General appearance, characteristics, temperament
The beauty of the breed is in its uniqueness – there are no two lapphunds that are exactly alike, and this is the way it should be. There are many lovely, almost perfect Finnish Lapphunds that, however, clearly are individuals when it comes to temperament and appearance.
General Appearance
For decades the general appearance of Finnish Lapphund has remained the same. The breed is medium built, having a naturally heavy coated, with dense undercoat suitable for withstanding the extreme temperatures of its native Lapland. Ears are pricked or tipped.
All coat colours are permitted, as long as the primary color is dominant. The dog differs from the bitch both in appearance and character, the bitch being smaller and more often more submissive. The ideal height for males is 19 inches (49 cm) and for females 17 inches (44 cm) with a tolerance of 1 inch (+/- 3 cm) the right type being considered to be more important than the size.
Characteristics
The Finnish Lapphund is intelligent (even cunning), independent, humble and co-operative. He will do everything for you with encouragement. Even though a quick learner, the Finnish Lapphund usually thinks for a while before going into action. He likes to watch his family's life from aside, treating the family as a reindeer herd.
The breed is very popular as a family pet, he enjoys human contact. He is easy to train and is a most suitable companion for dog sports. They have a strong nose picking up scent work very quickly. They do require a reasonable amount of exercise though this can be done in a good sized yard. They love the human contact so a walk on lead would be sufficient to bond with your lappie.
Whilst they can be trusted off lead, I would always keep a wary eye on them as they can chase, and will become "deaf" when you are attempting to recall. However, they are very trainable.
We have dogs in Australia who have done very well in obedience, agility, rally O, dancing with dogs, herding, scent trailing and one is trained in the Responsible Pet Ownership in Schools Program.
Temperament
The Finnish Lapphund's nature is in itself is as individual as the breed. They are courageous, keen, calm and willing to learn. They are friendly, easy going and very faithful.
The Finnish Lapphund is intelligent, bold, calm, good natured, and eager to serve. He has a pleasant, unobtrusive nature that is in harmony with the people and animals around it. He is usually submissive towards people, he may be a little bit distant but never timid, though bitches can be a little shy and can be more reserved. Bitches are much softer in nature than the males.
Lapphunds are extremely loyal to their family and have a strong desire to please the human members in it. They train with a minimum of effort. In fact, corrections considered acceptable for many others breeds of dog are often too much for the Lapphund. The Finnish Lapphund wears its heart on its sleeve, it is very sensitive to correction and will show depression if corrections are too severe! In most cases a Lapphund is aware of his error before the undesired behavior is even completed. Finnish Lapphunds seem to have an intuition of what is acceptable behavior and what is not.
General Appearance
For decades the general appearance of Finnish Lapphund has remained the same. The breed is medium built, having a naturally heavy coated, with dense undercoat suitable for withstanding the extreme temperatures of its native Lapland. Ears are pricked or tipped.
All coat colours are permitted, as long as the primary color is dominant. The dog differs from the bitch both in appearance and character, the bitch being smaller and more often more submissive. The ideal height for males is 19 inches (49 cm) and for females 17 inches (44 cm) with a tolerance of 1 inch (+/- 3 cm) the right type being considered to be more important than the size.
Characteristics
The Finnish Lapphund is intelligent (even cunning), independent, humble and co-operative. He will do everything for you with encouragement. Even though a quick learner, the Finnish Lapphund usually thinks for a while before going into action. He likes to watch his family's life from aside, treating the family as a reindeer herd.
The breed is very popular as a family pet, he enjoys human contact. He is easy to train and is a most suitable companion for dog sports. They have a strong nose picking up scent work very quickly. They do require a reasonable amount of exercise though this can be done in a good sized yard. They love the human contact so a walk on lead would be sufficient to bond with your lappie.
Whilst they can be trusted off lead, I would always keep a wary eye on them as they can chase, and will become "deaf" when you are attempting to recall. However, they are very trainable.
We have dogs in Australia who have done very well in obedience, agility, rally O, dancing with dogs, herding, scent trailing and one is trained in the Responsible Pet Ownership in Schools Program.
Temperament
The Finnish Lapphund's nature is in itself is as individual as the breed. They are courageous, keen, calm and willing to learn. They are friendly, easy going and very faithful.
The Finnish Lapphund is intelligent, bold, calm, good natured, and eager to serve. He has a pleasant, unobtrusive nature that is in harmony with the people and animals around it. He is usually submissive towards people, he may be a little bit distant but never timid, though bitches can be a little shy and can be more reserved. Bitches are much softer in nature than the males.
Lapphunds are extremely loyal to their family and have a strong desire to please the human members in it. They train with a minimum of effort. In fact, corrections considered acceptable for many others breeds of dog are often too much for the Lapphund. The Finnish Lapphund wears its heart on its sleeve, it is very sensitive to correction and will show depression if corrections are too severe! In most cases a Lapphund is aware of his error before the undesired behavior is even completed. Finnish Lapphunds seem to have an intuition of what is acceptable behavior and what is not.
general care
Finnish Lapphunds do have abundant, waterproof coat so do require some brushing. Lapphunds do shed their coats regularly (at least annually for males and twice yearly for bitches. This usually coincides with their seasons.) When Lapphunds are shedding they will need a good brush out with a slicker or rake, using a gentle spray of water or conditioner in the water. Lapphunds have a wonderful coat that when it gets wet or muddy, you can rest assured that after the coat dries the dirt just falls out.
Despite having a long, double coat Lapphunds are relatively easy to maintain. The coat is odour free and with regular brushing of about 30 minutes a week will remain tangle free. The under coat will drop out seasonally and will leave a mess if left. This can be rectified with a brush, rake or comb to remove the dropped undercoat.
The lapphund’s coat is one of little care in that if they are muddy or dirty, leave them dry and the dirt drops from them. I do find though, that the dirt can stay at skin level so bathing is recommended at least every 3 months or so. A hydrobath is best to get through the coat to fully wet it.
Their double coat acts as an insulator for both heat and cooling. They NEVER need to have the coat clipped off. The undercoat keeps the dog warm in winter and the loss of undercoat and movement of the outer coat assists in the cooling of the dog. Supplying of water troughs or kids pools does help the dog to cool off in our heat but as a rule the dogs will find somewhere comfortable to lie.
Trimming of the foot fur is rather a contentious issue. There are those - myself included, that prefer that foot fur be trimmed flush with the pads to ensure proper footing and protect the digits from becoming splayed. Excess fur growth, if left uncorrected, can displace the pads and create “fallen arches” or “flat feet,” a very painful condition. There are others that prefer a natural snow boot be visible, and that combing of the foot fur is maintained to keep it free of mud and debris.
Toenails and teeth cleaning should be maintained routinely as well (at least fortnightly). The toe nails should be maintained at a proper length. A general rule is you should not hear them make contact with the ground when the dog walks.
To assist the teeth cleaning, providing the dog with a good bone will assist in keeping the plaque away from the teeth.
Regular worming of your pet is essential as is Heartworm treatment in some areas. This is easiest with one of the monthly treatment purchasable from your vet. I have never known fleas to be a problem but again this is treatable using an all wormer, which includes a flea treatment.
Ticks in Australia can cause some stress particularly with the heavy coat of the lappies. This can be eased with the use of tick treatments available through your vet.
Feeding - you will need to feed cautiously as lapphunds LOVE their food. They quickly become overweight if not careful. Using a premium quality food and / or raw diet is recommended. As a guide feeling the dogs ribs will give you an indication of how they are faring. You should be able to feel the ribs with little pressure on them but they should not be prominent in the feel. Working with your vet regarding the ideal weight for your dog is best. Overweightness WILL lead to some of the joint problems that would otherwise not be found. Adults should be between 15 -20 kg mark. General rule of thumb is 1kg per inch of height.
Despite having a long, double coat Lapphunds are relatively easy to maintain. The coat is odour free and with regular brushing of about 30 minutes a week will remain tangle free. The under coat will drop out seasonally and will leave a mess if left. This can be rectified with a brush, rake or comb to remove the dropped undercoat.
The lapphund’s coat is one of little care in that if they are muddy or dirty, leave them dry and the dirt drops from them. I do find though, that the dirt can stay at skin level so bathing is recommended at least every 3 months or so. A hydrobath is best to get through the coat to fully wet it.
Their double coat acts as an insulator for both heat and cooling. They NEVER need to have the coat clipped off. The undercoat keeps the dog warm in winter and the loss of undercoat and movement of the outer coat assists in the cooling of the dog. Supplying of water troughs or kids pools does help the dog to cool off in our heat but as a rule the dogs will find somewhere comfortable to lie.
Trimming of the foot fur is rather a contentious issue. There are those - myself included, that prefer that foot fur be trimmed flush with the pads to ensure proper footing and protect the digits from becoming splayed. Excess fur growth, if left uncorrected, can displace the pads and create “fallen arches” or “flat feet,” a very painful condition. There are others that prefer a natural snow boot be visible, and that combing of the foot fur is maintained to keep it free of mud and debris.
Toenails and teeth cleaning should be maintained routinely as well (at least fortnightly). The toe nails should be maintained at a proper length. A general rule is you should not hear them make contact with the ground when the dog walks.
To assist the teeth cleaning, providing the dog with a good bone will assist in keeping the plaque away from the teeth.
Regular worming of your pet is essential as is Heartworm treatment in some areas. This is easiest with one of the monthly treatment purchasable from your vet. I have never known fleas to be a problem but again this is treatable using an all wormer, which includes a flea treatment.
Ticks in Australia can cause some stress particularly with the heavy coat of the lappies. This can be eased with the use of tick treatments available through your vet.
Feeding - you will need to feed cautiously as lapphunds LOVE their food. They quickly become overweight if not careful. Using a premium quality food and / or raw diet is recommended. As a guide feeling the dogs ribs will give you an indication of how they are faring. You should be able to feel the ribs with little pressure on them but they should not be prominent in the feel. Working with your vet regarding the ideal weight for your dog is best. Overweightness WILL lead to some of the joint problems that would otherwise not be found. Adults should be between 15 -20 kg mark. General rule of thumb is 1kg per inch of height.
