Finnish Lapphund Dog Breed Information And Characteristics

The Finnish Lapphund or Suomen Lapinkoira, as they call it in Finland, is a Nordic herding dog originating from Lapland, a vast land in the Arctic circle, which encompasses northern regions of Scandinavia and the Karelian district of Russia. The breed originated in antiquity, approximately 7.000 years ago, judging by some fossil remains discovered in Lapland, and was developed by semi-nomadic Sámi people that have been inhabiting these lands for thousands of years. Lapinkoira, together with the Swedish Lapphund, Swedish Elkhound, Lapponian Herder, and Norwegian Elkhound, belongs to a group of Nordic breeds that were, after their domestication, further developed through hybridization of male dogs and female wolves. The primary use of these dogs was for hunting and reindeer herding, but today they are mainly used for sheep and cattle herding as well as family companions. The Finnish Lapphund is included by the FCI in the Nordic Watchdogs And Herding Dogs group in the class of primitive dogs. Continue Reading →

Swedish Lapphund Dog Breed Info And Characteristics

The Swedish Lapphund (Svensk Lapphund) or Lapponian Dog is a Spitz type working dog originating from Sweden. In fact, this is one of the oldest Swedish dog breeds as well as one of three Lapphund breeds – other two being the Finnish Lapphund and Lapponian Herder – that were developed by ancient tribes of Sámi people from northern Scandinavia. Based on the fossil remains of a dog discovered near Varanger in Norway, which was quite reminiscent of today’s Lapphund dogs, scientists have estimated that this breed is approximately 7.000 years old. This puts Lapponian Dog into the group of oldest Spitz type breeds in the world. It is interesting to know that Swedish Lapphund, together with the Lapponian Herder, Finnish Lapphund, Norwegian Elkhound, and Swedish Elkhound, genetically, belong to a group of dogs developed through interbreeding of male dogs and female wolves. In the FCI, this dog is included in the Nordic Watchdogs And Herding Dogs group in the class of primitive dog breeds. Continue Reading →