Finnish Lapphund
Bred by the Sami to herd reindeer, and it herds by voice: a lapphund barks to move stock. The coat is built for a Lapland winter and looks it.
Overview
The Finnish Lapphund was bred by the Sami people to herd reindeer, and the method is what makes it distinctive: it works by voice rather than by eye or by nipping, barking to move a herd that could seriously injure a dog that got too close.
That explains the breed's most notable trait as a pet. It is a vocal dog, and the barking is not a training failure, it is the job.
Temperament
Friendly, gentle and unusually calm for a herding breed. Lapphunds are good with children, sociable with strangers and other dogs, and genuinely easy going.
They are intelligent and biddable and they have a strong startle reflex, a survival trait from working around reindeer. They bark, and anyone considering one in close housing should treat that as a fact about the breed rather than something to train out entirely.
Care and grooming
A thick double coat that needs weekly brushing and daily attention during the two enormous moults. It is more self maintaining than it looks and should not be shaved.
Progressive retinal atrophy and glycogen storage disease type II both have DNA tests, and hip and elbow dysplasia are worth asking about. Twelve to fifteen years is good for the size.
Living and exercise
An hour to ninety minutes a day plus mental work. They enjoy herding, agility and obedience.
They handle cold extremely well and heat poorly. They are one of the easier northern breeds to live with and a good choice for an active family that can tolerate a talkative dog.
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