Until 2015, Cirkus Benneweis was Denmark’s premier circus, and one of Europe’s oldest circuses still in the hands of the same family.  It celebrated its first one-hundred years in 1987, and was still entertaining audiences after more than 130 years until its “temporary” closure in 2015 for a “reorganization.”  To our knowledge, it hasn’t reopened.

That aside, the Cirkus Benneweis had many marvelous acts, including performances that involved dogs. Traditionally, circus dogs have been Poodles or American Eskimo Dogs, but in the 1920s, Ferdinand and Irene Benneweis had as many as five Danish Swedish Farmdogs performing various tricks, an easy feat for this versatile breed known for its quickness at learning new tasks. In another post, we merely touched upon the breed’s versatility. Soon, we’ll be sharing information about another surprising job this breed has taken on with ease.

Image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information