Swedish Vallhund vs Alaskan Klee Kai - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Västgötaspets or Swedish cow dog, the Valhund hails from Sweden. It’s a herding dog, and was always a farm dog in that country.

It was in 1943 that the dog was first recognized as a breed by the Swedish Kennel Club. Only later, in 1996, did the American Kennel Club start registering the breed.

Alaskan Klee Kai breed is created in Alaska by Linda S Spurlin with help of her family. When she saw a smaller type of Siberian Husky, she immediately wanted to create a smaller type of Husky that will be a great companion dog. She did not create this breed with dogs that suffer from dwarfism as if it’s the case with most other breeders. She breeds Alaskan Husky with smaller dog breeds that looked a like a husky. Breeds like Alaskan Eskimo Dog or Schipperke. They are still not recognized by some Kennel clubs, but their popularity is constantly on the rise.

Looking much like a cross between a Corgi and the German Shepherd, the Swedish Valhund is a medium sized dog that stands between 30 and 34cm in height and weighs between 9 and 14kg.

His medium length weather-resistant coat is available in wolf like shades – cream, grey, brown etc. The tail can be long or bobbed and the medium sized ears are held erect.

Temperament:

Intelligent, confident, independent, alert, playful and active, your Swedish Valhund promises to make a good family pet.

You'll need to be an active, outdoor type of family though, as he isn’t a couch potato type of dog, snoozing in front of the TV.

He wants to be up and about going on long walks or playing ball games that give him a good run. If he gets his fair share of exercise he can adapt to life in the city or the countryside.

He is intelligent too and will respond well to training and socialization.

He just loves his human family and wants to be constantly with them. He won’t do well if you just keep him locked outside away from everyone. He is social, alert innovative and entertaining as well as being a good guard dog.

Weight of the Alaskan Klee Klei variates from dog to dog, but average male size is between 33-44cm. While females size is 28-40cm. The weight of the average male, an adult dog is 13 to 15kg. As you may see Klee Klei can be very small dogs, and that depends on every dog.

A lifespan of Klee Klei is 12-16 years.

Litter Size of the breed again depends on every dog but normal size for this breed is between 4-8 puppies.

Other Name for Alaskan Klee Klei is just a Klee Klei.

Your Swedish Valhund is such a confident, independent dog and he promises to be a loving, faithful pet. He's also alert and will let you know if strangers are approaching his property.

He is a calm, easy going pet and is capable of adapting to quiet or noisy homes. He may be quite a strange looking dog, but he's got a whole lot of loving to give.

Klee Klei is very intelligent breed with a lot of energy. They love spending time with the family, especially in the outdoor activities. Klee Klei is very friendly towards children and new people, but they will also be excellent watchdogs too. Due to their intelligence, they are very easy to train. You should practice a positive way of awarding for them. They love pleasing and they love food, so it is a match made in heaven for training the Klee Klei. They will enjoy playing with other animals because they love to run and spend time with them, but you must socialize them from the early age. It is very important to socialize them with other animals and you will not have anything to worry about. They have a high prey drive so you will have to keep them on the leash while walking because if they notice something they will run towards it immediately. So for your, and your pet's safety, it is the best to keep the leash on. They do not bark a lot, but they will express when they are not pleasured because they can be very sensitive

Capable of living a long, healthy life, the Swedish Valhund isn’t likely to fall victim to some of the many dog illnesses there are, and yet it is wise to be alert to some of them that he could get.

One of these is an hereditary eye disease known as retinopathy. Its where there is degeneration of the retinal photoreceptor cells. This eye disease can lead to blindness.  

You need to be careful with this pet of yours, because with his long back and short legs he can so easily hurt his back if he leaps off a bed or high chair.

Whenever you pick this dog up, always support his legs and back. Don’t pick them up without supporting both the front legs and the rear end.

As most of the small breed dogs that are mixed with various breeds, this is one of the healthiest breeds. They do not have a lot of health issues, and usually, they tend to live a lot. Of course, you must be careful where are you buying your dog, and it is very important to choose the right owners that are taking care of the dogs and puppies. Some of the issues that this breed might have are luxation patella, thyroid disease, heart conditions, liver shunts, factor VII deficiency, and cataracts.

Try and feed your Swedish Valhund two meals a day instead of just one, so that he doesn’t gobble down his food too quickly.

Your dog can be prone to obesity, so you have to be careful with the way you feed him. Overfeeding a dog packs on extra weight and this puts strain on the joints.

Apart from the dry kibble that you feed him, try to include some tasty, nutritious homemade food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach.

This can all be chopped up and added to his dry kibble. Some raw meat added to the diet can only be to his benefit. Remember to always ensure a bowl of fresh, cool water is available.

General Care:

Give his thick coat a brush twice a week to remove dead hair. Brushing also stimulates the sebaceous glands that produces oil which gives the coat is sheen.

Open his mouth and check for rotting teeth which can be painful for him.

Trim his nails because left long, they can hook onto things and rip the skin open.

Check inside the ears too for redness which could mean an ear infection.You get dog wipes that you can wipe the ear out with. There are always professional dog groomers who can do these chores for you if you don't want to.

See that his vaccines are up to date and that if he shows signs of illness, you get him to the vet.

Feeding Klee Klei

Since they are highly energetic dogs they will need a lot of fuel for playing and spending time outside. Feeding of your dog depends on daily activity, but overall you should consult with dog nutritionist for a better understanding of your dog needs.

Feeding puppy

Puppies need more food divided into 3-5 meals per day. They would eat everything you have for them. 3-5 high-quality dry food would be enough with additional vitamins and minerals.

Grooming Alaskan Klee Klei

Normally, Klee Klei groom themselves, so you won’t have to do it too often. Again, you will have to take care of your dog with occasional baths and brushing. You will know when is the time to take care of your lovely Klee Klei, but they will do most of the work.