Finnish Lapphund

For centuries, the Finnish Lapphund (Finnish: Lapinkoira) has been a medium-sized, muscular reindeer herder for the Sami, an indigenous people residing today in a region divided between parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia.

The first breed standard was accepted by the Finnish Kennel Club in 1945 with the breed being called the Lapponian Shepherd Dog which included both a short-coated and long-coated variety,  In 1967, the long-coated dogs were given a separate standard and called the Lapinkoira, which is translated as Finnish Lapphund

Weight: Female: 33–53 lbs (15–24 kg) Male: 33–53 lbs (15–24 kg)
Height: Female: 16–19 inches (41–47 cm) Male: 18–20 inches (46–52 cm)
Coat: Outer coat is long and coarse. Undercoat soft and thick.
Color: White, Black, Wolf-Sable, Sable, Brown, Red.
Life span: 12–14 years (some live to 17 years).

Temperament: Keen, Friendly, Faithful, Courageous, Calm.

Health: Healthy breed. May be susceptible to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, and hip dysplasia.

Special Interest:
• After WW II, the Finnish Lapphund nearly became extinct due to a distemper outbreak.
• The breed falls under the mitochondrial DNA sub-clade d1 that is only found in northern Scandinavia and is the result of a female wolf-male dog hybridization that occurred post-domestication approximately 480–3,000 years ago.

Classifications:
AKC: Herding
ANKC: Group 5 (Working Dogs)
CKC: Group 7
KC (UK): Pastoral
NZKC: Working
UKC: Northern Breed
FCI: Group 5 Spitz and Primitive dogs, Section 3 Nordic Watchdogs and Herders #189

Kennel.com RecommendsFINNISH LAPPHUND – RARE BREED EDITION