GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 40-52cm
Colour: Any colour, but black or dark brown most common. The main colour also must be found on head, neck, chest, legs and tail tip.
Coat: Outer coat long and coarse. undercoat thick and soft. Smooth on head and shorter on front of legs.
Gait: Strong true moving dog.
This member of the spitz family has a body slightly longer than its shoulder height. Broad slightly rounded skull with a shorter wedge shaped muzzle.
The eyes and nose are dark. The wide set mobile ears are erect but unlike other spitz breeds, the tips may drop over. The back is straight and the body is powerful. The fore and hindquarters are strong and the arched oval shaped feet are covered with thick hair. The bushy tail is usually carried over the back.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
This versatile dog makes an ideal domestic companion being brave, calm, intelligent and faithful - but they are not overly friendly with strangers.
Due to their innate shepherding senses, they can be of greatvalue to farmers. Like most members of the spitz family, these dogs enjoy getting out and about. The coat only needs periodic brushing - but during a seasonal coat drop, more brushing is needed to ensure the undercoat does not knot and matt.
HISTORY
As the name infers, this breed became established by the Lapplanders in northern Scandinavia — the breed in Finland being known as the Finnish Lapphund and across the borderin Sweden it took on the Swedish title.
Originally used for hunting wild reindeer, in more recent times their herding instincts have been put to other uses by farmers.The Finnish Lapphund is a valuable house companion.