We first discovered Icelandic Sheepdogs in 2019 while living in New York City. David was new to dogs, but Athena grew up with dogs all her life. We were looking for a medium-sized, smart, eager to learn, and affectionate dog who would join us on hikes and our other outdoor adventures. After extensive research and many phone calls, we knew we were in love with the breed.

Two months later, at nine weeks old, Millie joined the family. Two years later, we welcomed our second Icie, Sunny, into our home. Since then we have hiked, run, swam, earned a couples titles in Rally and Trick Dog with a few more in the works, and have nearly completed Millie’s AKC championship.

Four years later, we have joined the tightly-knit community of breeders dedicated to preserving and bettering this breed. As hobby breeders, we won’t always have litters, but you can bet that when we do, they are getting all of our love, devotion, and attention. We strive to raise happy, healthy puppies and approach this goal from the perspective of positive reinforcement dog training and early socialization so that everyone has a strong foundation to build on for the rest of their lives.

In climbing, as in many things in life, it is the process of solving the problem, the trial and error, and the small successes that finally culminate in that successful top out. At Ascent Icelandics, we are here for the journey up the wall with our dog, no matter the summit.

Happy climbing!

— Athena, David, Millie & Sunny