Stats

Lifespan: 10-13 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Pack
Biome: Human settlements
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Running
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Speed
Status: Common

About

Bred for millennia by the Sámi people of Lapland to herd semi-wild reindeer, the Finnish Lapphund has a genetically preserved 'startle reflex' — it freezes instantly when surprised, a trait that prevents it from scattering the herd. Today it consistently ranks among Finland's most popular family breeds, prized for its plush double coat and gentle, quick-learning temperament.

Life cycle

1.
newborn pup
A blind newborn pup nurses and sleeps, completely dependent on its mother.
2.
juvenile
A weaned pup wrestles with littermates, learns its place in the pack, and starts eating meat.
3.
adolescent
An adolescent canid reaches near-adult size with long legs and a thinner coat, learning to hunt cooperatively.
4.
adult
Fully grown and hunting alongside the pack.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: Canis familiaris