Finnish Lapphund

The Finnish Lapphund has a long history in the world despite that this breed is little known outside of its native region of Scandinavia.  Even more remarkable is that this breed falls within its own subfamily, having developed in an isolated region of the world anywhere between 3,000 and 482 years ago.  The Finnish Lapphund springs from the ancient line of northern Spitz, but at some point in its history, this breed was selectively cross-bred with the female wolf in the region known as Lappland. The Finnish Lapphund gains its name from the region where it first developed and is widely known throughout Finland, Sweden, and Norway as a superior herder and loving companion.  The breed was developed by the Sami people, who were indigenous nomads living in the region and most noted for their reindeer herding.  The Finnish Lapphund has a remarkable bark, a high pitched squeak, that communicates to the reindeer population its authority as a herder without fear of predation.  The high pitched squeak defines the Finnish Lapphund as having the "friendliest bark"  among canines. Over time, this natural herder also made his way into the homes of people, and today the Finnish Lapphund is a favored family dog in colder climates.  This breed was first recognized by the Finnish Kennel Club in 1945 as the Lappish Herder and was officially accepted by the American Kennel Club in the herding group as the Finnish Lapphund in 2011.  Today, 11 Finnish Lapphunds are known to live in the United States whereas the majority of this breed thrives in the Arctic Circle region.