The Lundehund (Norsk Lundehund or Norwegian Puffin Dog) It is a small breed of dog of Spitz type, originally from Norway. Its name is composed of the prefix Lunde, Norwegian lundefugl (puffins), and the suffix hund, What dog. The breed was developed to hunt these birds and their eggs.

The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, rectangular Spitz, with a wide variety of mobility in the joints of your bones, What makes him able to enter through small and intricate passages.

They remain able to rotate the head back on the backbone and bend the hind legs to the side at an angle of 90 degrees such as the arms of humans, In addition to six toes on the feet.

The breed has a long history. Already in 1600 It was used for hunting puffins along the Norwegian coast. Its flexibility and extra toes were ideal for hunting of birds in their places of nesting in the inaccessible cliffs and caves.

Interest in the breed declined as new hunting methods for puffins, as for example, the use of networks…, and this ex officio contortionist, was no longer needed. Puffins were a precious object of hunting, the meat was horse and kept and feathers were used to make quilts.

The breed was nearly extinct around World War II, when the canine distemper hit Værøy and the islands surrounding. In 1963, the population was decimated… Only six copies of Lundehund (one Værøy and 5 in Soon, to the South of Norway), These five puppies was of the same litter.

Due to the care of the brood with the strict guidelines, currently there are approximately 1500 or 2000 copies of Lundehund around the world, of this population around 1.100 are in Norway and almost 350 in the United States.

The official registration of the Lundehund was approved by the American Kennel Club's in the miscellaneous class. 1 in July of 2008, After a unanimous vote of the Board the 13 in November of 2007. The race debuted at the AKC National Championship / Eukanuba in Long Beach, California (United States), the 13 and 14 in December of 2008, being one of the most important events of the American canine world.

The 12 in February of 2010, The American Kennel Club Board of Directors voted to accept the Lundehund in the AKC Book of Origins and became part of it on 1 in December of 2010. The 1 in January of 2011, became part of the "Non-Sports Group".

For the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club, the non-sports group is a diverse classification that comprises a variety of robust dogs with different personalities and appearances as the Chow Chow , and the Keeshond, among others. Covered by the non-sporting group breeds, It is very diverse in terms of appearance, size, layer, personality and, in general.

According to the FCI classification it is located in the Group 5 Spitz-type dogs and primitive type. Section 2 Nordic Hunting Dogs.

The Lundehund medium in size looks a bit like a fox and is, also because it is one of the rare races, sometimes mistaken for a mestizo, a Nordic mongrel. On the contrary, is very specialized: The Lundehund has been bred for hunting puffins, a species of bird that breeds in burrows. This brings with it some unique physical characteristics: your shoulder joints are more flexible, allowing it to turn its front legs 90° to the side. It also, this dog can close his pointed, upright ears, allowing you to dive better.

The most striking features are undoubtedly the six toes of each foot and the up to eight pads, which give the ancient cliff hunter immense security. Some of these dogs also lack molars, which facilitated the transport of the captured birds without damaging them.

The Norwegian Lundehund It has a height at the withers of up to 38 cm and weighs 7 kg. sporty and light. The dense coat is short and red to fawn, with black hair tips in places. have a smooth undercoat, very fine and a rough top coat.

The Norwegian Lundehund is a four legged friend, simple and skillful, but he has a lot of energy and wants to live it. Due to its independent nature – the Lundehund was left to fend during the hunt – always kept his own head and thus will never fully subordinate himself. Who respects this, win with him Lundehund an easy to train and loyal friend for life.

Basically the breed is considered to be quite shy, so a close relationship with its owner is especially important – that's how your Lundehund gain security. Towards strangers he is usually reserved – it is also considered to be alert. He usually gets along well with other dogs. The Lundehund not a typical hunting dog, but is also wonderfully suitable as a companion dog.

This is a breed of dog with a stubborn and stubborn character, even so they are easy to train and learn the basic commands with great motivation.

Although the breed belongs to hunting dogs, the Lundehund can accompany you, with some effort in their education, on your nature walks without the need for a leash, since it is not an elusive dog, nor a traditional prey tracker. A major challenge is getting our dogs out of the habit of barking: Lundehund, like all nordic dogs, announce aloud all the supposedly interesting things in their environment – and that in part is quite persistent. So patience is absolutely necessary when training a Lundehund. Already in puppyhood, be sure to keep this in mind when training your dog. Play lessons for puppies, as well as attendance at a canine school, have a positive effect on Lundehund – here you can not only socialize him more with other four-legged friends, but you will surely also get some tips and tricks for the education of this dog.

Since the population dates back to only five dogs, Controlled breeding of the breed made a new start in the 1990s. 1960, with what the Lundehund has a very small gene pool. One of the five founding dogs developed stomach and intestinal symptoms at the age of about three years, which have spread further among the descendants. Today, this is known as the lundehund syndrome: a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease that is associated with increased protein loss through the intestines. About half of the population is affected by it, although to varying degrees. A genetic test can be used to determine if a dog intended for breeding is a carrier, so that the risk of Lundehund syndrome can be reduced. There is no cure for this disease, only the symptoms can be relieved. While some dogs are barely limited by the disease and have long symptom-free phases, other affected quadrupeds have a more severe course and ultimately lead to death.

Before deciding to acquire a representative of this breed, must be informed in detail about the lundehund syndrome and the corresponding genetic test and its meaning. The Nordic Dog Clubs can also provide you with more information on this.. The healthy ones Norwegian Lundehund are, for the rest, very robust and can reach an age of about 14 years.

The coat of this Norwegian Coastal Dog is insensitive to weather conditions and requires little grooming. However, the more you brush, less hair is distributed in your home – especially during coat change a daily brushing may make sense, because the Lundehund then lose a lot of hair. Otherwise, care is quite simple: dirt brushes better when dry. By the way, the Norwegian Lundehund It is one of the few dogs that really enjoys grooming. If you support them with the brush, you are also doing something for their bonding.

Check the ears and eyes regularly and clean them with special ear and eye cleaners if necessary. If the eyes get wet, what happens in many dogs due to narrow tear ducts, it is enough to gently clean and dry them once a day with clear water. Some dog owners opt for daily dental care in the form of toothbrushing with dog toothpaste and toothbrush.. If you already introduce your puppy to this ritual, is an optimal prevention against tartar and associated secondary diseases.

Activities “Norwegian Lundehund”

Long walks in nature, enjoying the wind and the weather are the base of activity of this Norwegian breed. It also, most of these dogs love to swim. Make your partner happy and give him the opportunity to do it!! But you should also encourage and challenge their brain and skills. There is a wide range of joint activity possibilities at your disposal: Dog lovers can enjoy almost all types of sports with dogs, with the exception of sports with training dogs. Due to his great independence you should not expect unconditional obedience from him, but a relaxed approach to the respective human-animal hobby jointly. Try together with your animal companion which sport you like the most!!

Is a suit for me “Norwegian Lundehund”?

One Norwegian Lundehund fits well in a sporty family, where at least one family member already has experience with dogs. Learn easily and with pleasure, but for education you still need a certain knowledge and consistency. It also, it is important to use the dog to its full potential – the small Lundehund not a couch dog, needs a lot of outdoor exercise and a lot of time.

He is usually very fond of children and can also make friends with cats, especially if you met them as a puppy. This dog can also live in a medium-sized apartment, but of course also enjoy a garden (leak proof). It is important to direct the joy of the breed's barking in a controlled manner.

Before moving, make sure no one in your home has allergies to pet hair and consider whether you can and want to take the dog on vacation – many hotels today welcome four-legged friends – or how you organize care. Although the Lundehund it's more like a small dog, can be quite expensive in terms of regular costs: Apart from a high quality diet with a high content of fish, this includes taxes and dog insurance, as well as visits to the vet. It also, is, of course, the not inconsiderable purchase price of this rare four-legged friend – with possible travel expenses – and if necessary the basic equipment.

First of all: One Norwegian Lundehund It's very weird. In total, there are some 1.300 specimens all over the world. Therefore, you may very well have to wait a long time and travel many miles to get hold of such a rare dog. Most of the Lundehunds they live in norway. Check with a Norwegian dog club in your country to find out how to contact breeders of the Norwegian Lundehund. Ask your potential dog breeder about the lundehund syndrome and the diet of the breed.

His young Lundehund will move in with you at the earliest at the age of eight weeks – if you come from a European country, you will normally need a valid rabies vaccine for the trip in addition to the necessary papers. It is essential that you remember booster shots and also talk to your vet about regular deworming of your four-legged friend.

It is extremely unlikely to find an adult dog, especially outside of norway. So if you're looking for a four-legged adult friend, it is advisable to contact a Nordic dog club. There are also often wonderful mongrel dogs looking for a new home., value the adoption of one of them.

We wish you much joy with your extraordinary Norwegian Lundehund!

Coexistence is important that you have with your new friend. Before considering the acquisition of a dog of the breed "Norwegian Lundehund" you know certain factors. Not all breeds of dogs are apt to live in an apartment, you must take into account his character, their need for exercise, their interaction with other pets, their care and if you have small children, their level of tolerance towards them.

Lundehund 6

Lundehund 5

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Lundehund 3

Lundehund 2

Lundehund 1

photos:

1 – “Norwegian Lundehund” by http://www.petsadviser.com/
2 – “Norwegian Lundehund” by https://pxhere.com/es/photo/754827
3 – “Norwegian Lundehund” by https://pxhere.com/es/photo/880994
4 – Norwegian puffin town Andrva / CC BY-SA
5 – “Norwegian Lundehund” by https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lundehund.jpg
6 – The Norwegian Lundehund “With” looking out at the ocean on the north side of the island Værøy in Northern Norway. The island on the top, in the middle, is “The mosque”, the island in the top left is “Mosques” by ZorroIII / CC BY-SA

• FCI CLASSIFICATION:
• Group :
• Section : . .

Federations:

• – FCI – Group 5 – Section 2 Nordic Hunting Dogs. ⓘ
• – AKC – Nordic Hunting Dogs. ⓘ
• – CKC – Nordic Hunting Dogs. ⓘ
• – UKC – Nordic Hunting Dogs. ⓘ

FCI - Norwegian Lundehund

1. Norsk Lundehund, lundehund, Norwegian Puffin Dog (English).
2. lundehund (French).
3. Norsk Lundehund (German).
4. Cão de papagaio-do-mar (Portuguese).
5. Perro frailecillo, Lundehund (español).