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Karl-Gustaf Zettersten in the middle of 60´s with two his absolutely favorites, INT and SCANDINAVIAN CH Garr and his son (sitting) INT and SCANDINAVIAN CH Borghällas Rasker ( All fotos: HundSport Special 5/86) |
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"Topsy", the "model" of the breed. The picture was taken in summer 1942, and she was 12 years old already. |
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This "history" is freely translated and shortened from Swedish Kennel Clubs Magazines Special number: |
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Swedish kennel Club wanted to save them too! They all came to same conclusion--Topsy was the model SV Six dogs arrived to the inspection. The judges were Colonel Bertil Burén, Count Björn von rosen and Baron Carl Leuhusen. All the three judges came to same conclusion that Topsy was the model dog. Among the six dogs there was only one male, "Mopsen". He was not the best possible quality, and in addition he had only one testicle, but at that time it was no disqualifying thing and so he became the first official father of the breed! At first there was only the grey colour At first they only accepted the grey colour, but in the beginning of 50´s Karl-Gustaf Zetterstén managed to change that so that also the different variations of brown, yellow and red-brown became acceptable because a lot of these colours were found among full grey parents puppies. The quality of hair was one very Important thing to the judges. A real Swedish Vallhund should always have half-long coat with undercoat. It shouldn´t be soft or open. This was actually one thing that worried Zettersten later. He saw, that many younger breeders didn´t care so much of the quality of the hair and in his opinion it was together with the working skills one of the most important thing in Swedish Vallhund breeding! |
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Topsy´s strong qualities were her beautiful body and strong head and perfect quality of hair and the grey colour. Luckily she had several descendants in the neighbourhood! |
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Mopsen, the only male that was found |
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Luckily count Björn von Rosen happened to remember these small bobtails from his childhood . These little grey dogs were herding cattle, chasing rats and doing everything what was needed for a dog to do in a farmhouse but during the war they seemed to vanished! |
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Björn von Rosen took action to save the breed! He was curious what had happened to these small herders and that is why he put an advertisement in a newspaper in Skarabårg in spring 1942. One of those, who answered, was schoolmaster Karl-Gustaf Zettersten, who was at that time teaching in a school in Vara. He remembered very well this type of dogs and the contact between these two men rescued Swedish Vallhund l. later Västgötaspets to the coming world. Karl-Gustaf Zettersten was already a famous breeder of Scotch Terriers and animals in general was his great passion. He was a great admirer of the working abilities of Swedish Vallhunds and that was why he was also worried that these small and unique dogs would totally disappear. These two men met in summer 1942 to study the answers to count von Rosen´s advertisement and to build a plan on how to start the searching. Biking around southwestern Sweden... No sooner said than done! With one consent they decided to visit the farms around Vara by bike. During some summerweeks both gentlemen biked from one farm to another looking for written or verbal tradition where could one find living real Vallhunds. They found lots of mixed dogs that were used as working dogs during the war time and the seeking started to seem hopeless… Until they arrived to farmer Andersson´s farm! Right at his feet there was a "perfect", grey, bobtailed female, "Topsy", who was already 12 years old. |
