Solros Kennels ⋆ Swedish Vallhunds

06/09/2026

🌻 We're finally home from the Sunflower Cluster of Dog Shows, and what a memorable weekend it turned out to be! 🌻

I made the journey knowing that Poesi needed just one more point to complete the requirements for her AKC Grand Champion title, but with no breed competition at our local shows for the last few months, that final point had been eluding us for some time... 👀

I was especially excited to learn that Poesi's littermate, Cleric, would also be coming to the show, and was in fact also very close to finishing his own Grand Champion title! Dani brought him on Carol's behalf, along with her own young pup Arlinn (Hatch's brother) for some family time in the ring together amongst a pretty decent entry of Swedish Vallhunds!✨

I'm so delighted to share that on Thursday, Poesi earned the final point she needed to officially complete her AKC Grand Champion title. Then, at the Saturday show, Cleric followed close behind and finished his Grand Champion title too! Of course, we had to take a photo together to mark the occasion! 📸

I am absolutely overjoyed for Skaldsong Swedish Vallhunds as they celebrate their first two bred-by Grand Champions, and I am endlessly thankful to Carol for trusting me with my special little pup. I am so proud to represent Skaldsong through both Poesi and Hatch, and I cannot wait to celebrate more milestones with them in the near future... 🥰

Pending American Kennel Club updates...
☆ GCH ☆ Skaldsong's Bard To The Bone
CA FCAT CGCA CGCU TKN ATT FITB FTN

06/08/2026

🌻 Sunflower Cluster of Dog Shows! 🌻

What a week it's been! Better photos incoming soon, but I wanted to take a moment to share a summary of the time we spent in Hutchinson, Kansas. We had a delightful entry of Vallhunds to build a major together, see old friends, and get Hatch in the conformation ring for his first official show! I'm so thrilled to share...

🩷 POESI 🩷
✨ NEW GRAND CHAMPION ✨
3x Best of Opposite
1x Select Bitch

💛 HATCH 💛
✨ FIRST CH MAJOR ✨
1x Winners Dog
3x Reserve Winners Dog

As we pack up our bags and prepare to drive home to Arizona, I couldn't be prouder of these wonderful pups. We were blessed to share the week with some amazing friends, and both Poesi and Hatch got to hang out with littermates (Cleric and Arlinn) - eternally thankful to Skaldsong Swedish Vallhunds for bringing these sweet dogs into the world.

It was awesome to cheer on our friends in groups, hang out at a local brewery together, meet up for puppy play time, and of course collaborate our thoughts about the breed. Community is everything to me, and I am so thankful to share my time in the ring with these amazing people! 🥰

06/06/2026

Glad nationaldag! 🇸🇪✨
Västgötaspets är min favorit! 🥰

Idag på nationaldagen passar vi på att hurra för våra 12 svenska hundraser! 🐕🇸🇪 De är ett kulturarv som är viktigt att bevara. Vilken av nationalraserna är din favorit? 🥰

💛 Dansk-svensk gårdshund
💙 Drever
💛 Gotlandsstövare
💙 Hamiltonstövare
💛 Hälleforshund
💙 Jämthund
💛 Norrbottenspets
💙 Schillerstövare
💛 Smålandsstövare
💙 Svensk lapphund
💛 Svensk vit älghund
💙 Västgötaspets

Vill du veta mer om de svenska hundraserna? Går in på www.kopahund.se.

📸 Marie Andersson, Jessica Björling Brännlund, Marianne Larsson, Katarina Eriksson, Malin Jonasson, Ellinor Back, Anders Lekander, Rosita Molldén, Ulrica Nykvist, Måns Engelbrektsson, Jennie Wallin, Marie Andersson

05/28/2026

I made a thing! This is a full narration of the AKC Breed Standard for the Swedish Vallhund, created as something people can listen to while driving, doing chores, or honestly just whenever reading text isn't absorbing into your brain. There's no AI narration here, this is genuinely just me reading out the standard, with "note cards" summarizing it on the screen. It's about eight minutes long.

I wanted to make something simple, useful, and accessible for anyone trying to better understand the breed standard, especially if you're just getting started with Vallhunds and want to start learning more. I made this video first and foremost for myself, but if it can be helpful to fellow Swedish Vallhund people, then that's awesome too!

Breed standards can look dry on paper, but they are one of the most important tools we have for preserving breed type, structure, movement, temperament, and purpose. I read it verbatim for that reason. Maybe in future I'll edit this to be a longer video, with photos to illustrate the meaning behind the vocabulary.

To learn more about this wonderful little Swedish herding dog, feel free to watch the video and leave a comment if you found it helpful.

A full narration of the AKC Breed Standard for the Swedish Vallhund...

05/28/2026

Every time I give Poesi chest scritches, I am reminded of this meme. I had to make it a reality.

05/22/2026

🌿 International Day for Biological Diversity ⋆ 22 May 🌿

When we talk about biodiversity, we often think of plants, wildlife, whole ecosystems. The United Nations uses this day to educate about the natural world around us and how to protect it. I actually used to be a professional zoologist, and the genetic diversity of frogs was the topic of my first publication!

But biodiversity also exists much closer to home. It exists in the genetic diversity of domestic animals, including the breeds we love, preserve, and live alongside.

The Swedish Vallhund is a historic farm and herding breed with a long cultural legacy. It is a living population, shaped by function, environment, and careful human stewardship. For a numerically small breed like the Swedish Vallhund, preservation is not only about type, temperament, structure, and working ability. It is also about protecting the genetic variety that allows a breed to remain resilient over time.

Poesi is a grey sable Swedish Vallhund whose UC Davis Canine Genetic Diversity report gives us a closer look at her genetic background within the breed. Her Internal Relatedness score is IR = -0.07. In this test, lower IR values indicate greater genetic diversity, and Poesi’s result falls toward the more diverse side of the Swedish Vallhund range shown on her report. That's awesome!

Her report also includes DLA haplotypes, which are part of the immune-region diversity UC Davis evaluates. Poesi carries two different DLA I haplotypes, 1068 and 1178, while her DLA II result is 2053/2053. This kind of information can help breeders make more thoughtful choices when considering future pairings.

Responsible breeding requires balance. Genetic diversity matters, but so do health testing, temperament, structure, movement, breed type, working ability, pedigree knowledge, and honest evaluation of both strengths and weaknesses.

For a limited breed like the Swedish Vallhund, every breeding decision has consequences beyond one litter. A good breeder is not only asking, “Can I produce nice puppies from this pairing?”

They are also asking...

- Am I helping the Swedish Vallhund remain healthy, functional, and true to itself?

- Am I avoiding unnecessary concentration of the same dogs?

- Am I considering the future breeder who will need options ten or twenty years from now?

05/19/2026

I made some little Swedish Vallhund info cards (featuring Poesi) and I’m pretty happy with how they turned out! The front has my Solros Kennels info so people can follow along with my updates, and the back has a quick Swedish Vallhund introduction with a link to the SVCA.

We get asked about Swedish Vallhunds all the time when we’re out with the dogs, whether we’re at a specific event or just wandering through the hardware store for errands. Now I have something cute and easy to hand out when people ask about them!

Promoting my own page isn't a priority for me, but I love being able to share a bit of everything when people are interested.

05/19/2026

The pepper litter is six months old, and I'm forever grateful that Hatch came home with me! Can you spot him in these baby photos? He's changed a little since then 👀

05/13/2026

✨ We'll be hitting the road in early June to take a trip to Kansas! ✨

The 2026 Sunflower Cluster of Dog Shows, featuring four days of all-breed events, will be held June 4-7 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, KS. If you're nearby and want to say hello, it would be my pleasure to introduce you to Poesi and Hatch! 🥰

I was invited to join by another local friend who was planning to make the road trip already, and wanted a buddy to share the time along the way. When I saw it was the sunflower cluster, well... It felt like it was meant to be! 🌻✨

05/12/2026

Group adventure to meet up some friends! Hiking, swimming, and zooming about - all in a day's work for a Swedish Vallhund ✨