Dog Ownership Increased During Pandemic

Dog ownership has taken a sharp rise during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland.

According to RÚV, data from the Icelandic Kennel Club (HRFÍ) shows that the amount of puppies registered by HRFÍ jumped from 816 during January-July of 2020 up to 1609 for the same period this year. The number of litters also rose from 179 to 348 in the same timeframe.

This dramatic increase points to the likelihood that people are turning to dog ownership to stave of the loneliness of social distancing and other COVID-19 measures which require people to be kept apart.

Guðný Isaksen, managing director of HRFÍ, told RÚV that small dogs have been very popular but overall, the demand is currently outpacing the supply of many types of breeds. So far in 2021, they have registered 58 different breeds of dogs in Iceland.

So far the most popular dogs in Iceland this year are:

1. Icelandic Sheepdog
2. Miniature Schnauzer
3. Labrador Retriever
4. Conton de Tuléar
5. Miniature Pinscher
6. German Shepard
7. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
8. French Bulldog
9. Havanese
10. Golden Retriever

Havanese and French Bulldogs are new to the top ten list, while the Icelandic Sheepdog, Iceland’s only native dog breed, often makes an appearance.

At the same time, there are several dog breeds which are banned in Iceland due to a supposed risk of aggression. Fila Brasileiro, Toso Inu, Argentine Dogo as well as various types of Bull Terrier and certain hybrids are currently banned. It has been proposed that Cane Corso, Presa Canario and Boerboel breeds should also be added to the list.

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