I wasn’t planning on adding a puppy from another breeder since I had finally decided to breed my girls when I retired from Lahey, but bringing Roy into my household was meant to be. He was the product of a repeat breeding achieved through artificial insemination of frozen semen from Luke, 5 months after Luke’s death.

I was still grieving, but when the litter was whelped in Michigan on September 6th, the day that would have been Luke’s 8th birthday, my plans changed. I went out to Michigan to temperament test the litter and pick my puppy when they were 8 weeks old.

I was looking for a very biddable, moderate energy puppy, who was able to connect with me. Roy won my heart, and we were off on our journey together. He turned out to be a big Icelandic male, 19 inches at the withers, with very strong bone, and rear power. He moves like a dream. Interestingly, Luke was only 16.5 inches at the withers, but also had wonderful movement.

Roy is one of those dogs who is like a bull in a china shop, particularly when he was younger. When the other dogs are getting attention, Roy pushes his way in, and uses eye contact and soft verbalizations to achieve his goal. He is a protector of his pack, and will often spend the day on a 3 foot high grooming table, looking outside to ensure the safety of the household. He absolutely levitates when he jumps. He has a loud, deep bark, but has learned to communicate with soft, whining sounds, which we appreciate. He relates well to other dogs. Although his bark can be formidable, he has never been aggressive. He passed his herding instinct test, and is farm dog certified.

When he was a puppy, I began training him for conformation and agility. At his first agility trial, he qualified for his Novice Agility Preferred Title, but worried about my instability on an agility course, we then worked on conformation, and walking as a pack of three or four on the streets of Lexington. Typically, we walk 2-4 miles per day.

Roy was able to shine in conformation like his father and full sister Rain. He was awarded many Herding Group placements, achieved his Grand Champion Silver Title, was Best of Breed at the National Championship show in Orlando, and was three times Best of Breed at Westminster.

His son Crisp has been Best of Breed at a regional Icelandic Sheepdog Specialty, and was the #1 Icelandic Sheepdog in Conformation in 2024.

As he has aged, he has become more of a smiley puss . He is a wonderful companion, who often spends the evening beside me between my chair and the couch, the same spot Luke would take. It is at those moments, when I experience the deep connection to my beloveds, Roy and Luke. ~Loren 🐾