Norwegian Lundehund

Norwegian Lundehund
Size: Medium
Other Names: Norsk Lundehund, Norwegian Puffin Dog, Lundehund
Country of Origin: Norway
Accreditation:
American Kennel Club (AKC): Non-Sporting
Canadian Kennel Club (CKC): Hounds
United Kennel Club (UKC): Northern Breed

The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, rectangular spitz with erect ears, a dense coat, and several unusual joints: extra toes, the ability to tip the ears shut, and a neck that can bend backward to touch the spine.  Those traits were used to climb puffin cliffs.

A small puffin-hunting specialist who can live in a house; a dense coat, an unusual flexible body, and a need for activity rather than a wholly idle flat.

The Norwegian Lundehund, or puffin dog, was kept on the Lofoten and other Norwegian islands to climb cliffs and take puffins from burrows.  The breed passed through a severe bottleneck and remains rare.  The AKC lists it in Miscellaneous in this database; the UKC classes it as a Northern Breed.
Height
Male: 13–15 inches; Female: 12–14 inches
Weight
13–20 pounds
Color
Fawn to reddish-brown, with white markings and black hair tips that fade as the dog ages
Coat
Dense double coat; harsh outer hair with a soft undercoat
Lifespan
12–14 years
Litter size
2–4 puppies

Temperament

Lundehunds are typically alert, independent, and closely tied to their household.  They can be reserved with strangers and are agile climbers.  They need more activity than their size suggests.

Training

Be patient.  They think for themselves and do not enjoy harsh handling.  A secure fence is important; they climb.

Care and grooming

Brush weekly, more often when the undercoat blows.  Watch the diet; this breed has a well-known digestive problem.

Shedding

Seasonal and moderate to heavy.

Health

Lundehunds may develop Lundehund gastroenteropathy, a serious protein-losing intestinal disease.  Work with a breeder who knows the lines and a veterinarian who has seen the breed.

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