New Breed Love- Finnish Lapphunds

The Finnish Lapphund is neither shy nor aggresive, quite intelligent,friendly toward people and other dogs. At the same time, he possessess an independent streak. Mild mannered and eager to please, he exhibits a strong sense of loyalty to its family. Sometimes, one wonders if he sees his family as reindeer herd, a flock to be tended. Being a working breed, his trainability and ability to learn is quite apparent, qualities that makes him suitable to excel in dogs sports.

The breed is relatively a well balanced dog of small to medium size with a strong base and muscle. The average female Lapphund is smaller from its male counterpart and characterwise is more biddable. Males range in
height from 46-52 cms (18-20.5 inches) while females range from 41-47 cms (16-18.5 inches). However, the breed standard specified that type is more important than the size. He is a genuine arctic spitz with long, straight and coarse coat, and a thick dense downy undercoat, commonly categorized as a "double coat.†The harshness of its coat needs minimal maintenance and is quite water resistant. Features that proves valuable in the harsh climates of the Arctic. The ears which are small to medium sized are either pricked (erect), or have folded tips and are well furnished with hair inside.

All colours are allowed as long as one basic primary colour is dominant with colours other than the main colour occuring in the head, neck, chest or the underside of the body. Another interesting feature of the lapphund is the presence of spectacles, the light hair colouring around the eyes that gives an impression of the dog wearing"eyeglasses".






Health and Care

Finnish LapphundsThe Finnish Lapphund is one of the healthiest dog breeds. But like most purebreds some lines do carry genetic diseases. A small percentage of the Lapphunds have PRA or HC, and very few hip dysplasia cases are found. It is good practice that hips and eyes of dogs being planned for breeding are examined first and ensured that they are of good breeding quality.

It is widely acknowledged that the average lifespan is between 12-15, however based on experience a better estimate is 15-17 years.

The double coated dog do shed at least once a year (twice or more for females). Maintenance of the coat is not labor and time intensive, regular brushing and occassional baths are fairly sufficient. Care should still be observed when combing out dead hair to avoid skin diseases.