In an exciting kick off to 2025 for canine lovers everywhere, the American Kennel Club has announced the world’s newest recognized dog breed: the Danish-Swedish Farmdog (DSF).
Reportedly cheerful, friendly, and outgoing, this adorable pup looks like a cross between a Beagle and a Jack Russell Terrier.
“People on the street or even at a dog show will stop and ask me if my DSF is a Beagle or a Jack Russell,” said Aimee Parramore Kincaid, the president of the Danish-Swedish Farmdog Club of America, in the January 2 announcement. “If they know a Jack Russell, they’ll guess Jack Russell, and if they know a Beagle, they’ll guess Beagle.”
The DSF’s official recognition makes it the AKC’s 202nd identified dog breed, of which it falls into the “Working Group”—a popular category of dogs known for being intelligent, strong, watchful, and alert, according to the AKC. In this group, the DSF will join such well-loved dogs as the Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, and Black Russian Terrier.
Other recently recognized breeds include the Lancashire Heeler and Bracco Italiano, identified in 2024 and 2022 respectively, with the first AKC-recognized breed being the Pointer in 1878.
While the DSF only recently received official recognition from the AKC, it’s actually one of the older canine species, with DSF-type skeletons having been discovered in Viking burial sites dating back an astonishing 1,000 to 1,200 years.
The breed remained popular on farms in Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark and Sweden, for centuries, but faced near extinction during the Industrial Revolution with the increased sale of rural properties, explains the AKC. Their survival is largely due to action from the Danish and Swedish kennel clubs, and today, there are around 400 DSFs in the world.
Known for being loyal companions, it’s no surprise that both Denmark and Sweden refused to give up association with the dog when it came time to name the breed, resulting in the hyphenated name, Danish-Swedish Farmdog. But the breed is also know as “Farmdogs” in the U.S and Dansk Svensk Gardshund or Danski in Europe.
Though the official name is a bit of a mouthful, the dog itself is considered a small breed, clocking in at 15 to 20 pounds and measuring 12 to 15 inches from snout to rump, or about the length of a standard ruler. And proving the idiom “small but mighty” true, DSFs typically live 16 to 18 years and experience no common genetic issues.
If you find yourself adopting one of these furry friends, you’ll be interested to know the breed once made popular circus performers for their easy ability to train and outgoing personalities. At the same time, their historic prevalence on farms reflects the breed’s herding instincts and natural agility.
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