Finnish Lapphunds

Dogs from the far North

As the name suggests, this breed originates in Lappland – its name in Finnish is Suomenlapinkoira. This is an ancient breed – some scholars think that there are finds of this dogs’ forebears’ remnants that date back to 7000 B.C.! It is hard to believe that this breed was oficially recognised in late 60s. Having started off as companions of the Northern nomads, they soon were put to work around reindeers. As the reindeers are independent and, at times, fierce beasts, the Lapphunds use the power of their voice to convey messages – meaning that some of them are barkers.

They posess sturdy yet easy-going personality, happy to serve and enjoying human attention that is eagerly reciprocated. Although they are one of the most popular dog breeds in their native country, Finland, they are not as widespread outside of the Nordic countries – in fact, there are only around 2000 of them in Australia!

Lapphunds come in many colours

They are medium sized dogs with thick yet gentle double coat – you need to keep warm there in the North! In Australia, they do not suffer from the heat as much as some other northern breeds, like Samoyeds, let alone extremely hot days, because their fine coat assists ventilation a bit.

A fascinating fact is that the Lapphunds may be born with a variety of colours – in the same litter! There are some standard hues and patterns – they all fit within the breed standard. Dogs Australia publishes this document for the breed standard – a highly recommended reading for everyone keen to know more.

There are so many ineteresting facts about Lapphunds – one of them being that you can tell a male from a female right away. How? Easy! The males are masculine – larger, with broader chest, larger paws, while the females are gentle, a bit smaller and beautiful.

Cuteness and cleverness

These dogs are friendly and loyal. They make excellent family members who adore all members of their household – yet usually they have one person whom thy love most. They are active and curious – some reckon this is to be attributed to them being forest and tundra opportunity feeders. This means that they will thrive with a bit of physical activity – we do take Tyra for jogging as often as we can.

Playing is their second name. Lapphunds we know switch into a game mode at a fingerclick. In fact, a play is visibly their most desired mode of interaction with humans – the one which both dogs and humans immensely enjoy. This said, Lapphunds should not be left alone for prolonged periods – nothing is worse than a sad dog.

These dogs are also eager to serve and display good obedience. The best results are achieved with the program of regular exercises and training based on each dog’s individual traits – just like us humans, Lapphunds are different. A good idea is to let them try themselves not only on the dog shows, but also in sheep herding or obedience trials.