Tofra Kennel-Newsletter Spotlight- Summer Issue 2006

SPOTLIGHT ON: TOFRA KENNELS, ICELAND
By Monika Karlsdottir

[Note from the editor: For the Breeder’s Spotlight feature, which lets us know more about the breeders who belong to CISC, we plan to alternate between North American and European or Icelandic kennels. The current Spotlight on Tofra Kennels is well-timed since several of the dogs currently being shown in Canada are Tofra descendants. As well, two Tofra dogs, Hofi and Snubbur, were the first two registered CKC Miscellaneous class Icelandic sheepdogs, in 1992. Tofra dogs continue to blaze new ground worldwide as recently another Tofra descendant, a grand-daughter of Tofra Stjarna, is the first ISD to be exported to Scotland. ]


Kennel Name: Töfra Icelandic Sheepdogs (Töfra means Magical or Charming)

Country of owner: Iceland

Number of dogs: 3 females at the moment, 4th coming soon


How long have you been breeding: Got my first ISD in January 1989. I had my first litter in 1991.


Name of dogs:
International Nordic Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian Champion Foldar Freyja, age 12 years.
Nordic, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Champion Norwegian Winner 1999 Töfra Frigg age 9 years. Töfra Birta Freyja age 3 years.
Hólmfrídur fra Olafsfjördur born Nov.26th 2005.


Favourite story about the dogs: I have a few favourite "moments" with my dogs, stories of puppies that beat the odds, a heart wrenching yet miraculous story of when Freyja was hit by a car in front of my eyes and only had minor injuries, wonderful memories of the times when the German

Shorthaired Pointers and Icelandics interacted together. To pick out just two I’d have to say a visit to an old age home and the time my two females had a litter together are very dear to my heart.

I used both Frigg and Freyja as companion dogs at an old age home in Oslo. I will never forget the difference in their "approach" and it seemed they always knew best. Frigg had her special friends that she had to visit and Freyja had different friends that she felt needed her special attention. And they would go directly in the direction of their own different "friends" each time we arrived.

The first time I took Freyja she got to visit a lady who was bedridden and couldn't talk clearly so never talked much at all. She had very shaky hands as well and I had not visited her with Frigg so I didn't know how I was to go about letting Freyja "talk" to a bedridden woman because the bed was so high up that it was difficult for her to get at her to be able to pet her.

Well Freyja KNEW how to approach this case and before I could blink she had hopped up into bed with the woman lied down and started licking her hand. I gasped and the woman started crying hysterically, right away I tried to tell Freyja to get off the bed. At that the woman talked to me for the very first time and said "please let her stay!" I realised that the reason she was crying was because she felt the love from Freyja and she missed her dog that she had to leave when she got sick.

I let Freyja stay on the bed and the two of them had a special time together, the woman spoke endlessly to Freyja and petted her with her shaking hand. The nurses were amazed! This was a moment I will never forget and I learned that sometimes we have to just let the dogs do their work without human interference. That day it was hard to leave. I thought how I would so love for someone to bring a dog to visit me if I were in that situation.

The other favourite moment that brings a smile to my face every time I see the photos, was when Frigg and Freyja each had a litter of puppies that were all raised together. Freyja needed a C-section and Frigg had given birth to her litter that same day. Freyja of course was groggy and sore and her milk glands weren't quite working yet so in dire need we decided to see if she would allow Frigg to feed her puppies until she was feeling a bit better. Well it was the sweetest thing, they accepted our interference and the two of them settled down together in the whelping box, all through the upbringing they took turns but it was obvious that Frigg would rather feed them and Freyja preferred to clean them. It was so sweet. One of my favourite moments was when at just a day old they got into the whelping box together and Freyja gathered ALL the puppies as if to say "MY puppies" but she left one of her own for Frigg so she wouldn't feel left out. Then the two of them looked at me so proud of their little family. These two love each other dearly there is no doubt about that.


Favourite doggie activity: I used to like agility but we don't have that here except for an amateur practice group. I guess I'd say clicker training is my favourite doggie activity, that and just lazing on the couch with a blanket of dogs!


Favourite Icelandic in your life so far: Wow, it's hard to answer this question, they are all so special in so many ways. Hófi was an amazing mind reader and so in tuned to my emotions. Her son Snubbur had a special place in my heart as does Frigg and Frigg's son Töfra Ljósálfur, he is a little angel. All my dogs claim a bit of my heart but I will admit that the most special one even though she wasn't born in my home has to be Freyja and I really don't know why. She is like a soul mate, she is a bit of a character and sometimes a real brat but I think she'll take a very large piece of my heart the day she leaves this world.


Most proud moment: I have a few proud moments that involve my dogs, of course dog shows are always fun and the obedience trials that we received our medallions pop to mind. However I will admit that the proudest moment had to do more with the second generation and onwards, when my vision seemed to become reality. It was at a specialized breed show where Töfra Stjarna was honoured in a sense for her great contribution to the breed.


What was it about Icelandics that made you choose them for your personal breed of dogs: I don't really know if I can say I chose the Icelandic, I'd say it probably chose me. I have some Canadian Indian blood in me and I suppose that's why I feel strongly about saving creatures from extinction and my over the top fascination with wolves. Since I can't save the wolves my interest turned to dogs! When I went to look at Hófi and her siblings the Icelandic sheepdog was still on the verge of extinction and I realised that what I wanted to do was to help keep this ancient and precious jewel of Iceland alive. The history of the ISD impressed me to the point that I felt strongly about wanting to be part of it having a future as unchanged as possible. Iceland has given me a home and a life I couldn't have imagined as a young child growing up in Canada so I felt destined to give something back.


I had a German Shepherd when I got Hófi, I had always loved the wolf like look of the GSD. I later learned that my great grandfather trained GSD's in the war in Germany so maybe dogs are in my blood through him. I am a Spitz breed lover, the ISD was to me the perfect sized dog for a home, not too big and still large enough to be a "real" dog. Little did I know that once I got Hófi there'd be no turning back, the ISD is definitely a dog breed that grows on you. My intentions of helping a breed survive grew more intense after getting to know the breed up close and personal. They are so beautiful with an incredible sociable temperament and learning ability, to my surprise far easier to train than the GSD or any other breed I'd met.

I was extremely lucky to find the litter Hófi was born in, black tricolor was very rare in those days and Hófi's breeder was also very particular to use only dogs with double dewclaws and good tails. I feel I couldn't have gotten a foundation animal from a better bloodline. From the moment I got Hófi I realised that the breed needed to be preserved with all it's special traits including the double dewclaws, strong erect ears (erect during the first 8-10 weeks unlike many other breeds), color variety, their cute little butt with the ancient trait (mentioned in 1900 but that is fast disappearing in the population) the hair growth covering the anus that is so special to our breed (photo included) along with the tightly curled up tail that gives them that special happy wiggle, their smiling expression and harsh weather resistant coat.

I decided when I started out to emphasize on breeding for well structured short hairs, while also keeping the long haired and all the color varieties in my dogs. Everyone was focussing on the long haired just for their cuddliness and saleability and they become the rage and unfortunately still are to a large extent, bad structure and all.


It's my belief that it's much harder to breed good short haired dogs because they can't hide faults under their coat, every fault in a short haired dog is visible and thus makes it more of a challenge to breed for structure.

Breeders of only longhaired dogs I feel often get more credit than breeders of shorthaired and the longhaired often do better at shows because of their coats alone, they are definitely more "showy". Today we are getting a new type of coat and it’s becoming more and more popular because it is eyecatching. It’s an in-between coat that is hard to tell if the dog is longhaired or shorthaired.


Freyja was my second female, I didn’t plan on another female at the time but she was impossible to pass up due to her sheer beauty and special traits. Some of which Hófi didn’t have like the slightly longer coat, the hairy butt, and the more refined better head with smaller ears that are correctlyplaced.


What is next for your kennel: My Kennel is in a bit of a waiting stage at the moment. Although I call myself a breeder, my dogs are family members above all else. This has been a bit of a negative in a "popularity" sense since I only have very few litters. I tend to think of them as little miracles and every one is special. I don't "throw" my dogs away to make room for more and I also don't add too many into the home that will make it harder to give them adequate attention.

Frigg and Freyja are old now and will have no more puppies, my youngest Birta is 3. I originally took her back to find her a new home but I might have 1 litter from her and possibly keep her, she is so much like her mother it’s uncanny.


My hope however is wrapped up in one of my great grand puppies that I am importing from Holland this summer. She is out of Frigg's daughter Töfra Ljósbrá Lotta who was born in Norway and Icetop's Samur who is out of Skessu Salka, a daughter to Snælukku Bjartur (Hófi's grandson). Little Hófi as I call her (Hólmfridur frá Olafsfjördur) is a sweet little red and white shorthaired with double dewclaws, she is most likely a homozygous tan so I’ll have to find a black tri male for her to bring back that color to my line again. I wouldn’t want to lose that little bit of the original Hófi. She is out of a rarer bloodline which makes it exciting to try to find mates for her to bring out the best of the lines in future and to hopefully add to family lines that have almost died out due to others using the "popular dogs".

Hófi will hopefully improve hip status in my kennel and I will try to find a good strong male to improve on bone as well. My main concern has always been to keep bloodlines alive without losing the looks, special traits, working ability, temperament or personality that characterises THE ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG of old. I definitely want to continue to build on what I started with and keep the variety as best I can.