Svensk lapphund
The Svensk lapphund (Swedish Lapphund) is an eye-catching, long-haired beautiful dog. It is a smart, active dog breed that was originally a herding, hunting and watch dog but is today considered to be a great companion dog.
About the breed
The breed Svensk Lapphund is an long-haired beautiful dog: alert, hardy, robust, healthy and intelligent - "Lapland's black gold". The Lapphund loves to be with its family and thrives both in the countryside and in the city.
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The coat is profuse, standing out from the body and always black in colour. Nuances of a rusty or sunburned brownish colour is typical as is old undercoat becoming almost bear-brown when moulting.
The ideal height at the withers for males is 48 cm, the ideal for females is 43 cm. A variation of 3 cm is acceptable.
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The Svensk lapphund, like so many other spitz breeds, are watchdogs as well as devoted family dogs. The breed is robust and very hardy even when working up in the snowy mountains. It is easily trained and always eager to work.
They are represented in all different kind of dog sports and activities; such as tracking, agility, rally obedience, dog dancing, obedience and as rescue dogs to name a few.
The Svensk lapphund is mainly known as reindeer herder, but they were originally used as hunting dogs. The Lapphund is still used as a reindeer herder in some places but modern equipment like snowmobiles have reduced the need for dogs. The breed is nowadays mainly kept as a companion dog.
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FCI Group : n°5 - Spitz and primitive types
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The rearing of reindeer as a business is relatively new. Most probably it was the Sami tribes that long ago brought the dogs with them to the northern parts of Scandinavia.
The authentic Lapphund was facing extinction in the beginning of the 20th century. The number of true to type Lapphunds diminished, and the breed was saved thanks to an honourable lady down in the County of Småland. She searched for survivors of the true Lapphunds and re-established the breed at her estate Torne during the 1940s and onwards.
As a matter of curiosity – the first dog ever to be registered with the Swedish Kennel Club in 1893 was a Lapphund. The drawing of him shows a black, long coated and very typical Lapphund, but with a stumpy tail!
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- Swedish Lapphund
- Schwedischer Lapphund
- Perro Sueco de Laponia
- Lapphund Suedois
- Lapphund
- Ruotsinlapinkoira
