Special report regarding the AKC Studbook for
the Icelandic Sheepdog
and the importance of a secure database
“The American Kennel Club is committed to taking the necessary action to
ensure the continuation of purebred dogs. In response to this objective, the AKC
created the FSS® record keeping service to allow rare breed fanciers to continue
their commitment to the improvement of their breed.
One of the most serious concerns for any breed is the integrity of their pedigree
and ownership records. For many fanciers, the ultimate goal is full AKC
recognition. There are several criteria which must be met in order to achieve this
plateau. Often, the biggest hurdle is creating and maintaining accurate records.
… The American Kennel Club has over 100 years of experience protecting the
integrity of registries for purebred dogs. …” Source - AKC
Facts regarding the AKC studbook for the Icelandic Sheepdog:

AKC requires a minimum of 300 three generation dogs to move to full
acceptance. The ISAA has 620 three generation Icelandic Sheepdogs in
our studbook.

“The stud book remains open on a breed once it has become fully
recognized for a minimum of three years.” - AKC
For the ISAA, that means that it would remain open four years after we
apply for full recognition.

As is true presently, any Icelandic Sheepdog coming from a recognized
FCI or CKC registry (those with whom AKC has a reciprocal agreement
and are respected as maintaining the integrity of those registries), with
three generation Icelandic Sheepdog pedigree, can be imported and
added to our stud book, even after the stud book is closed.
This fact is commonly misunderstood. Closing the stud book does not
mean closing the door to imports. Closing the stud book simply means
closing it to imported dogs that do not have a three generation pedigree
from a registry that is not approved by FCI or CKC. This insures that only
pure bred dogs are entering our gene pool and allows for the continued
exchange between countries while insuring those entering our gene pool
are purebred dogs. To read more about this issue, please visit
http://www.icelanddogs.com/Links.html.
In a letter from the Parent Club for the Icelandic Sheepdog in Iceland, this
important distinction was made in a letter to our membership dated 4
March, 2009. It reads as follows:
“…The population of the Icelandic Sheepdog worldwide is very small and
geneticists have emphasized the importance of looking at the population
of the breed as a whole. In the future it will be even more important for
2
everyone interested in the breed to exchange breeding animals between
countries to limit the loss of genetic variation.
In order to make this possible it is of the utmost importance that the same
guidelines are kept regarding the registration of Icelandic Sheepdogs
everywhere. It is our sincere hope that once the Icelandic Sheepdog is
accepted by the AKC no other dogs from … any other club not approved
by the FCI are admitted into the AKC studbook for the Icelandic
Sheepdog. …”
To read this letter in its totality, please use this link.
http://www.icelanddogs.com/files/Letter_from_DIF_BOD_to_ISAA_Membe
rship_w.l_.pdf
There are individuals who wish to add dogs outside of these registries,
whose pedigrees are not recognized by FCI, CKC or AKC and do not
agree with the community of recognized Icelandic Sheepdog clubs, the
Icelandic Kennel Club and the Icelandic Sheepdog International
Cooperation, in regard to maintaining a purebred registry. The ISAA is a
purebred dog club and supports the work of the international community in
regard to the preservation of the breed. We believe that maintaining a
secure registry that is respected as accurate is the only way to encourage
free exchange of bloodlines with those who breed FCI and CKC
recognized Icelandic Sheepdogs.

“Also, dogs that do not have complete three generation pedigrees, which
in the case of 8 of the 620 [registered] dogs, … may still be bred and may
participate in companion events while the stud book remains open.” –
AKC
Given our current course, that would mean the 8 dogs mentioned above
may compete in miscellaneous companion events and may be bred. The
progeny of these dogs will continue to move up the generational ladder
and once reaching the third generation would be included as three
generation Icelandic Sheepdogs in the AKC studbook if they became third
generation before July 1, 2013.
Of the 8 dogs without three generation pedigrees:
None have a zero generation pedigree.
One has a three generation FCI pedigrees and could be converted without
difficulty if that is what the owners wish to do. That dog does not reside in
the U.S.A.
At least four of the remaining dogs are deceased and the youngest of the
remaining three, if alive, is twelve years of age.
isaabod.5.21.09