The Swedish Lapphund is a clever spitz breed with a lively personality and barrel of energy packed into a medium-sized frame. Originally used to hunt and guard as well as herd reindeer, they have a ton of endurance and enjoy physical activity. These dogs are always alert to the goings-on of the household and tend to be quite affectionate toward “their people”. This breed is tough on the outside (when fighting wild animals, they rarely give up) while sweet on the inside (friendly to all they meet)!
The Swedish Lappie is versatile and courageous and can be kept in city environments provided that they are given enough exercise (if kept in an apartment, they will need hours of outside excursion time). When socialized as puppies, they don’t tend to care about loud noises such as honking cars, nor crowded places. It takes someone with a very specialized set-up and schedule to make city life work with a Lappie, but this social dog can thrive in the right situation – especially if allowed to take part in a city’s pet friendly accommodations. Take note, this spitz breed may be aloof toward strangers at first but tends to warm up quickly.
Swedish Lappies can either be easy or difficult to train- depending upon the skills and knowledge of the owner. On the one hand, they are very attentive to their owners and naturally enjoy having a job to do. On the other hand, like most spitz breeds, they can be stubborn and independent. A lot of patience is required, as well as being aware of the dog’s comfort level during the training process. Don’t use heavy-handed techniques but also refrain from giving in and bribing the dog. If planning to train the dog for competition, a sense of humor is recommended! Lappies can and do compete in dog sports such as agility, scent work, rally, herding trials, flyball and freestyle as well as obedience trials.
This is not a breed for people who sit around and watch tv all day – the Swedish Lapphund wants to do what their humans are doing and be involved in activities that let them use their bodies and minds. This means a mixture of play, exercise and work (training and trained tasks). When they are provided with this, they are very capable of “chilling time”… but they’d prefer not to chill all day. Some Swedish Lappies have a medium energy and others have a higher energy level – either way, all need at least one walk a day at the very minimum. Throwing the dog into the backyard isn’t enough, even if the yard is fenced – they don’t thrive when left to their own devices all day. A bored and under-exercised Lappie can become destructive. 
Swedish Lappies can be a vocal breed, and especially love to bark to get their owner’s attention. Not only can they be loud, but their bark is often high-pitched (a trait that was helpful for reindeer to identify the dog as being a dog rather than a wolf, but the sound is less-than-ideal for many owners). Another trait that a prospective owner should consider before buying a puppy is that they shed quite heavily once or twice a year and the house will be simply covered in dog hair during this time! The breed should never be shaved, so an owner must also be willing to put in weekly brushing sessions in order to care for the coat all throughout the year.
Swedish Lapphunds come in either black or liver (with or without small white markings) – dark colors were favored so they were easy to see while working in the snow. The combination of the dark color with the long, thick nature of the coat means that they do very well in cold weather but need special supervision when outside in the heat. If keeping this breed in Texas, make sure to monitor them in the summer.
Swedish Lapphunds tend to love children and do well in homes with kids (although they may try to nip at heels and herd them). A faithful breed, they are natural guardians of their family although normally are better suited as watch dogs than all-out guard dogs. They also tend to get along well with other dogs, both in the home as well as out-and-about. Cats are also treated as friends in most circumstances.
