my swedish vallhund

many have you have heard this story already, but i'm still so amazed. i got my stella free in the paper in april 05. they advertised her as a terrier/chow mix. while i didn't like the sound of a chow, i had done some research and found out that most terriers are hypoallergenic (i'm crazy allergic to cats and long haired dogs). so, jenn and i drove across town and there she was, sitting in the driveway (with her evil old man owner) as cute as could be. so i snatched her up and brought her home. fastforward 30 minutes and i've got a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. this isn't gonna work. i called the couple back to "return" her but they said no way, she was my problem now.

step one, the groomers. I dropped stella off and told them to shave her as short as possible, only to come back and find a blonde dog with a black stripe down her back! too funny, but it did the trick. no allergies! step two, the vet. i bring her in, fill out the papers "terrier/chow mix" and wait to see the doctor. first thing they said - stella's neither a terrier nor chow. they're educated guess - a chihuahua mix. okay, i can kinda see it.

so two years go by and i'm telling people she's a chihuahua mix, some mutt, no one knows what she is except adorable :) THEN! i was watching the Today show about 6 months ago and across the screen runs a little stella! i couldn't believe my eyes! they were doing a segment on new breeds recognized by the AKC. it went so fast i didn't catch the name, so at work i went online and found it.

stella is a swedish vallhund! (prnounced val-HUND) they're known as "the little cattle dog of the Vikings" and distinguished themselves over 1,000 years ago. Vallhunds were bred to herd cattle, catch vermin and guard the house - which stella does well. the breed description even says: "They are a clownish type dog and can be a show-off at times. The Swedish Vallhund is responsive and even-tempered with most people. But they can be wary of strangers and should be properly socialized and trained as a puppy as to avoid over-protective behavior as an adult." that is soooo stella - her previous owners kept her on a short leash, locked up in the house, not around many other people and to this day stella is VERY wary of strangers, especially men.

anyway, marisa sent me a few photos of stella today so i googled swedish vallhunds for fun and found a whole thread about them on a message board. one lady says: "I'd love to own [a swedish vallhund] someday, but they're so rare that we'll never be able to afford to buy one. If I ever win the lottery, we're getting one." whooooooowhat? how much is my little treasure worth? about $500 - $1000!

i also found out there is a swedish vallhund breeder in North Florida! AND i just bought an "i heart my swedish vallhund" bumper sticker! haha