Swedish Lapphund
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The Swedish Lapphund is the Swedish counterpart of the Finnish Lapphund, a reindeer-herding dog that is today more often found as a companion dog. The Swedish Lapphund is a long-coated, medium size dog known to be loyal and protective.
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[edit] Description
[edit] Appearance
The head should be wedge-shaped with no hint of snipiness and with a well-defined stop. The eyes should be set well apart, round and dark brown with well pigmented rims. The ears should be set well apart, short, erect and pointed. The jaws should be strong with a perfect scissor bite. The lips and palate should be strongly pigmented. The neck should be powerful and of medium length. The body should be slightly longer than the height at the withers with a straight and muscular back. The forelegs should be straight with close fitting elbows and sloping shoulders. The hindlegs should be strong with a moderate turn of stifle and low set hocks. Dewclaws are highly undesirable. The feet should be strong and oval with black nails and pads. The tail should be high set and reach to the hock when extended, with bushy, long dense hair, and carried curled over the back when moving.
[edit] Temperament
In general the Lapphund is a friendly, outgoing and devoted dog. They are protective of their homes; no intruder will ever go unheard. Lapphunds get along extremely well with children, make good family pets and like to be included in all family activities. However if they are left to their own devices they can be very vocal, and if their minds are not exercised (similar to border collie) then they can be destructive. They are also known to enjoy digging. Sympathetic training is a must. They are very tolerant of children, but as with all pets, children should never be left alone, however trustworthy your friend may be. Please note that you should not intend to get one of these delightful dogs if there is not someone or another to be a constant companion. These dogs do not like being kept away from the family and doing so risks the dog getting so desperate that it may become destructive.
[edit] Intelligence
As all spitz-type dogs, Lapphunds like to please but are also independent. Gentle training is needed and once the penny has dropped training is easy. As with all puppies it is important to socialise at the right point in their lives to have a well balanced and loving friend. This breed can be very noisy, as the Sami trained these dogs to bark in order to make their herds wary of any canine that didn't do so -- though this behavior can be lessened through gentle training.
[edit] History
Swedish Lapphunds are a very old breed. In fact, a 7,000 year old skeleton found in Norway closely resemble todays Lapphunds. Originally bred to guard and herd the Sami people's reindeer herds, they are mostly used today as a companion dog although in some, the herding instinct is very strong. The breed is not common outside its home country of Sweden. However if you do get a Lapp, they can be a very independent but loyal companion and lover of the family.
