The Lapponian Herder temperament would be an excellent addition to most households. He’s smart, energetic, calm, and easily trainable, which are all desirable traits in any companion pet we’re looking to get.
But he does have particular challenges that might cause a potential owner to look somewhere else. For instance, his exercise needs are high and could be a burden for someone with a highly involved job.
It’s understanding little details like this about his temperament that’ll help you decide whether or not to get one. So please, continue to the next section where we discuss his behaviors and traits in further detail.
The Lapponian Herder Temperament & Personality
The following discussion of the Lapponian herder traits will showcase why he’s an incredible companion. But it also highlights some circumstances where he might not be the best fit. And from this information, we hope you can determine whether or not he’s a good next pet for you.
Active
The Lapponian Herder exercise needs aren’t the highest, but he still requires a great deal of it. He’ll need at least 60 minutes of activity, or his pent up energy will start coming out in less desirable ways.
The good news is there are various sources of physical stimulation, which will help fulfill this exercise requirement. You could take him an extended walk, hiking, biking, playing sessions, training, etc. Anything that’ll give him a proper workout would be an acceptable option.
And if you can’t provide it during the day, ensure you have someone else there to pick up the slack. The last thing you want to do is leave a Lapponian Herder alone for an extended period: he becomes rather destructive.
Friendly
Maybe the most essential trait within the Lapponian Herder temperament is his friendliness. He tends to have a special affinity for kids, which a lot of dog breeds don’t. It makes him an ideal fit for a household with an entire family.
In most cases, this friendliness extends to other animals as well, which is a real plus for multiple pet owners. There’s nothing worse than being in constant fear that your dog might do something to your cat when you leave.
But do remember he’s a dog; therefore, it’s still essential you watch the interactions between him and your kids or other pets. You never know when a situation might occur where the dog starts feeling uncomfortable.
It’s also imperative we note that this friendliness doesn’t extend to strangers. He’ll often prefer to watch their movements for a bit before fully accepting a new person. Never bring him up to a stranger unless he seems okay with the idea.
Patient
Like his friendly side, the patient part of the Lapponian Herder temperament further ensures his status as a kid companion. Poking or accidental play won’t anger him, which is a must for any pet entering a home with a child.
Let’s be honest; children don’t know their strength or understand certain things. As a result, having a dog like this one who won’t overreact is a necessity. It’ll ensure your child can make a mistake without getting snapped at by the dog.
This patience doesn’t just help with children either; it makes activities such as long drives, learning new behaviors, or bringing new pets into your home a relative breeze. But his patience does tend to evaporate when it concerns your absence.
Intelligent
One of the best things about the Lapponian Herder temperament is the high level of intelligence. It makes him training him a rather simple and rewarding process. You can even teach him all sorts of tricks and dog sports, which will further develop your bond.
This intelligence doesn’t only help with training either; it also makes him an ideal candidate for being a watchdog. You see he can quickly determine what's a threat and what isn’t, which will ensure he doesn’t become a yapper.
It does have a downside though as his level of smarts requires a bit more mental stimulation than other breeds. And if you don’t test his mind, he’ll start acting out with bad typical Lapponian Herder behaviors.
A solution to this issue would be continually adding new things into his training sessions. You could also invest in some puzzle toys or do other little things like changing up his walking route. In other words, try and keep things as exciting and new as possible.
Docile
The Lapponian Herder temperament also features a docile side as well. This side makes sure he’s willing to accept your position as alpha and won’t challenge you unless provoked. He’ll typically back down from other dogs and pets as well.
And he has an eager to please personality; therefore, he’ll continuously search for behaviors that trigger a good response from you. In other words, he’ll do his best to ensure you stay happy with him at all times. There’s nothing like having a pet that’ll do anything to garner your affectionate.
With qualities like this one, you can see why the Lapponian Herder temperament is perfect for most circumstances.
A Brief Intro to the Lapponian Herder History
The Lapponian Herder’s origins date back to the Sami people that inhabited an arctic region called Lapland: this region covered parts of Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Norway. The Sami used him to herd reindeer during this time.
Researchers often think that he evolved from prehistoric dogs thanks to an examination of his oldest bloodlines. Like a lot of dog breeds, his existence was threatened during one of the most savage times in human history: World War II.
But breeders from Sweden and Finland made it their mission to ensure he didn’t die off by re-creating various herding breeds. From this process, his numbers started to pick up and saw a dramatic increase during the 50s and 60s.
It was around this time that Lapponian Herder breeders began defining a specific breed standard for him. This effort resulted in the Finnish Kennel Club recognizing him as the Kukonharjulainen.
He wasn’t recognized separately from the Kukonharjulainen until 1966 when several reindeer breeds were separated. He was then officially identified as his own independent breed, and a breed standard was set.
Soon after, other kennel clubs started to acknowledge him as well: the Federation Cynologique Internationale and the United Kennel Club. But the American Kennel Club didn’t recognize him until 2017.
Quick Look At The Lapponian Herder Appearance
The Lapponian Herder has a medium sized physique that’s typical of all spitz-type herding breeds.
His well-muscled medium build results in the Lapponian Herder weight landing between 55 and 70 pounds.
His coat will be dense as it’s meant to keep him warm in the cold temperatures of his Arctic homeland. It’s also a double coat, which includes an undercoat that you’ll find to be thick when you touch it.
This coat won’t have any curl or wave to it and be incredibly straight. And his tail will feature a plume that’s quite thick.
We should also note that the three accepted Lapponian Herder colors are dark brown, dark grey, and black.
Several of his facial features typical will be black such as his eyes rims, lips, and nose; but sometimes the coloring of his nose will be lighter. His almond-shaped eyes’ coloring will be either be brown or match the color of his coat.
And lastly, the Lapponian Herder height will be in the range of 17 to 21 inches.
Basic Guide to The Lapponian Herder Training
The training of a Lapponian Herder isn’t the most overwhelming process. In some cases, it can be downright simple thanks to his overeager personality. It also helps that he’s energetic, friendly, calm, and loves having work to do.
All of these characteristics lend themselves extremely useful in the training process. But you still must establish a firm and consistent approach during your sessions. Otherwise, he’s smart enough to figure out things he can do by himself.
The sessions should revolve around positive reinforcement techniques, which will help grow this desired relationship. Once you do establish rapport though, you can teach him all sorts of commands.
In particular, he tends to do great with dog sports such as agility, flyball, tracking, etc. It’s also essential you understand he can become a little dominant towards other dogs. As a result, you need to get rid of this bad behavior quickly by starting training/socialization early.
Helpful Dog Training Resource:
For help with training your Lapponian Herder dog, you should take a look at The Online Dog Trainer by Doggy Dan. Doggy Dan is an expert Dog Trainer based in New Zealand. His online resource contains Hundreds of Excellent Dog Training Videos that will take you step-by-step through the process of developing a healthy, happy well-behaved dog.
The Lapponian Herder Grooming Requirements
The Lapponian Herder requires little maintenance regarding his grooming needs. In most cases, his grooming will consist of brushing him once a week. But he does have a thick undercoat, which means he’s a heavy seasonal shedder.
As a result, you should ramp up the brushing to a daily event during these heavy shedding periods. It’ll make sure the loose undercoat is whisked away and lets a new, healthier coat take its place.
These brushing sessions should take place with a slicker brush, metal comb, and deshedder. You should give him warm baths during the heavy shedding period as well as it’ll quicken the process. These baths will also keep fur from collecting into piles around your home.
It’s essential you trim the hair between his pads too as it’ll make sure he doesn’t track in dirt. And asides from these few necessities, the rest is basic care you should expect to do with any breed: trim nails monthly, check ears for build-ups regularly and brush his teeth weekly.
Relevant Lapponian Herder Health Issues
Concerning their health, this breed is typically healthy. In fact, the Lapponian Herder lifespan ranks quite high among dog breeds: 12 to 14 years. But some health conditions could give him issues.
As a result, the following issues are the conditions that any potential Lapponian Herder owner should be aware of:
Given the variety of issues these conditions can cause, it’s best to keep up with your vet visits: a consultation every six months is a good idea. You should also keep Lapponian Herder away from water as much as possible due to their proclivity for ear infections.
Separating their daily food intake into multiple portions is another thing vets often recommend. It’ll lessen the risk of him contracting gastric torsion (bloat), which can arise from eating too fast.
Obtaining a Lapponian Herder puppy with parents that have OFA certified hips decreases the risk of hip dysplasia as well.
Honestly, if a breeder doesn’t give the assurance of these certifications, make sure you run away fast. Having this paperwork is considered the standard procedure for good breeders; therefore, not having them is a huge warning sign that something isn’t right.
Note: Our Health is #1 Priority. It should be no different or your Lapponian Header. But you need to help him. The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health is the answer. This handy guide will help you recognize the symptoms of the health problems above. Get the knowledge to stay ahead of these terrible issues that can rob your lovely pet from vigor and life. Help your friend make it to 14 yrs+ without pain and suffering.
Finding Your Lapponian Herder
Lapponian Herder For Sale
When buying a Lapponian Herder puppy, the first place everyone should contact is the Lapponian Herder Club of America. This club has an association with the American Kennel Club, which means they follow similar breeding guidelines.
These guidelines will significantly lessen the chances you end buying from a bad breeder; however, it'll also limit the options as it’s stricter and fewer breeders meet the requirements. As a result, it’s likely the club won’t have any leads on available Lapponian Herder puppies when you check.
If this situation does happen, you can move onto less strict sites like Puppyfinder.com. It’ll point you towards the nearest available Lapponian Herder and provide you with the necessary contact information.
But please, understand that the breeders are much more likely to be lousy give the lack of rules. You must stay on top of things and make sure you’re buying from someone reputable. If they’re reputable, these breeders won’t give the option of paying online with a credit card.
They’ll be open to you visiting their facilities before making a final decision: something you should do regardless of the breeder or site you end up using. And the proper paperwork will be readily available for you to look through as a potential owner.
If you find a breeder like this, a puppy Lapponian Herder price should range between $600 and $800. It might be a little bit higher or lower than this range depending on DNA and medical issues.
Lapponian Herder For Adoption
Adoption seems to be the route most people take these days when getting a dog. And if you want to adopt a Lapponian Herder, the search should start at the Lapponian Herder Club of America.
This association should have leads on adoptable Lapponian Herders within the borders of the United States. All you have to do is fill out the membership form and wait until they accept you. It also gives you the option of fostering beforehand, which is kind of cool.
But if you don’t like this waiting process, you can try doing this the old fashion way: going down to your local shelter or humane society. Of course, the chances a Lapponian Herder will be there are slim to none, but you may get lucky.
Another option you could try is Adoptapet.com. This site will locate the nearest Lapponian Herder at a rescue or shelter and give you the details. But whatever you end up doing ensure you asking some questions about the dog’s background.
Covering topics like temperament, previous situation, training, and medical history will help make the transition much smoother. It’ll also ensure you get a general feeling about whether or not your household represents the right fit for him.
If you do feel like you found the right Lapponian Herder, the adoption fee will be around $300. This cost will largely depend on factors such as it being a shelter or rescue, medical expenses, and boarding costs.
Conclusion: Is The Lapponian Herder The Right Dog For You?
If you’re looking for the loving companion, the Lapponian Herder temperament should be an ideal fit. His patience and eager to please personality should fit right into your household without issues or complications.
But if you work 9 to 5pm or can’t meet his high exercise needs, this breed isn't for you. City people should also avoid getting a Lapponian Herder unless they have frequent access to a dog park.
Calvin is the co-founder and one of the main contributors to dogtemperament.com. He has been an avid dog lover all his life. He enjoys researching and sharing great ideas on how you can avoid common pitfalls of dog ownership and build the most loving and enjoyable relationship with your dog.