Country of Origin: Sweden
Bred initially as a hunting dog, the Swedish Lapphund lived with the nomadic Sami people in Lapland, where they also herded reindeer and acted as companions and watchdogs. Archaeological remains of dogs of this medium sized spitz type have been found dating back to 7000 years ago, making this type of dog very old indeed and possibly one of the oldest European breeds.
Despite their history, the Swedish Lapphund has only been officially recognised as a breed since 1944, when the FCI adopted the first breed standard. Today the Swedish Lapphund is typically a companion dog and show dog, and they are relatively rare in the UK.
