Photo: Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

The Finnish Lapphund is the working dog of the Sami, a semi-nomadic people in Lapland, covering parts of Finland, Sweden, and Russia and dating back to 7000 B.C. As the Sami culture evolved into a less nomadic one, the dogs were used to herd reindeer.

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Finnish Lapphunds arrived stateside in the late 1980s and were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2011.

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Known for its continued strong herding instinct, Lappies are intelligent, eager to please family dogs with joyful personalities and an energetic drive. At Junaluska Finnish Lapphunds, we strive to maintain the structure, disposition, and genetic diversity of the original Finnish Lapphund breeding stock.