Swedish Vallhund vs Cairland Terrier - 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.

The Cairland Terrier is a cross between the Cairn Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier. It simply means that if you own a Cairland, you’re going to get a little bit of each dog in him.

This hybrid is a new breed which means you’re not going to get too much documented history on the dog. A tough little hunter of fox and otter, the Cairnland is thought to hail from Scotland.

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.

The Cairland Terrier is a small dog standing anything between 20 and 35cm in height and weighing in at roughly 4 to 10kg. He has short legs, a compact little body, while being muscled and strong. He has small erect ears with a shortish upright tail.

The color of the medium length coat can be fairly varied which means brown, black, cream, fawn, brindle or even white from the Westie. The dog has two coats with the topcoat being fairly harsh, coarse and straight to slightly wavy while the undercoat is soft.

When it comes to temperament, the Cairland Terrier is social and feisty with a high self-esteem. He has a strong personality and can be somewhat stubborn but he is a great friend of children in the home. He just loves to take part in all their games.

With training and socialization which he undergoes easily, he will get on well with other pets too, although he can become aggressive with other dogs in his territory.

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.

Terriers are dogs that are full of character and self-confidence, and your Cairland Terrier is no different. These small dogs in the Terrier group don’t actively look for a fight with other dogs, but if they are provoked, they aren’t intimidated and will give bigger dogs a piece of their mind. They make splendid pets and will always be ready for a game.

Make sure that your Cairland Terrier remains the feisty little character he is by making sure he gets well looked after. Dogs aren’t known as man’s best friend for nothing, and in exchange for the care you give your Terrier, you’ll be rewarded by a loyal and devoted friend.

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.

Your Cairland is a tough, feisty little dog and you’re not going to find yourself constantly having to take him to the vet. However even healthy dogs can be affected by ill health, and we look at a couple of illness you want to watch for with your Terrier.

Diarrhoea:

This can be brought on by a change in diet. Usually you can keep food away from your pet for 24 hours, allowing the stomach to empty and to settle. However, if there is blood in the diarrhoea or your dog is vomiting, then veterinary advice must be sought.

Hay Fever:

Just like humans, a dog can have an allergy to pollen where you see watering of the eyes as well as sneezing. This is because of inflammation of the mucous membranes in the nose. Your vet can ease the problem for your pet.

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.

Grooming:

Because the Cairland Terrier is a hybrid breed, the coat can be wiry or soft, but it’s a low maintenance coat. He will need to be brushed twice a week. Some people take their Cairland to have the coat professionally trimmed while others buy a special stripping tool and they strip the hair a couple of times a year.

Dental Care:

Small dogs are prone to dental disease, so you will need to brush your Cairland’s teeth at least two or three times a week. Dental disease is a serious problem with dogs and it won’t only affect the teeth and gums but it can result in infection which can contribute to organ failure. Periodontal disease is always a big problem with little dogs. If you’re not sure how to go about looking after your dog’s teeth, you can always take your dog to the vet for dental check-ups and cleaning.