also hosts the AKC National Championship. The decision means the breed can now compete for the vaunted Best in Show designation.

For those unfamiliar: The Danish-Swedish farmdog stands close to 15 inches in height and resembles a Jack Russell terrier—the breed seen in the television sitcom Frasier as well as the 1995 Jim Carrey comedy The Mask. Some may also mistake it for a beagle. Their temperament is in line with other family-friendly breeds, and they’re said to make good house pets. They’re known for mirroring their owner’s energy levels and emitting soft yodels when strangers are around.

But cuteness comes at a price: Breeders charge an average of $3000 to $4000 for puppies. And as a relative latecomer, the breed’s U.S. population is fairly modest. According to the AKC, only 400 or so of the dogs live stateside.

Likely derived from a pinscher-fox terrier mix, the dogs were used in Europe for centuries as cow herders and vermin chasers. They were particularly popular in rural areas of Denmark, where they were known as Danish pinschers. But industrialization led to their decline, with farms either shuttering or turning to bigger breeds to handle the increased acreage. Their skills had other applications, however: About a century ago, they assisted clowns and performed tricks in the circus.

The farmdog didn’t formally make its way to the U.S. until 1998, though Scandinavian immigrants likely brought them along prior to that. Breeders first sought AKC accreditation in 2011, which sparked a long vetting process and a layover in performance competitions before getting fully recognized this year. The decision means that the dogs can compete against one another in agility and obedience tests before potentially moving on to the finals, where the top prize is up for grabs.

Competition dogs are obviously held to a different standard than house pets.According to the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America, the breed’s head “should be triangular and a bit small in proportion to the body. The rather broad skull creates the basis and the head is gradually narrowing towards the muzzle, which is slightly shorter than the skull.” A neck that’s too long could be perceived as a flaw in aesthetic judging.

The decision wasn’t handed down in time for the latest AKC championship, which was held in Orlando, Florida, in December 2024. Best in Show went to Monty, a giant schnauzer who secured $50,000 in prize money.

Read More About Dogs: