Other names

Lappländischer rentierhütehund

Life expectancy

14 years

Age adult

20 months

Height (Shoulder height)

48 cm

Weight

18 kg

Coat texture

medium length / undercoat / straight

Coat color

black&loh, brown&loh, each with or without white markings

Common illnesses

dysplasia of the hip joint / thyroid diseases (mostly hypothyreosis) / idiopathic epilepsy / progressive retina atrophy / sensitive to heat / glycogen storage disease type III / canine multifocal retina atrophy 2 / cataract

Food expenses per month in €

about € 47

Suitable for children

Rather yes

Needs a garden

Rather yes

Hunting motivated / needs alternative employment

Rather not

First dog suitable

Rather yes

Allergy friendly

Rather not

Athletic

Attention

Care and grooming

Eager to learn

Exercise

Nature

sensitive / alert / intelligent / prone to barking / good-natured / loving / likes to work

Bred for

sledge dog / guard and work reindeer

Common illnesses

dysplasia of the hip joint / thyroid diseases (mostly hypothyreosis) / idiopathic epilepsy / progressive retina atrophy / sensitive to heat / glycogen storage disease type III / canine multifocal retina atrophy 2 / cataract

Dog type according to FCI

spitz and primitive types

FCI description

Many dogs of this group were kept as guard, hat, hunt, or sled dogs. They are considered to be very strong-willed and often less affectionate than other breeds. Many have a pronounced territorial consciousness and get along with same-sex conspecifics less well. They are often not easy to educate and only participate in things they consider useful.

So if you want a cuddly family dog that does every trick, you wont be happy here. Generally many of these dogs, like Chow Chow, Aktita and Co. are rather one-man dogs, i.e. related to one person and do not bind themselves to the whole family. Spitze in particular tend very much to loud utterances.

Short description

The Lapponian Herder needs a ot of varying exercise in order to be a family-dog with a balanced, relaxed nature. He is willing to work and very adaptable, but can also solve problems on his own. Like all other Spitz breeds he tends to bark a lot. Particularly with children in the household, it is important to steer their herding behaviour in the right direction at an early stage.