Page 248 - Showsight April 2013
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Finnish Lapphunds are a very kind,
warmhearted breed. Their gentleness is
legendary. Lappies recognize the needs or
abilities of the people around them and
adjust their energy to that. A Lappy will
become calm and slow moving around a
baby or someone with a disability. A vigor-
ous person would see a higher energy level
from the same dog.
These dogs love children and show an
intuitive ability to adapt to a toddler’s needs.
They will sit, or drop down low, even laying
down, so that they do not appear threaten-
ing to a young child. This is an automatic
response to a child they have not met before.
Even young Lappies will do this.
Adaptability/Trainability
Finnish Lapphunds are extremely intel-
ligent, highly adaptable and have been
used for everything from herding to agil-
ity, tracking, obedience, conformation,
and therapy work and even (in Europe) as
guide dogs for the blind. They are bright,
quick to learn and willing to please. Finnish
Lapphunds in the US have earned Agility
titles including a MACH, Obedience titles,
Herding Instinct Certificates, Therapy Dog
certification and even one Tracking titled
Lappy with a Versatility title. Their abilities
to learn and succeed seem limited only by
what their owners want to do with them.
This breed is SO intelligent that they
frequently learn commands by watching
another dog, in class or ringside, getting
a treat for a behavior and suddenly the
Lappy is offering that behavior too. Lap-
pies are masters at observational learning
and they learn things from each other so
quickly that you can literally see their
minds at work. When they figure some-
thing out, they act excited about it. They
are enthusiastic learners.
Because of the Lappy’s intelligence, they
should be trained to do something--it can be
anything. They can become bored and they
may look for something ‘interesting to do’,
so structure and training can teach them
behaviors that are useful to their owners.
Some Lappies do have a retrieving instinct
and some do not. They are very quick to
learn a trick for a reward and love to earn
treats by demonstrating their new tricks.
Why I Chose This Breed
Many breeders of large breeds who
show their own dogs, will tell you that after
decades of showing and training dogs and
whelping litters, they decide to look for a
smaller breed. After breeding and showing
Akitas for 17 years, and an auto accident
that ruptured several disks in my back, I
needed to seek out a smaller, yet athletic
breed. I wanted a northern breed that was
smaller, easy enough to pick up if I had to,
but athletic and agile with overall long life
and good health. Additionally I wanted a
consistent very sweet temperament that was
not dog aggressive, yet intelligent and will-
ing to please. With my preference for the
northern, Spitz-type look, this was a tall
order. Fortunately, I found the Finnish Lap-
phund and never looked back.
What To Know About Finnish
Lapphunds
Finnish Lapphunds make wonder-
ful watchdogs because they will bark at
strangers or strange things going on. There
is a continuum within the breed and it
varies from individual to individual. One
should be aware of this if they live in an
area where barking can draw complaints.
The breed is trainable, and can learn not
to bark if told. However they may not be
suited to an apartment setting.
A very sweet and trusting breed, Finn-
ish Lapphunds love other dogs and crave
canine companionship. As a northern
breed, with the independence that comes
with the territory, Lappies do best with a
securely fenced yard, or on a leash.
Whether you enjoy outdoors activity,
participate in dog sports from conforma-
tion to tracking, OR you just want to have
a quiet evening at home, this breed can do
it and makes a wonderful companion.
BIO
Cathy Pollack is
a long time dog fan-
cier, having shown
in AKC since 1985
and breeding/show-
ing Akitas for 17
years. She obtained a
Finnish Lapphund in
2005 and has bred
10 litters with her co-breeder/owner Lynn
Drumm, finishing 9 AKC Champion and
2 Grand Champion Finnish Lapphunds to
date. Their Yutori-bred dogs have earned
two FLCA National Specialties (2009 and
2012), a BOS FLCA National Specialty
win (2012), WD at that same National
Specialty (2012) and BOB at the 2012
Canadian Finnish Lapphund National
Specialty (FLCC). In 2013, Yutori Finnish
Lapphunds swept the breed at Westminster
by going BOB and BOS. Ms Pollack is cur-
rently President of the Finnish Lapphund
Club of America, having served on their
Board of Directors since 2006.
Yutori website:
-
hund.com. Parent Club: Finnish Lap-
phund Club of America (FLCA) http://
.
AKC Ch Yutori’s Winter Solstice, “Celie”—a dark
wolfsable and tan female at 19 months old.
“This breed is SO intelligent that
They FrequenTLy Learn commands by WaTching anoTher dog...”
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