The Lapponian Herder is a rarity, a precious pearl full of Finnish cultural history. The Reindeer Dog, as it is called by devotees, is like a breath from the past. A dog that reflects Lappish mythology: shamanism and troll-drums, exotic herbs and smoky light flickering through the branches of the mountain birches. This is what the Lapponian Herder is about. He also embodies hard work and severe conditions, unselfishness and devotion to his work and trusted ones.

Legend of the Reindeer Dog

A long, long time ago a couple of dogs sat on a hill chit-chatting and watching humans who were desperately trying to gather up a herd of reindeer. Having looked at the idle yelling and running around for a while, the dogs decided: "We could do that better".
And so did the reindeer herdsmen get an irreplaceable helper, a dog who himself wanted to help.

The irreplaceable dog

Carl von Linné (a Swedish botanist and zoologist in the 18th century), during his travels in Lapland, used to praise the Sami dogs to his students and encourage them to study these animals: "The Lapps know best how useful a good dog can be. Had they not any dogs, the reindeer could not easily be kept in a herd but they would scatter in all directions. These dogs are both useful and pleasant companions for the Lapps". The Lapps, the Sami, have always understood the value of their dogs. They have regarded a good reindeer dog as a member of the family, and not without reason. A well-working reindeer dog’s importance to the reindeer management can not be emphasised too much.

In his book "Västerbottenslapparna under förrä hälften av 1800-talet" ("The Lapps of the West Bothnia in the Beginning of the 19th Century") Sigfries Drake mentions that the Sami have had two types of dogs; reindeer dogs and hunting dogs. "A dog is a Lapp’s best property. A Lapp with poor dogs will become poor himself. A herding dog is not sold, no matter what is offered. That kind of a dog is better than a man, because the dog knows best how to tend the reindeer".

The War of Lapland - a touchstone for the Reindeer Dog

In the Finnish Kennel Club’s periodical Koiramme (Our Dog), Aili Korhonen wrote an illuminating article on the dreadful disaster of the war of Lapland (at the end of the World War II when the Germans were driven out of Finland, burning down Lapland on their way), which was about to ruin the Reindeer Dog. Here is a story of a Reindeer Dog called Tommi.

"Tommi was a very good dog. He knew everything a reindeer dog was supposed to know, and once he was even said to be smarter than my brother, who was, after all, quite a clever man. Tommi even understood speech. As the reindeer after the separation were in the smaller pen besides the separation fence and were being taken out, the bell reindeer (the leader) went first and the rest of the herd followed. If you left Tommi on the gate of the pen and said: "Let go!" he would let the whole herd come out, make a checking round in the empty pen and then start to drive the herd. If the herd began to stretch, the last reindeer falling behind the rest, you only needed to shout: "Drive faster!", and soon were the reindeer close behind the leader again. If they tried to push even and ahead, you shouted: "Don’t drive so fast!". Then Tommi would slow down and let the herd move slower.

Tommi always knew when the wolves came, and then he would leave home and go to the herd to howl. Then the shepherds knew to be on their guard.

On one occasion a man had been searching for his lost reindeer for two days. It was obvious the animals had wandered quite far. My brother was guarding his reindeer up in his cabin when this man came to him to enquire after his animals. There was a reindeer herd of dozens of kilometres in size there, and some of this man’s reindeer had scattered among them. The males he was now looking for were, however, not there, nor had my brother seen them, but he took Tommi out and told him to get them.

After an hour Tommi came back alone. My brother shook him by the neck and sent him out again, although the other man persuaded him not to, saying that the dog could not find his reindeer. My brother just said that the dog should not think he would be praised if he comes back unsucceeded, and so did Tommi return to search the reindeer.

The men had coffee and sat around, drinking a bit of spirits, too. It was getting dusk already. The man who had lost his reindeer said that the dog had probably gone home, but my brother didn’t believe Tommi would do such a thing. They went out to listen, and soon heard barking somewhere far away.

After a while Tommi came back with the lost males and some other reindeer he had found. That’s when the owner of the males said that Tommi was smarter than my brother.

Towards the end of the war in Lapland we were forced to escape to Norway with our reindeer. Getting old, Tommi never adjusted, but kept returning home. He was always fetched back but he soon ran away again. The last of the retreating patrols of Finnish soldiers found him lying on the doorstep of his home. They shot him there, lit up the building, and, when the flames were blazing, threw the dog’s body into the fire".

The Lapponian Herder today

The strongest consideration point concerning the breeding of the Lapponian Herder has always been maintaining and developing their herding instinct. Examining a litter of reindeer dog puppies, a Sami has traditionally paid attention to various aspects of appearance, ranging from area to area, and to certain special features. Signs of a good herding dog have been seen in the position of the tail, in the colouring of the coat, or, mystically enough, in the figures of the puppy’s palate. Regardless of the means, every man has had a clear vision of what a good working dog should be like. A good type has been recognised and sought after.

A Swedish reindeer owner Per Bertil Simma has said: "I want a good dog but I also want a beautiful dog". And that is what many of the Lapponian Herders today are. These anatomically excellent dogs please the eye and are as suitable for showing out as they are for working. Nothing is exaggerated but everything is in balance in this beautifully constructed dog.

The Reindeer Dog is a middle-sized Finnish shepherd dog, clearly longer than high in body, strongly angulated and muscular, and has a deep and capacious chest. He represents a trotting type of dog with his lengthy body and angulation. He moves soundly and lightly, appearing indefatigable.

Colour

The colours of the Lapponian Herder have not been very tightly determined but almost all colours, excluding dominating white, have been accepted. The most common colour is black and tan which is common in many other breeds as well; a black dog with brown (or grey) markings in the chest, feet and cheeks, and "double eyes". There is often a small spot of white in the chest and the paws. Another common colour is bark brown, either solely brown or consisting of different brown tones with lighter tan markings than seen on a black dog described above. Completely grey or "bear black"(black coat with lighter undercoat) dogs with grey markings also exist, these colourings being, however, far more uncommon than the aforementioned ones.

Character and humility

The breed standard describes the Reindeer Dog as obedient, calm, friendly, energetic and eager to serve. In his work the Reindeer Dog is said to have a tendency to bark. He uses barking where e.g. a Border Collie uses the eye, that is, as a "tool".

All these descriptions mentioned in the breed standard do apply to a good Reindeer Dog; he is an easily trainable working dog and a quick learner. His liveliness, intelligence and independence makes training a Reindeer Dog an interesting, rewarding and challenging task. As a Finnish Reindeer Dog expert Lasse Tuominen writes in his article in the journal Poromies (Reindeer owner), recalling an experienced Reindeer Dog breeder’s anecdote: "Remember that your dog does anything to please you. If he does something wrong, you have made a mistake".

The moral of the story

The Lapponian Herder relates to a way of life where people lived in harmony with and on terms of severe but fair nature. Don’t we, the modern people, have something to learn from those times? At least we could respect the history and the precious heritage of the Reindeer Dog by keeping the breed vital and suitable to its original task.

The Reindeer Dog has had, and still has, an important duty as a working dog. The breed has developed and moulded itself to adapt to increasingly heavier demands. Among the Finnish herding spitzes the Lapponian Herder is a breed still used in its original line of work.

Besides having a steady position as the reindeer-owning Sami’s assistant, the Reindeer Dog is also more and more used in herding other animals, especially cattle and sheep.

The working Reindeer Dog

The 1993 book Porotalous (Reindeer management) describes the working reindeer dog:
"In Lapland the Reindeer Dog is constantly used in herding and transferring the reindeer. When a motor sledge is used, the dog sits either in the vehicle or in a small sledge pulled behind it. The shepherd circling around the herd, the dog jumps down on command, runs after the scattered reindeer and returns them to the herd. Transferring the herd, the dog runs behind it and keeps it together, forcing the wandering individuals back to the herd. A trained reindeer dog does what he is told to do, acting according to his master’s commands. A good reindeer dog can handle a large herd of as many as a thousand reindeer, keeping it on the move and together. If necessary, a reindeer dog is capable of collecting the herd alone, and fetching a stray animal back to the herd from a distance of several kilometres. A dog is an irreplaceable help, and he does his job effectively and quickly".

Male or female?

In Lapponian Herders, dogs and bitches have quite different natures. While a bitch is more submissive towards its owner, a dog is harsher and harder, though not being aggressive to people. Primitive features can easily be seen in the natures of Reindeer Dogs. The breed could best be described with one word: a survivor. Adjusted to arctic conditions, a clever and intelligent Reindeer Dog embodies persistent adaptability and sturdy struggling. It is exactly the persistence and energy that raise the Lapponian Herder as a working dog into a class of its own.

Admitting dogs to the breed

The Reindeer Dog still has an open register. In practice this means that "natural", unregistered working reindeer dogs are admitted to the breed, "raised to the nobility" of pure-bred Lapponian Herder in special occasions. As this procedure is supposed to serve the purpose of improving the breeding of the Lapponian Herder, the admitted dogs’ background should be unravelled beforehand.

On breeding

It is self-evident that raising the number of registrations and widening the genetic pole of the Lapponian Herder is vital. The breed’s abilities as a sports dog are hoped to increase the interest towards it. Every single person taking up a dog sport with their Reindeer Dog is important to the whole breed, for what else, if not activity, is going to help the breed to survive. Every new person who learns to recognise the breed is a triumph to the Lapponian Herder. There are many people devoted to the breed who understand its value and have lost their heart to it. They keep taking yet a new Reindeer Dog after they lose one, or giving their present Reindeer Dog a same-breed pal; another domestic herder, a little reindeer tamer. It is easy to hold on to a good thing.

In the breeding, the practice seems to be to use working Lappish dogs for bitches whose background is known. This is the right direction. Besides widening the genetic pole, this procedure keeps the emphasis on maintaining the herding instinct and secures the nature of a working dog. Holding on to and cherishing the Reindeer Dog is a matter of honour, especially to us Finns. By keeping the breed vital, we preserve its cultural value in ourselves.

The Reindeer Dog and dog sports

A versatile dog, the Lapponian Herder is a perfect companion to a modern, active dog-owner; it can be showed out, trained to obedience competitions, Finnish national utility dog trials (search, track etc.), agility and herding, or it can make a pleasant companion to a jogger. There are not many tasks a Reindeer Dog couldn’t perform. The devotees are extremely pleased with the right to compete in the utility dog trials with a Lapponian Herder, this offering a possibility to all-round activity with an all-round breed. The Lapponian Herder is a dog bred strongly for its original purpose, and he has a working dog’s nature. This workaholic with his strong instincts no doubt has a word to put in on the trial field as well. We can only hope that people with "traditional" utility dogs (such as German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers or Boxers) will discover the breed. Working with this primitive dog is challenging and pleasant. The Reindeer Dog is easily trainable and a reliable worker. His coat is weatherproof and requires no special care. He makes a splendid utility dog in every way.

In case you are looking for a dog to take up a sport with, get to know the Lapponian Herder. He is definitely worth it! The Lapponian Herder is a "dog-looking" dog, a true common hero, one of the best breeds there is. Look at him moving, working. Is there a more beautiful sight in the world?

The Reindeer Dog is the logician in the dog world, a genius with a quick insight. Once he internalises something, he has learned it and knows it from there on. The Reindeer Dog’s logic does not understand any illogicality or varying conduct from his owner. If you want your Reindeer Dog to lose his confidence in people, you will easily succeed. The Reindeer Dog is as good as his owner, his best friend and trustee. He should be treated as one. With justice, frankly and honestly.

Activity growing by leaps and bounds

The Lapponian Herder is not a common sight on the training sites, and it is even more rare in obedience competitions and agility. The reason for not finding Reindeer Dogs on training sites has traditionally been the fact that is has been strongly associated with reindeer herding only. There has even been a tendency to lay guilt on people who don’t live in the reindeer management area and yet own Lapponian Herders... Fortunately, this belongs to the past. Nowadays the Lapponian Herder is about to make a breakthrough as a sports dog. People are gradually discovering the workaholic Reindeer Dog and applying his abilities in various areas.

The first Finnish Obedience Champion (FIN TVA) of the breed is Juoksa Geeni, also a Finnish Conformation Champion (FIN MVA). She is trained and handled by the maintainer of this website, and also has merits in the highest class in agility, even in the Finnish Championships level. The Lapponian Herder’s trainability can also be seen in the character test results that give further proof of the breed’s suitability for utility trials.

Health

In general, the Lapponian Herder is quite healthy. PEVISA (the program against the inheritable diseases) requires eye examinations for PRA, HC, RD and PHTVL/PHPV. The conscious breeders and owners also examine the dogs for hip dysplasia, and in that area the situation looks very good.