Lapponian Herder

Lapinporokoira Finsk Valhund

His very pleasant and family character makes this magnificent sheepdog an excellent life companion for all members of the family, young and old alike. He is nice with children and very sociable with his fellow sheepdogs. Even if he is suspicious of strangers, he is not impulsive but rather calm and posed. His great capacity for analysis makes him an excellent dog that can be relied on at all times. The Lapponian Herder is primarily a sheepdog, but fits very well in a home. He is a life companion for everyone.

Height 41 to 52 cm
Weight 18 to 27 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 14 years
Home country Finland

Quick Overview of the Lapponian Herder

Temperament

  • Pleasant and friendly
  • Obedient and calm
  • Zealous and energetic
  • Sense of family

Appearance

  • Strong muscles and bones
  • Dark oval eyes
  • Straight ears
  • Softly curved tail

Health

  • Very robust
  • Rarely ill
  • Some hip dysplasia

Temperament of the Lapponian Herder

Pleasant, friendly, obedient, calm, zealous and energetic, the Lapponian Herder has a great sense of family. He is sociable by nature and loves everyone, big and small, human and animal.

Intelligent and posed, he always analyses every situation before acting. Despite his distrust of strangers, he remains calm at all times.

Breed Appearance

Finnish shepherd from Lapland

The Lapponian Herder is longer than tall on average, he doesn't look heavy even with his strong muscles and bones. His Spitz-like silhouette easily reveals his Nordic side, which is more athletic than sedentary.

Height

Between 46 and 52 cm (18.11 to 20.47 inches) for the male
Between 41 and 47 cm (16.14 to 18.50 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 25 and 27 kg (55.12 to 59.52 pounds) for the male
Between 18 and 20 kg (39.68 to 44.09 pounds) for the female

Color

His coat can vary in different shades of black as well as from greyish to tawny brown with markings of a lighter shade than the background colour. White is allowed on the feet, chest and neck. The undercoat is greyish, brownish or black.

Hair

His double coat, short and tucked up, is of medium to long length on the top, while the undercoat is close and fine.

Morphology

His head, with a convex skull, has a gently sloping stop. His dark eyes are oval shaped. His medium ears are carried erect. His nose is black. His medium length tail is smoothly curved in action but hangs gently at rest.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 5, section 3 and is #284

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Lapponian Herder puppy: between and
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder

Tips About this breed

This beautiful canine specimen is compatible with just about any family situation. As he loves exercise and is used to the great outdoors, a house with a large fenced garden where he can run as he pleases will make him very happy. The countryside will also be very pleasant for him.

The city dweller who wants to buy one must ensure that he gets all the exercise necessary for both mental and physical health. This magnificent Nordic dog is not exactly an apartment dog, even though he can easily adapt.

This excellent companion is sociable and very devoted to his family, but still has a certain taste for independence. He is very easy to educate provided that the teacher is constant in his education or else he will not be able to control him later on.

Health of the Lapponian Herder

Very robust, he is rarely ill even though some subjects may suffer from hip dysplasia. As a general rule, he enjoys excellent health. No particular pathology affects the breed.

GROOMING

His double coat still requires a good daily brushing to maintain its shine and health. No other special care is necessary for this sheepdog.

History of this breed

A direct descendant of the old Lapland Arctic Spitz, he was first used as a sheepdog and hunting dog by the Sami.

It was not until the 1950s that the breed was registered in the stud book, but the Sami had already been using the Lapponian Herder for centuries to herd and drive reindeer herds.

When the breed was registered, there were two types, the Lapponian Herder and the Finnish Lapphund, which were one and same breed.

After being recognized as two distinct breeds, the Lapponian Herder was officially recognized as a single, totally independent breed in 1996.

About three years later, the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) accepted the breed standard.

Born as a sheepdog with good aptitudes for this work, he can easily be used for other tasks thanks to his zealous and obedient character.

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