Ava Williams
Shoulder height: 32 – 38 cm
Weight: 6 – 7 kg
Age: 12 – 14 years
Color: reddish brown with black hair tips and white markings
Use: Companion dog
The Norwegian Lundehund is a very rare Nordic dog breed with some anatomical peculiarities that were bred specifically to hunt puffins. It is a lively and spirited dog who is an adaptable, uncomplicated companion with sufficient exercise and occupation.
Origin and history
The Norwegian Lundehund is a rare Nordic hunting dog breed and is believed to be one of the oldest dog breeds in Norway. Dogs that specialized in hunting puffins (Norwegian: Lunde) were first mentioned in the 16th century. However, the population of these dogs declined drastically when nets began to be used to catch the puffins in the mid-1800s. When the Norwegian Kennel Club officially recognized the breed, there were only 60 specimens left. Today there is a small but secure stock.
Appearance
The Norwegian Lundehund has several anatomical features that were bred specifically to hunt puffins.
It has extremely flexible shoulders and can stretch its front legs far to the side. In addition, he has turned out paws with at least six toes, four (on the hind legs) and five (on the front legs) effectively appearing. These extra toes and flexible shoulders help you keep your footing on the cliffs and climb crevices with your feet spread.
In addition, a special cartilage allows the Lundehund to fold up its pricked ears completely if necessary so that the ear canal is protected from dirt and water. The Lundehund can also bend his head far back on his back. So it remains very mobile in the subterranean burrows of the birds. In order not to injure the puffins too badly, the Lundehunde also have fewer molars.
Overall, the Lundehund is a small, square-built dog with a fox-like appearance. The snout is wedge-shaped, the eyes are – as with all Nordic Spitz types – slightly slanted, and the ears are triangular and standing. The tail is densely haired, curled, or carried slightly curled over the back or hanging.
The color of the coat is reddish brown with black tips and white markings. The fur consists of a dense, rough top coat and soft undercoat. The short coat is easy to care for.
Nature
The Norwegian Lundehund is an alert, lively, and very independent dog. Alert and reserved with strangers, he gets along well with other dogs.
Due to its autonomous and independent nature, the Lundehund will never be submissive. With a little consistency, however, it is easy to train and a pleasant, uncomplicated companion.
The spirited Lundehund loves to exercise, needs a lot of work, and likes to be outdoors. Therefore, Lundehunds are only suitable for sporty and nature-loving people.
In their original way of life, Lundehunds mainly ate fish and livestock. Therefore, their organism does not tolerate the intake of mammalian fats well and diseases of the digestive tract (Lundehund syndrome) are common. For this reason, special care must be taken when choosing the feed.