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Finnish Lapphund

alert / friendly / agile
Herding Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

18-21 inches (male)

16-19 inches (female)

Weight

33-53 pounds

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    80% 80%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    80% 80%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    80% 80%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    80% 80%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    100% 100%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

A hardy and substantial reindeer herder from north of the Arctic Circle is the weatherproof Finnish Lapphund. Once he is certain that you are not a thief of reindeer, this type of dog is among the nicest of all. Finnish Lapphunds are easily distinguished from other Nordic dogs because of their luxurious coat, endearing spitz-like face, and thickly covered tail that curves over the back. Lappies are remarkably large and strong for their size, standing around 20 inches tall at the shoulder. They are swift and dexterous, moving with ease and being able to transition quickly from trotting to full galloping. Lappies are affectionate and obedient companions, albeit a little leery of strangers.

They yearn for friendship and suffer when abandoned. A strong “startle reflex” that developed over millennia of dodging rogue reindeer antlers is a distinguishing attribute of the breed. Lappies are well-liked pets in their native country despite their tendency for shedding and barking.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Finnish Lapphund

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The majority of Finnish Lapphunds are in good health, however, the breed is prone to a few diseases. Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are two of these, and X-rays can identify both of them. Progressive retinal atrophy, which results in loss of eyesight, is another condition that some Lappies have. Breeders who practice responsible breeding examine their breeding stock for ailments that might harm the breed. Like all breeds, a Lappy should have their teeth washed frequently and have their ears checked frequently for indications of infection.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Hip Evaluation
  • PRA Optigen DNA Test
  • Degenerative Myelopathy DNA Test
  • Pompe's Disease DNA Test
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

A smooth outer coat covers a velvety, dense undercoat in the Finnish Lapphund. Weekly brushing—daily during the shedding season—will help maintain the dog looking his best by removing dirt and loose hair. Lappies don't smell like dogs, so an occasional bath is typically plenty. Lappies shouldn't ever be shaved because it affects their capacity to stay warm and cool in cold weather. As with all breeds, the nails should be periodically cut because excessively long nails can hurt the dog and make it difficult for it to run and walk.

Exercise

Finnish Lapphunds are calm dogs that require only light activity. The breed is typically kept happy and healthy with just a daily long walk. Lappies typically do not exercise on their own, but they can benefit from a half-hour play session with their owner and a ball, or with another dog. Since Lappies are a herding breed, they frequently take part in herding competitions. They can also thrive in canine sports including agility, obedience, rally, and tracking.

Training

It is advised to take puppy training sessions as well as early socializing. Between the ages of roughly 7 weeks and 4 months, gently introducing the puppy to a wide range of people, places, and situations helps to guarantee that the Lappy develops into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion. The Finnish Lapphund, like other herding breeds, is bright and quick to pick things up, but they also have a propensity to be independent or even strong-willed. Because the Lappy is a pack dog and prefers to be with his family, being frequently left alone for extended periods of time might lead to undesired habits.

Nutrition

The Finnish Lapphund will receive all the nutrients required by high-quality dog food that is suited for the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, and steer clear of cooked bones in particular. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian.

History

Lapland is an area that includes portions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and northwest Russia. It is located north of the Arctic Circle. It is called after the sparsely populated Sami, or Lapp, people who have lived in the area for several thousand years.
The Lapphund, often known as the “Lapps’ dog,” is a heavily covered spitz-type dog that the Sami evolved in the past to hunt reindeer across vast stretches of desolate tundra. Although their past is frequently murky, the Sami transitioned from hunter-gatherers to full-fledged nomads a few centuries ago. As reindeer herders, the Sami moved sizable herds of reindeer in search of pastureland.

The Lapphund evolved with Sami society as one authority puts it: “The Sami lived in tents or turf huts and migrated with their herds in units of five or six families, supplementing their diet along the way by hunting and fishing.” They continued to serve as hunting dogs, guard dogs, and close companions to their humans while transitioning, like their masters, from hunting reindeer to herding them. (One way to explain the intrinsic sociability of these dogs is that Lapphunds are among the Arctic breeds that spent hundreds of years snuggled together for warmth with their owners and other dogs on viciously cold nights.)

Real reindeer are obstinate, cantankerous animals with dangerous antlers, unlike the cute cartoon reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh every December. Lapphunds still possess the boldness, intelligence, and quickness that are necessary to control reindeer.
Up until recently, reindeer herding was the foundation of Sami’s life. Even though technology has encroached over traditional reindeer range, Lapland still contains several hundred thousand reindeer, and it is still possible to watch the Finnish Lapphund and its sister breed, the Swedish Lapphund, driving herds through the wide icy north.