Lundehund

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Lundehund (also known as Norwegian Lundehund) is a small Spitz breed of dog that originated from Norway. The name Lundehund came from the prefix Lunde originated from the Norwegian word "lundefugl" meaning "puffin" while the suffix "hund" means "dog". The Norwegian Lundehund are also known as Lundehund, Norwegian Puffin Dog, Norsk Lundehund and Lundies. The dog was originally bred for hunting of puffins and their eggs. This is Norway's oldest purebred dog.

The Lundehund is a loyal and playful family companion. Their good temperament and small size makes them easy to live with pets although they can be a bit weary of strangers. The dog's coat will require a fairly easy maintenance.

Color

The Lundies' coat color can be Fallow to Reddish Brown to Tan with Black hair tips and White marking or White with Red or Dark markings. As the dog matures, more black hair tips occur.

Coat

The dog's coat is with a harsh outer coat with dense, soft undercoat. It is short on the dog's head and front of the legs while longer and thicker around the neck and back of thighs. The tail's coat is dense with a small amount of feathering. Males of this breed typically has thicker ruff around the neck. The dog is shown naturally without any trimmings.

Personality

The Lundehund are agile, athletic, alert, playful, loving and loyal dogs. They are great as companion dogs as they are very affectionate dogs. Easygoing and gentle, they are happy dogs who can get along with just about everyone and will snuggles with their humans and dog companions alike. They are curious and will enjoy exploring. As great climbers, nothing is out of reach for this dog.

Care

These dogs are fairly easy to groom. Brush and comb regularly using a firm, bristle brush while paying attention the dog's undercoat. Bathing and dry shampooing should only be done when necessary. Too much water and shampoo can dry their coat's natural oils. This dogs are heavy shedders. These dogs are generally healthy but they are prone to Lymphagetasia, Leaky Gut Syndrome and Lundehund Syndrome which is a series of digestive problems. This problem is not really a disease but is actually the dog's inability to digest grains of any sort. Use a diet without grains and the dogs would be fine. This digestion issue is still under research. Given the proper nutrition, sufficient exercise and regular veterinary care, these dogs should live up to about 12 years on the average.

Training

The Norwegian Lundehund is trainable dogs but can be a challenging task. He has no problem understanding what you want but he has to decide whether to do it or not. They are obedient but are also willful and stubborn. The trainer needs a lot of patience, firmness and consistency without being harsh. The dog can be difficult to housebreak. They are wonderful with children as long as the children are old enough to know how to handle dogs as they are not very tolerant of rough handling. They can get along well with dogs and cats if they were properly socialized. These dogs can sometimes bark too much and should be trained to do so. They can be trained to be watchdogs as the dog loves their family as well as cautious with strangers.

Activity

These dogs need only moderate exercise. They need both physical and mental challenge to keep them stimulated, happy and balanced. Play should be able to drain their excess energy but as for most breeds, their primal instinct to walk needs to be fulfilled. In addition, they will greatly enjoy sessions of play. These dogs will do best in a house with at least a small secured yard where they can enjoy running. Although be alert when they are playing outdoors as they tend to chase after birds and small animals.