Care & Grooming

The Swedish Lapphund should have a functional coat. Yes, it is a profuse double coat, but a proper coat will be easy to maintain with minimal grooming required.

Bathing & Drying

Bathing is only required 1 week before a show or as needed due to blowing of undercoat or being dirty. These dogs lack a "doggy smell" with a proper coat and are relatively clean dogs with natural protective oils in the coat. Using a force dryer when drying can prevent hotspots and matting. The coat should be coarse, but soft and it is important to not use products that will weigh the coat down. While not required, regular full grooming every 6 to 10 weeks can dramatically lower the amount of brushing and shedding.

Brushing

Swedish Lapphunds should be brushed as needed. Some times this may only be once a week and sometimes this may be every other day (like during a coat blow). Pay close attention to behind ears, the rear "skirt," around the neck near the collar, and the tail. Line combing once a month is beneficial and will help with weekly upkeep. Spayed/neutered dogs will require much more brushing as they are prone to "spay coat" which is due to a change in hormones causing a change in coat growth and shedding cycle. Avoid using a deshed rake on this breed as they often remove too much coat.

Trimming

Swedish Lapphunds should NEVER be trimmed or shaved unless medically necessary. No clippering, scissoring, or trimming is to be done for showing - they are to be shown au naturale. You may trim hair on paws pads as needed and dogs not being shown can have toes trimmed if absolutely needed. For the show ring they should be shown as natural as possible.

Nails

Nails should be trimmed weekly or every couple weeks. You can get away with once a month at most. We suggest dremeling / nail grinding due to their hard black nails.

Your Swedish Lapphund may be born with or without rear dewclaws in either single or double. Here at Norrlands Kennel, the puppies keep what they are born with and are introduced to nail trims before their eyes are even open. Make sure to trim these nails often as they grow quickly and can curl into the pads.

Training & Exercise

This is an intelligent breed who while capable of surviving without their human, doesn't want to. They want to work with you and do the things you are doing - a co-pilot not a servant. This makes them easy to train once you understand this concept. They do have opinions and sass, but generally are highly motivated by toys, food, and affection. They are a moderate/medium energy dog meaning they will do all the adventures with you, but will survive if you are sick and can't go on the walk that day. Some individuals might be classified as higher or lower energy, but regardless this breed should have an off-switch and be able to relax. They are versatile and capable of doing all kids of sports from agility to rally to nosework to therapy work. Swedish Lapphunds are a great breed for active families as well.