Icelandic Sheepdog Day

Happy Icelandic Sheepdog day to all owners and friends of the Icelandic Sheepdog!

July 18th is the birthday of Mark Watson, whom we often call the savior of the Icelandic Sheepdog. This year, the day is being celebrated for the tenth time all over the country, as well as abroad. Social media is filled with pictures of beautiful dogs, showing just how diverse the breed is when it comes to color variations and coat types.

On the occasion of the day, various events are being held. In addition to the festivities at Árbæjarsafn in Reykjavík, I would especially like to mention the event here in Skagafjörður, called "Mark Watson Day." Watson is not only connected to the rescue of the Icelandic Sheepdog, but also to the restoration of the old farm at Glaumbær, which became Iceland’s first folk museum.

We will begin the celebrations here at Lýtingsstaðir, where we expect guests with their dogs after noon. Admission to the Heritage Center will be free today. 

Afterwards, we will move over to Glaumbær to delight guests there from 4–6 pm.

We are also expecting a guest of honor whom I am very excited to meet. Patricia Putman will be present; she has dedicated her life to dog breeding and training, with the Icelandic Sheepdog holding a special place in her heart. Pat is the chair of the judges’ education committee and the AKC representative for the Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America (ISAA). She worked with Mark Watson in the 1950s on his book “The Iceland Dog 874–1956” and played a major role in the selection and import of Icelandic dogs to the United States. Pat will say a few words about Mark Watson and the Icelandic Sheepdog in honor of the day. Her talk will be streamed on the Facebook page of the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum.

Our dogs will be decorated today with an Icelandic ribbon attached to their collars!

I would like to end with a beautiful quote I read on social media yesterday, from Independent People by Halldór Laxness:

“No matter how things turn out, at least people have the memories of their dogs—those can never be taken from us!”

Enjoy the day!