Finnish Lapphund

The Finnish Lapphund is a medium-sized, compact dog, strong when compared to its size and sturdy to look at. They are a very striking and attractive breed.

They have a broad and relatively short head, with a smiling, soft and humble expression, and a distinct stop. They have a thick, harsh double coat. The outer guard coat is long and coarse, and the undercoat soft and dense. A particular feature of the Finnish Lapphund is the difference between the appearance of the males and females. At first glance, you should usually be able to tell whether a Lapphund is male or female, with the boys looking masculine and the girls feminine. The males also have a bigger coat, particularly around the ruff.

The original Finnish Lapphunds were the helper dogs of a tribe of semi-nomadic people, the Sami, in Lapland (the northern region of Finland, Sweden, and in part, Russia). Archaeological digs in Lapland have unearthed remains of Lapponian dogs estimated as old as 7000 BC. There is even the existence of old cave drawings depicting this type of dog.

Their job was to keep herds of reindeer together. With the arrival of the snowmobile, the use of dogs became less and less necessary. Now dogs are rarely used on reindeer herds. The breed still retains a strong herding instinct.

Around 1940, in Finland, interest in saving the breed began to grow. Dogs belonging to the original Sami people were collected with the intent of establishing a breeding program. The first breed standard was accepted by the Finnish Kennel Club in 1945.

The Finnish Lapphund is a wonderful "all-around" dog with its intelligence and eager to please disposition. They are a breed quick to learn and coupled with their non-aggressive attitude towards people, children, and other dogs they are fast gaining popularity as a wonderful companion breed.

As a breed that tends to be naturally submissive with people, which should not be confused with shyness, they are gentle dogs and great dogs for families with children.

The Finnish Lapphund has a straight and smooth, sometimes wavy, outer coat and a soft and dense undercoat accompanied by fringes or "feathering" on the back of their legs, underbelly, and tail with males having a more profuse coat than females.

As a puppy, they usually have a soft texture to their coats which requires a bit more grooming but this is also the best time to establish good grooming habits which will make it easier on you when they become an adult. Once their adult coat comes in and the texture changes, grooming doesn't take as long. But remember, as a double-coated breed they do require regular grooming.