Loki the rescue dog

Huldudals Smali aka Loki

Loki was the last puppy to find a home from the litter. When we went to examine him, it was barely possible as he was extremely active and didn't like being held. We had to settle for examining his sister who was identical to him in appearance. Loki comes from Huldudalur breeding which is in Gufudalur, Loki's parents were Huldudalds Heba and Stjörnuljósa Hugleikur.

Loki was certainly not the easiest puppy, but his playfulness and willingness possibly became the reason he did so well in the Rescue Dog Team. He was often called the little devil, which was quite a good nickname since he wasn't the biggest dog, but that didn't stop him - he charged ahead and never gave up. An example of this is when he dug a hole over a meter deep while lying on his side.

Gunnar, the other owner, and Loki traveled far and wide on callouts and training exercises for the rescue dog team (BHSÍ), as they were both A-callout partners in both so-called wide area search and avalanche search.

Training a rescue dog requires much time and commitment; after completing 3-5 years of training, you must maintain the training and take refresher tests every year.

It's not common to use the Icelandic Sheepdog in rescue work, but Loki and several others have shown that it's certainly possible.

As mentioned earlier, Loki and Gunnar had traveled far and wide on rescue missions and had gone at least 3 times with the Coast Guard helicopter on callouts, including to the avalanches in the East Fjords in 2023 where they stayed to be closer in case another avalanche would fall in populated areas. They stayed there either in the mass care center or on a patrol vessel for several days.

The bond between dog and man has often been tested, and one can mention when the pair took their test in Tindastóll in blizzard conditions with zero visibility and incredibly managed to pass the assessment where Gunnar had to place all his trust in Loki to find whether they were on the right path, which he of course was.

In 2022, Loki received recognition for being search and rescue dog of the year from the Icelandic Sheepdog Association.

Although Loki was an excellent rescue dog, he was first and foremost a family dog. Loki was very good with children as children were very drawn to him since one of the best characteristics of the Icelandic Sheepdog is their smile which makes them exceptionally appealing and friendly.

Loki was truly an outstanding dog and leaves a big void in our hearts, and it's certain that he was like no other.

b.23.10.2017 d.01.09.2025

Owners: Gunnar Þór Kristinsson and Anna Kristín Atladóttir