All About Lappies

 

Finnish Lapphunds or Lappies for short are native to Lapland, and traditionally worked with the Sami people as reindeer herders.

 

Size: Lappies are medium sized dog – most weighing between 15-20kg with sizes ranges from 41cm to 52cm with females being at the smaller end of the scale.

 

Coat: As an artic spitz breed they have a full double coat that protects them from the elements. Colours vary with the most popular seen in Australia being black and tan, cream, brown and domino. Their coats do require a regular brush, for the most part we recommend scheduling a weekly brush into your routine.

 

Australian History: Lappies arrived in Australia in 1995, and are still considered quite rare. The population has risen steadily since that time and today we see well over 200 Lappies calling Australia home.

 

Temperament: Soft and very gentle which is why Lappies are so suited to families with children. Keen and willing to learn (with a bit of a willful streak) Lappies love nothing better than being the life of the party. Their herding instinct often sees them gently rounding up the cat or kids and liking nothing better than to be by your side when you sit by the TV at night.

 

Exercise: Daily walks are a great way to exercise your Lappie, be aware though that some Lappies (with training) may be great off lead, most are just too sociable to extend that freedom and do better when the lead is firmly in your hand.

 

Socialisation: Our Lappies are little social butterflies and love nothing better than meeting other dogs at obedience, showing, walkies and even at the vets! We encourage controlled dog-to-dog socialisation where ever possible as a fun part of our routine.

 

Barking: Lappies make great watchdogs - we always know when we've got visitors as the Lappies run excitedly around barking their hellos. Barking varies from individual to individual, but for the most part something needs to 'set them off' such as a stray kangaroo or the cat with a mouse on the other side of the fence taunting them (things that have happened this week at Kalevi).

 

If you would like to learn more about the breed then please visit the fabulous resource of the Finnish Lapphund Club of Victoria www.flcv.org