LIVING WITH A FINNISH LAPPHUND

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is what this breed is like to live with on a day-to-day basis. Please note that this section is ONLY based on my personal experience with the breed. The temperament, energy levels, and characteristics I describe may be different based on lines, kennels, and breeder priorities. These views are solely my own.

How much exercise do they need?

My dogs typically get about an hour of exercise a day. This often looks different week-to-week and month-to-month depending on the season. In the summer, we often go on longer off-leash hikes, backpacking, etc and the dogs naturally get more exercise on the weekends. However during the week they may only get shorter on-leash walks, 2-3 mile bike rides early in the morning, or swimming when it is very hot. In the winter, my dogs love to accompany us on snowshoeing excursions and typically get 3-4 off leash walks per week. One of the best things about the breed in my opinion is their natural off-switch. Even on days when they do not get any exercise they are able to just hang out and relax. However, just because they have a good off-switch does NOT mean they do not need exercise, mental stimulation, and training.

Can they be trained to be off-leash reliable?

The answer to this question greatly depends on your ability and experience training dogs, your commitment to having an off leash reliable dog, and the genetics of each dog. This question generally tends to be polarizing in the breed community, and you will probably hear different responses depending on who you talk to. That said, my adult dogs all have recall and regularly hike off leash. Having off leash reliable dogs is a huge priority for me and I have invested countless resources into achieving this with my dogs. There are many Finnish Lapphunds who are NOT reliable on leash. If having an off leash reliable dog is your number one priority, you may want to seek another breed. If you would like a dog that can be off leash, are willing to put in the time/effort/money, but are okay with a dog that may NOT ever achieve full off-leash reliability then I think you stand a pretty good shot with this breed.

ARE THEY VELCRO?

ARE THEY TRAINABLE?

Yes! Very! However, like many spitz breeds they do not love repetition and drilling tasks. Keeping training upbeat, fun, and novel will result in happy lapphunds! Most dogs have decent food drive and toy drive and are pretty easy to motivate but may get bored if you repeat a task too many times. The breed overall is pretty handler soft and sensitive. This means that using corrections in training may cause some dogs to shut down or disengage. I have found with my own dogs that using positive reinforcement based training and errorless learning have been extremely helpful in creating dogs that are joyful and excited for training opportunities.

DO THEY BARK?

Yes! If having a quiet dog is very important to you then you should seek another breed. Finnish Lapphunds were bred to herd with their voice by barking at reindeer. The breed should not excessively bark, but may become a nuisance barker if their needs are not met. In reality, my dogs tend to alert bark when we have a visitor, but have learned “quiet” cues. Barking definitely exists on a spectrum and varies greatly based on the environment the dog lives in, training, and genetics.

What other problem behaviors are in the breed?

One of the most common things I see with the breed is digging. My dogs have one designated area where they can dig but they have not destroyed any other place in our yard. They tend to leave our garden, landscaping, and potted plants alone. I believe giving them an outlet has helped immensely to prevent unwanted landscaping assistance from the dogs.

Do they shed? What is grooming like?

Oh boy do they shed– YES. Intact female dogs tend to shed following their heat cycle. My girls shed twice a year and blow all their undercoat to the point it looks like they have duplicated themselves. Boys tend to shed with the season having a coat blow in the spring and fall before summer and winter respectively. Between seasonal shedding I find my dogs hardly shed at all. When they are blowing coat I use a high velocity blow dryer to get out the undercoat along with a slicker brush which greatly reduces the amount of hair in our home. On a weekly basis I clip my dogs nails, blow them out with the high velocity dryer, and give them a quick brush which I can do in about 10-15 minutes per dog. I bathe my show dogs two times per month and then once per month when they are not showing. Like most spitz breeds Finnish Lapphunds do not have typical doggy odor so bathing very often isn’t needed. I personally like to use bath time to check over their skin and prefer them when they feel extra clean!

Do they swim or like water?

It greatly depends on the dog. Both Rey and Chewie LOVE the water and are little fish in our pool! Joey on the other hand doesn’t so much as dip his toes in any body of water and would prefer never to get wet or dirty.

Do they have prey drive?

Joey, Rey, and Chewie all have some level of prey drive and participate in back-yard rodent extermination activities. They chase squirrels in the backyard and have even caught a few birds. However, I feel like their prey drive is completely manageable. They are all able to exist around prey without losing their marbles. In my experience, prey drive varies within the breed from individual to individual.

Overall the breed really enjoys being around their “people”, but they are unlikely to be crawling into your skin constantly. My dogs tend to be in the same room with me and love to snuggle on their terms. Rey, for example, will take nearly any opportunity for cuddles she can get. She will seek me out if I am sitting on the couch and cuddles with me every night before bed. However, there are times where she prefers to do her own thing!