GROUP 5 - WORKING DOGS

History

The Finnish Lapphund is a Spitz breed originating from Lapland; a region that now spans the North of Finland, Sweden, Norway and parts of north-western Russia. This region is inhabited by the Indigenous Sami people. The dogs of this region adapted over thousands of years as a landrace to suit the harsh climate, work and lifestyle needs of the Sami people.

In ancient times the dogs assisted with hunting in the forests and tundra. Eventually the Sami transitioned from hunting to reindeer herding. Their dogs also transitioned from hunting companions to reindeer herding specialists. The Sami’s dogs were an integral part of their life, not only assisting with the reindeer herds, but also acting as close companions to their families. The families lived in ‘lavvus’ (the spelling differs depending on the dialect) Lavvus were temporary tepee-type structures. The dogs could often be found inside, keeping the children company. They would also hunt rodents and other small animals around the camp area and bark at potential predators. They were an all-round useful dog, whose company was greatly enjoyed by the entire family. In artwork depicting this time, Lapphund-type dogs can often be seen sitting with the children or adults, barking at birds and generally being a constant presence in the camp area.

Herding Instinct

Reindeer herding is entirely different to herding sheep and other commonly seen livestock. The Lapphund herding style is not well suited for herding sheep. Unlike the Disney depictions of reindeers, actual reindeer are stubborn, flighty, not domesticated and have antlers and hooves that can do serious damage. To herd reindeer requires great courage and agility. The dogs must also be able to quickly make their own ecisions and work well independently.

Reindeer herding was not an everyday activity for the Sami, with the reindeer living free on the tundra for most of the year. Practises differed among Sami family groups and regions but generally the reindeer were only captured and corralled, a couple of times a year, for animal husbandry purposes. Outside of these occasions very large herds consisting of hundreds, if not thousands, of reindeer would be moved to fresh pastures at different times of the year. Circa 1960s to 1970s, the Sami herding techniques evolved to the use of snowmobiles for herding the reindeer. As a consequence, the Lapphund-type dogs fell out of favour with the Sami.

The Modern Lapphund

In the 1970s to early 1990s, much work was carried out by modern breeders in Finland and Sweden to establish the standards of the breed. The breeders would travel to Lapland to purchase suitable dogs from the Sami people and operated breeding programs to preserve the breed.

Today, the Finnish Lapphund is among the five most popular breeds in Finland. The Finns take great pride in this dog and consider them one of their national breeds. It is now rare to find Lapphunds performing reindeer herding as a ‘job’ in Lapland, and modern Sami people are living a different way of life. Some Sami people have retained or reinstated aspects of their heritage but very few use Lapphunds in their work. The Sami people remain forward thinking and accepting of new technology, with helicopters and drones often utilised for herding their reindeer.

The Finnish Lapphund was introduced to Australia in 1995. At time of writing, (October 2020) There have been approximately 1,700 Finnish Lapphunds bred in Australia.

Temperament

Finnish Lapphunds are a very friendly breed with an incredible, joyful nature. They are friendly with strangers, particularly those that give belly rubs! They are a soft and gentle breed that are good with children, the elderly and disabled people. They very much want to be involved in their families day to day life and activities.

They can become reactive towards other dogs when on leash, particularly in urban areas, if not provided with proper training in their two years of life.

They are relatively trainable compared to other Spitz breeds, with Lapphunds training and competing in obedience, rally obedience, agility, flyball, nose work, tracking, track and search, weight pull and dancing with dogs. It is important to note, however, that they are more of a challenge to train than other common working breeds. Due to their herding background, they retain an instinct to chase. In our modern context, that often means chasing birds or other animals.

Appearance

The breed is smaller than medium sized, slightly longer than the height at the withers: males 49cm; females 44cm, plus or minus 3cm. The coat is profuse; the males especially exhibit an abundant mane. The guard coat is long, straight and harsh; the undercoat soft and dense. Any colour coat is permissible, but the basic colour must be dominant.

Maintenance

Their coat requires weekly brushing. Owners need to be equipped with appropriate brushes and combs and should be prepared to spend up to an hour weekly brushing hrough their profuse double coat. Each spring they will experience a large “coat drop” of the undercoat. This requires extensive brushing to remove - or the assistance of a professional groomer.

As a Spitz breed, they do not develop a ‘doggy’ odour. In their home country they are very rarely bathed, perhaps only once a year to once every few years. Dirt is easily brushed out from their coat once dry.

The Finns are passionately adamant that this breed is to remain a natural breed resembling those once found on the tundra. As such, a Finnish Lapphund coat should not be highly ‘styled’ with grooming products. Nor should they be trimmed or shaved.

Health

The Finnish Lapphund is generally a healthy breed. Their working-dog ancestry in harsh and freezing cold conditions has ensured that the modern Lapphund is a hardy and robust dog. Expected life span is 12-15 years, with some living beyond this. When purchasing a puppy, potential owners should ensure the breeder supplies the following health testing records for each parent:
● An ACES eye certificate dated in the 24 months prior to the mating.
● Hip score test results, ideally from the ANKC CHEDS hip scheme.
● Elbow score results (may not be available where sire is from imported semen)
● DNA test results for Prcd-PRA and GSD II carrier status.

Suitability 

Finnish Lapphunds are suitable for individuals and families who want to involve their dog in their life and activities and who are committed to weekly, thorough grooming and regular, consistent training. As a versatile breed, they are well suited to those who would like to partake in various dog sports.

Words: The Finnish Lapphund Club of NSW

Photo: Ffire Photography

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Finnish Lapphund you may have think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Finnish Lapphund and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.