Appearance

This is a medium-sized, strongly built, Spit-type dog. They are slightly longer than it is high at the withers. They have long haired coats that grow profusely, prickly, mobile ears, and wee bit long snout.

History

The Finnish Lapphund can trace its origins as a reindeer herder of the indigenous people, the Sami, in Lapland northern Finland. Before they became a reindeer herding dog, the Finnish Lapphund was initially a hunter/protector for the nomadic tribe. With the advent of new technology such as the snowmobile, the dogs became less and less necessary. Although they are no longer used as herding dogs, they still retain their strong herding instincts. Their popularity exploded in Finland during the 1940s. The dogs that belong to the Sami people were being used to establish a breeding program, which produced two variants: the original short coated and the long coated dog. The Finnish Kennel Club officially accepted the breed in. In 2000, the Finnish Lapphund became the eight most popular breed in Finland.