Breed history
The ancestors of today’s Finnish Lapphund go back many centuries. The nomadic Sami people of Lapland have always used dogs as an integral part of their way of life, initially for hunting and guarding and later developing dogs designed to work and live in close cooperation with families, yet be sufficiently hardy to survive a harsh climate.
One of the more heavily-coated, compact spitz breeds was used close to settlements as a watch dog and for short bursts of activity with the smaller herds of ‘domestic’ reindeer – the origin of the FL today.
One of the more heavily-coated, compact spitz breeds was used close to settlements as a watch dog and for short bursts of activity with the smaller herds of ‘domestic’ reindeer – the origin of the FL today.
In the twentieth century, the inter-war years produced some testing times, including the threat of an epidemic, but thanks to the dedicated work of some well-connected enthusiasts, foundation dogs were carefully selected and preserved. Finnish clubs focussed on construction and temperament rather than pure aesthetics, and the breed continued to develop with successive revisions to the standard. The breed register is still open to allow the admission of unregistered dogs that meet the standard, thus providing fresh opportunities to widen the gene pool. In recent years, with increasing use of skidoos, FL are used less frequently to herd reindeer, but their qualities have captured the hearts of pet owners across the country and the breed features consistently in the top 10 companion dogs of Finland. A small but growing band of enthusiasts across the world is discovering the joys of this wonderful breed, many in close cooperation with experienced breeders in the country of origin.
More detail on the breed origin and history is available in Finnish. Those interested in greater detail and the development of the breed outside of Finland, may like to read a copy of a book on the breed, written by Toni Jackson.
Health and disposition
Finnish Lapphunds have genetic vitality and survival on their side. No animal could have worked in such an uncompromising tough climate with such success for so long without vigour and robustness.
Those who could not perform in either herding reindeer on twice-yearly migrations to summer and winter pastures, watching the stock or were of unsuitable disposition in a crowded family tent with snow and wind howling outside would simply never have been bred.
So, healthy calm, and biddable animals, friendly and gentle towards man and other creatures were selected, with a degree of independence and quick thinking to get them out of trouble from hooves and antlers if needed. The legacy is very much one of all-round health. Today, we no longer select for function, so breeding practices will play a major part in the future of the overall health of the breed.
On the other hand, as with any pure bred dog, genetic diseases exist, however, they are currently at a much lower level than the majority of breeds:
- Eye conditions. The FL is predisposed toward four eye conditions. PRA (1.6%), HC (3.8%), RD (1%) and PHTVL/PHPV (1.5%) - prevalence levels taken from Lappalaiskorat ry, Finland. Only PRA is DNA screened, the remainder are identifiable at BVA/KC annual eye tests. All breeding stock should be screened for these conditions unless clear by lineage. Further detailed information with helpful explanatory links from the FLCGB
- Hip dysplasia. Again all breed stock need to be scored but environmental as well as genetic considerations need to be taken into account when selecting breeding pairs and exercising immature animals.
- Elbow dysplasia. Probably at a much higher prevalence than previously suspected (6%) but only 20% of breed stock are currently tested in Finland, with many breeders now screening for patella luxation in addition. Screening not yet required worldwide.
- Idiopathic Epilepsy. Thankfully, not common in our breed, currently around 1% prevalence in UK, compared with an all-breeds average of around 3%.
- Drug sensitivity. A few FL owners have reported adverse reactions to certain wormers, anaesthetics, sedatives, anti-diarrhoea and chemotherapy medications. Along with some other pastoral breeds it is thought that a few FL may have MDR1 mutation, but as yet no FL has had a positive testing. Inform your vet that MDR1 is a possibility and inform the breed clubs of adverse reactions.
- Auto-immune and emerging conditions. Recent reports from Finland (Jan 2012, Lapinkoira Magazine) indicate a small (<2% on voluntary reporting over a decade) number of FL suffering from thyroid disorders, Cushings and Addisons. More recently, litters have been found to suffer from Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Breed standard
The UK Kennel Club breed standard outlines the ‘ideal’ FL, details are here.
Additionally, the FCI standard is the one used when judging FLs in Europe and of course, Finland. The two standards are quite similar although there are some minor differences, for example, around the acceptability of rear dew claws.
A rainbow of colours
Finnish Lapphunds come in a huge variety of colours (there is a colour for everyone!), although some are not permissible in the show ring, such as saddle, brindle and parti-colour, as in exhibiting one colour must predominate. In the UK, our most common colours are black with tan markings of varying intensity, wolf sable, and brown with tan markings, with a small number of creams, bear brown and red sable. Some of the colours are recessive and therefore would occur less frequently, but (breeding) patterns have altered this balance. For an amazing illustration of the sheer diversity of Lapphund colouring, please visit
An excellent explanation by Liisa Sarakontu of the complexities of FL coat colour genetics
An excellent explanation by Liisa Sarakontu of the complexities of FL coat colour genetics
