History

Firstly many thanks to Liz for allowing us to reproduce this article which was published in the Swedish Vallhund Society year book covering 1985-1987 – And of course for bringing the Swedish vallhund to our shores .

 

by Liz Cartledge

 

Valle of Ryslip (photos supplied by Jo Day)

 

Having left Sweden in January to join the editorial staff of Dog World it took me another seven years to realise that this country had not ‘discovered ‘ the Västgötaspets , or Swedish Vallhund as the breed became known as over here .

I must be totally honest and say here and now that it was my late husband Joe’s idea to import the breed initially. He had seen the Vallhund’s on many occasions when over judging in Sweden and was very taken with their natural and workmanlike appearance.

Once it got known that this English terrier man fancied a native Swedish breed we were taken to farms to see the breed herd cattle -and very efficiently at that .

I had always seen the breed around but, having been a corgi owner since the age of 12 or 13, it had not occurred to me to add another breed to the household.

From childhood I had known and befriended an old lady in Sweden who bred Vallhund’s and Pug’s.

Mrs Selma Stählberg of Snäckans Kennel.

When I came to live in England I in fact helped her to get suitable pugs from here so when Joe and I decided we would like to pioneer the Vallhund in this country Mrs Stählberg was the person we turned to and she was delighted to help us.

By 1974 Mrs Stählberg had gone into partnership with Mrs Inga Britt Johansson and through them we acquired Snäckans Kikkan who came over as a 3 year old in whelp to well known dog called Kure. kikkan - was everything one could wish for a strong shapely bitch of first class breeding, steady and calm and she took no time at all to settle with us in quarantine on the 22nd of August 1974 she produced four dogs and two bitches with the greatest of ease Ryslip Rolf, Rustibuss, Roland, Ragnar, Ragnhild and Rebakka.

The best known from this first litter was undoubtedly Rustibuss who went on to join Sheila and Dennis Haddon of the Norsled Elkhound and Keeshond kennels, but Ragnhild too played her part in Vallhund history, Being a consistent producer for her owners major and Mrs Hugh Perkins Rebecca went to live with Frank Brown of Shaunvalley Greyhound fame but sadly she never had a season and consequently could not be bred from. Rolf, Ragnar and Roland were sold fairly locally and are still going strong ( this article was taken from the 1985 to 1987 Swedish Vallhund Society yearbook.)

I suppose I did see Kikkan through rose coloured specs but to me she had so much to offer the breed. Great temperament good coat and texture and a particularly good reach of neck coupled with the correct length of body. she was feminine and so smart looking with a small pointed ears and dark eyes. Not the greatest showgirls, she soon lost interest if she was expected to just standstill in the ring but once on the move she became alert and animated again.

Kikkan had always been a kennel dog with Mrs Stählberg and so she was with me, but when she was too old to be bred from I felt she deserved a few years of luxury as a house pet and so found a lovely home with a couple locally who added a Starvon wasrelation just to keep her company in her old age. In fact Kikkan died only last year- going on for 15 a terrific little dog and no Vallhund could have been better for the first lady of the breed.

So we had a good bitch plus her litter. The next step was to find a really good male and another bitch to keep us going for a while. I was again fortunate to have Mrs Johansen Mrs stählberg to look out for me and living as they did in prime Vallhund country it was not long before they had a stud dog lined up for me and you guessed it Valle Of Ryslip ! He had worked cattle on a farm and happened to be available through his owners marriage breaking up. Ideally suited to Kikkan pedigree wise I was delighted to have him along with Snäckans Isa, a four month bitch puppy selected by Mrs Stählberg (by Kurre x Snäckans Rebecka)to complete my trio of imports .

Isa was something of a disappointment as she did not seem to grow on or thrive in quarantine as I had hoped. A dark good coated little bitch with a rather reckless scatty excitable nature I did not feel I see quite measured up to my ‘standards’. I did have a litter from her thinking it may settle her down and make her grow up. Mated to Valle she produced a litter of seven in June 1975 one of the dogs Ruislip Fritjof caused a sensation by winning best show an exemption at an exemption dog show in Bracknell under the Alsatian specialist specialist John Gossage in August 1976.

Ruislip Fabian another Male from this litter went to New Zealand and became the first ever New Zealand Vallhund champion. Fritjof actually was a very typical Vallhund and his novice owner, Miss Nicholls showed him with considerable success. I used him once or twice but being a spoilt pet who lived rather a ‘sheltered life’ it was very hard going convincing him that stud work was a legitimate pastime! Isa had just one litter and then I found her an understanding home on a farm.

Valle of Ryslip- what can I say about him that you don't already know. To know him was to love him, like Kikkan, a totally uncomplicated character, unflappable, and a delightfully companion. A masculine strong looking male who really did seem to stamp his progeny. I'm sure he would forgive me for saying that his front could have been better, and ideally I would have liked preferred him to have a fraction more on the leg, but Valle had so many good points to pass on that it seemed almost petty to mention his imperfections. A wonderful temperament, lovely bone, substance and feet, excellent coat and a clean cut head. When I found that judging was taken up more and more in my spare time I gave Valle to Timothy West whom I'd got to know through his superb German Shepherd handlings in the junior ranks. Valle and Tim made splendid partnership in and out of the show ring, clearly enjoying each other's company right through to Valle’s old age. I shall always be very grateful to the West family for giving Valle the sort of life he deserved.

Mr and Mrs Hadden wanted me to help them find a good adult bitch preferably in whelp, and on a judging trip in Sweden I went to inspect the Akkeval Vallhunds . A bitch, very even in type, size and colouring, and I was very pleased that Mr Persson was willing to part with Akkaval Zamba. She stayed in Sweden until she came into season and arrived over mated, but alas she missed and the Haddon’s never did get that extra line we had counted on for the future. Never mind, Zamba on her own was quite a good brood bitch and seemed to produce the goods with whatever combinations available. Feminine and alert looking, with a beautiful top line, and always shown in top condition, Zamba never carried a full coat but this only added to her very streamline and clean cut appearance. she was also a keen showgirl who earned many admirers.

There you have them! The backbone of our British Vallhund’s! I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory Lane- I know I have!

 

Left snackans kikkan right Valle of ryslip

 Photo by Dennis Haddon - snackans kikkan