Obedience

 The Finnish Lapphund in Obedience

The Finnish Lapphund is included in the AKC herding group because they historically herded reindeer in Lapland. They do possess herding instincts which definitely helps in obedience. Many lappies have rally titles, some have advanced obedience titles, including multiple all breed High in Trial and High Combined awards.

The personality of a Lappy can be deceiving for they, generally, are happy to do any task that you ask of them. They like to please and will work quite nicely, with positive reinforcement methods. Food is a big draw to many of these dogs, but they can also train the handler to their own agenda. A common warning for owners is “don’t be the reindeer” in the relationship.

Heeling is natural, retrieving is fun for them, and jumping is easy for they are very athletic. They can tolerate a certain number of repetitions, but don't overdo it, for they will become bored and start improvising exercises to keep themselves entertained. In general, they are very biddable, but are a soft temperament, and don't take heavy corrections very well. The more positive you can be the happier your Lappy will be. They can also excel in tournament competitions for obedience. In 2013, a Lappy placed 4th in the herding group and 13th in the whole country at the AKC National Obedience Championships.

Lappies are a laid-back type of personality, not needing a job 24/7. But when asked, they perform with enthusiasm. Some things to be concerned with when training a Lappy in obedience include a tendency to vocalize, which would need to be controlled. And they are intolerant of heat and humidity, so summertime would be a perfect time to take a break from training.

Every Lappy is different, this is just a general guideline with comments about temperament, if you are considering a Lappy for obedience. We hop to see you in the obedience ring in the future with your “happy Lappy”.