Living with a Finnish Lapphund

Finnish Lapphunds ('Lappies') are unique, intelligent, independent, quick to learn, great alert dogs and make wonderful family companions. This gorgeous dog is a rare ancient breed, originating from its native area in Lapland many thousands of years ago, and significant effort is made to protect the breed to establish strong and healthy lines in Australia. They are clever, gentle, social and adore cuddling up to their owners for quality play time and belly rubs! However, not every dog is suited to every situation or environment so please take the time to learn about the Finnish Lapphund and talk to breeders before adding one to your family.

A beautiful black tan and white Finnish Lapphund dog in a garden

Size

Finnish Lapphunds are a "medium" sized spitz breed, they are smaller than the Samoyed or Australian Shepherd but larger than a Japanese Spitz or Shetland Sheepdog.

Males typically have a more robust build with a strikingly handsome full mane while females tend to be more petite or feminine and often have a shorter coat without a mane. There can be variations in size and appearance among the different lines.

We cherish, love & adore lappies and we carefully select dogs for breeding that reflect our deep respect for preserving their original characteristics, including their size.

Temperament

Lappies are a wonderful "all-round" dog given their intelligence & eager to please nature. They are fantastic with children and are the most affectionate dogs. They are quick to learn and together with their loving nature towards people, children and other dogs they have gained popularity as a wonderful companion breed. Lappies are natural herding dogs and use their voice to alert you and others of their intentions. Lappies love to play and socialise with other dogs, but don't expect them to play fetch with their owners all day long! As an independent dog they will choose the times that suit them and participate in a 'bit of everything'.

Finnish Lapphunds are gentle dogs and ideal for families with children and pets. All dogs require training & Lappies should be taught early basic obedience and good rules of household behavior and similarly, children should be taught to be kind, gentle and to not to mistreat a dog/puppy. As long as both behaviors are taught early and with consistency, your Lappy will be a wonderful family companion. It is wise to remember that all children should be supervised by an adult when in the company of a dog, whether it is a puppy or adult.

"The invaluable bond, trust and love, shared between a family and their Dog is beyond measure.”

Coat Care

Lappies have a beautiful thick double coat that is water resistant, low allergen and insulates them against both the extreme heat & the cold. This wonderful coat is actually very easy maintenance requiring a fortnightly brush and a 3 monthly wash. Many owners find that the coat's water resistance means it repels dirt easily, and once dry, a simple brush is more than enough to keep it clean. It's very important to never shave your Finnish Lapphund, even in tropical or warm climates, as the guard hairs will not grow back & you loose the vital protection they provide. A full adult coat can take up to 2 years to grow and there is some variation in coat type, thickness and length in certain lines.

Finnish Lapphunds have a rainbow range of coat colours and patterns, including 'black, tan & white', 'brown, tan & white', 'cream', 'wolf sable', 'sable', 'solid black', 'solid brown', 'domino' and more! Their distinct facial markings have a lot of diversity making lappies one of the most unique, highly varied and rare ancient dog breeds still thriving today.

Check out this
Finnish Lapphund Grooming Guide
to learn more!

Training & Socialisation

All puppies need good obedience training and early socialisation to become the beautiful dogs they are bred to be. The first puppy socialisation window from 6 weeks to 16 weeks is a crucial time for the development of your young puppy. It comes at a challenging time for new owners as, due to the environmental risks of parvovirus, most vets recommend not letting your puppy walk on the ground (especially areas frequented by dogs) until they are fully vaccinated.

The best way to socialise your new puppy during this crucial development period is by attending puppy socialisation classes, play groups and exposing your puppy to as many different sounds, sights, people, vaccinated dogs, water, experiences, surfaces and household items etc without walking outside. There are many creative ways to do this, so that you're still able to expose them as much as possible during this crucial period. This is particularly important for bite inhibition, learning canine social rules and behaviours, preventing against separation anxiety or specific phobias and creating a well-adjusted dog who takes life in their stride.

A beautiful black tan and white Finnish Lapphund dog running through a field

Check out this Training Information we've designed for Finnish Lapphund owners in Australia.

Exercise Requirements

The Finnish Lapphund loves all kinds of play, socialising and fun games. On average, 45 minutes most days for exercise is plenty for an adult and this may involve a brisk walk, beach run, off-leash dog park time or swimming. Young puppies have much lower exercise requirements and should be encouraged to sleep for at least 20 hours each day until they are at least six months old.

We recommend you build a combination of different activities to develop a well rounded, well socialised & non-reactive adult dog. This includes an equal mix of on-leash walks, free running off leash, socialisation with other dogs, time spent on family activities & much more!

Check out this YouTube Video
Finnish Lapphunds: Introduction
and learn more!

Canine Obedience, Agility and Sports

For owners who would like their dog to take part in regular obedience, dog sports or agility training, there are many local clubs who run classes for puppies, juveniles and adult dogs. It's a wonderful way to bond with your dog, learn new tricks and keeping them focused & learning positive behaviours. At Diamontali, we promote positive reinforcement training only to enable your dog to learn by praise when a dog does something right with no negative consequences for unwanted behaviours. Dogs are clever and negative consequences simply mean they can avoid the owner and still do the unwanted behaviour, often when they aren't watching. Its far more effective to bond with your dog well, reward them for working with you and give them plenty of praise to help promote their good behaviour.

We have trained actively in canine obedience and agility for over ten years and would welcome any enquiries on how best to train a Finnish Lapphund from any potential owners.

training classes