Finnish Lapphund Did You Know?

• The Finnish Lapphund is the AKC’s 173rd breed.
• The Finnish Lapphund has been assigned the Herding Group designation.
• The Finnish Lapphund has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service since 2001.
• The Finnish Lapphund is also known as Lapinkoira.
• The first breed standard was accepted in 1945 in Finland. The breed described within that Standard was called the "Lapponian Shepherd Dog" (English translation) and included both long coat and short coat dogs.
• In Finland, the breed is called Suomenlapinkoira. In English speaking countries, the breed is called Finnish Lapphund, which is the official translation approved by the Finns. There are slight variations in the name in other countries. "Lapland Dog" is a very old name for the breed, that is no longer used officially.
• The breed was first imported for breeding, and brought to the attention of show people with the idea of AKC recognition, in 1987.
• At the November 2010 Board Meeting the Finnish Lapphund Club of America is the official parent club for the Finnish Lapphund and to accept the Finnish Lapphund into the AKC Stud Book on June 1, 2011. The breed will be eligible to compete in the Herding Group beginning June 30, 2011. There will be an open registry for the breed until July 1, 2014.
• At the August 2008 Board Meeting the Finnish Lapphund Club of America will serve as the AKC Parent Club to represent the Finnish Lapphund and will be eligible to compete in the Miscellaneous Class, effective July 1, 2009.
• At July 2008 Board Meeting the Finnish Lapphund was approved to compete in AKC Herding Events for suffix titles effective January 1, 2009.
• In December 2003 the AKC Board approved the eligibility of some Foundation Stock breeds, which meet certain criteria, for competition in AKC Companion Events (Obedience, Tracking, and Agility), effective January 1, 2004. The breeds must have a minimum of 150 dogs with three generation pedigrees recorded in the FSS®, a national breed club with members in at least 20 states, and an AKC approved breed standard. The breeds that currently meet the criteria are the Irish Red and White Setter, the Cesky Terrier, the Coton de Tulear, the Norwegian Lundehund, the FSS® Black and Tan Coonhound, the Bluetick Coonhound, the American English Coonhound, the Treeing Walker Coonhound, the Peruvian Inca Orchid, the Sloughi, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Tibetan Mastiff, the Perro de Presa Canario, the Chinook, the Norwegian Buhund, the Swedish Vallhund, the Finnish Lapphund, and the Pyrenean Shepherd. Requests by breed clubs to have their breeds compete in the various Performance Events would be considered on a case-by-case basis.