Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: Two Breeds, Two Different Jobs

I lost count years ago of how many times someone met my Lappies, Timber and Tundra, and said "oh, a Finnish Spitz!" It is an easy mix-up. Both breeds come from Finland, both are spitz-type dogs with pricked ears and a fluffy tail curled over the back, and the names sound almost interchangeable from outside the breed world. The two dogs were bred for completely different jobs. Once you know what those jobs were, you can never unsee the difference. I am Jill, co-founder of Lapphund Designs, and here is the comparison, owner to owner.

Are the Finnish Lapphund and Finnish Spitz the same breed?

No. They are two separate breeds with separate histories, and only Finland in common. The Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) is a herding dog developed by the Sami people of Lapland to move and guard reindeer. The Finnish Spitz (Suomenpystykorva) is a hunting dog, used to track game and birds and then bark to show the hunter where the quarry sits. That habit earned the Finnish Spitz its nickname, the barking bird dog.

Both belong to the same broad family. Under the international FCI system both sit in Group 5, the spitz and primitive types, as Standard No. 189 and Standard No. 49. So they share the classic Nordic hardware. A wedge-shaped head, erect triangular ears, a weatherproof double coat and a plumed tail carried over the back. Within that family they branched in opposite directions. One breed spent centuries on the open fells with reindeer, the other in the forest with a hunter. The AKC splits them too, placing the Lapphund in the Herding Group and the Finnish Spitz in the Non-Sporting Group. For the full picture of the herding side, my Finnish Lapphund breed guide goes deep.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: the full side by side

Here is the whole comparison in one table. The Lapphund figures come from the FCI and AKC standards and the price section below. The Finnish Spitz figures come from the vet-reviewed PetMD breed page and the breed's sourced Wikipedia summary.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: how do their appearance and colour differ?

Colour is the single biggest tell. The Finnish Spitz comes in one colour family only, shades of red-gold running from pale honey to dark auburn. That glowing, fox-like coat is what the breed is famous for. Puppies are often born darker and brighten as they grow. There is no such thing as a black Finnish Spitz or a cream one.

The Finnish Lapphund is the opposite. Its breed standard allows every colour, as long as one main colour dominates the body. The seven coat words owners actually use are black and tan, wolf sable, cream, brown, sable, domino and black, usually with lighter markings on the head, chest, legs and tail. Timber and Tundra look nothing alike, and both are textbook Lappies. My guide to Finnish Lapphund colours walks through each one, and the coat colours collage tee ($28.75 CAD) puts six of them side by side on one shirt, which is the fastest way I have found to explain the breed at a dog park.

Build differs too. The Finnish Spitz is squarely built and lighter, with a sharp foxy muzzle and a fine, alert expression. Males stand 44 to 50 cm (17 to 20 in) and females 39 to 45 cm (15 to 18 in). The Finnish Lapphund is slightly longer than tall, sits a touch lower to the ground, and carries a fuller coat with an impressive mane on the males. Both have the curled plumed tail, and the Lappy's is the fluffier of the two. The Lapphund face reads soft and round, where the Spitz face reads keen.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: what were they bred to do?

This is the heart of the comparison, because the original job explains almost every behaviour you will meet today. The Finnish Lapphund was a herder. The Finnish Spitz was a hunter. Here is how that plays out.

A herding dog takes cues from a person all day and adjusts on the fly, so the Finnish Lapphund grew up biddable, sensitive and tuned in to its humans. A hunting dog working ahead of the gun has to think for itself, so the Finnish Spitz grew up independent and self-directed. Neither breed is smarter. They are wired for different kinds of work. You can read more on the herding side in my post on Finnish Lapphund temperament.

The Finnish Spitz also came close to disappearing. Hugo Roos began rebuilding the breed from the remaining forest dogs around 1880, and Finland named it the national dog in 1979. The Finnish Lapphund got its first Finnish standard in 1945, split from the Lapponian Herder by coat length around 1967, and took the name Suomenlapinkoira in 1993.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: temperament and noise compared

Both breeds are vocal in different ways, and both are loving family dogs. The Finnish Lapphund is the more openly affectionate and people-pleasing of the two. The Finnish Spitz is friendly with its own family and more independent, and it is famously more talkative.

The noise is the thing new owners underestimate most. The Finnish Spitz was literally bred to bark, and it is very good at it. Wikipedia's sourced breed summary records that a Finnish Spitz can bark as many as 160 times per minute, and Scandinavia holds contests to crown a King of the Barkers. That is a great deal of voice for a suburban street. The Finnish Lapphund is a barker too, and its barking comes from the herding and watchdog instinct rather than a built-in hunting alarm. Lappies can be taught to dial it down, and they have a real off switch at home. My post on Finnish Lapphund barking covers the training that works, and the Coffee Stops the Barking mug ($19.95 CAD) covers the mornings when it does not.

On the family front, both can be lovely. The Finnish Lapphund is calm, gentle and patient with children and naturally submissive with people, which is a large part of why it makes such a warm family companion. The Finnish Spitz is loyal and playful with its family and good with children it has grown up with, and it stays cooler with strangers. Neither breed is a guard dog. They alert, and then they stop.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: health, lifespan and price

This is general information, not veterinary advice. Ask your vet about any individual dog, and ask any breeder for paperwork you can check.

PetMD gives the Finnish Spitz an average lifespan of 13 to 15 years, and the Finnish Lapphund typically reaches 12 to 15 years. Both are healthy breeds overall, and both have screening a careful breeder does before a mating.

The Finnish Lapphund parent clubs ask for a hip evaluation, an elbow evaluation, an annual eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, and DNA tests for prcd-PRA and Pompe disease. The Finnish Lapphund Club of America health page notes that a DNA test covers one mutation and never replaces the yearly eye exam. Finnish Spitz breeders screen for hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and eye disease. Ask for results on both parents in either breed.

On price, the Finnish Lapphund ranked 129th of 201 breeds in the AKC's 2024 registration statistics. A puppy from a health-testing, club-affiliated breeder costs about 1,500 to 3,000 USD, roughly 2,000 to 4,000 CAD, with show or breeding prospects at 3,000 to 5,000 USD and up and rescue fees around 50 to 300 USD. Waiting lists run six months to two years. The Finnish Spitz is rarer still in North America, and no breed club publishes a price range, so ask the Finnish Spitz Club of America directly. My Finnish Lapphund price guide covers the Lappy side in full.

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: which is right for you?

If you want an affectionate, biddable, multi-coloured dog that loves being near you and takes well to gentle training, the Finnish Lapphund is likely the better fit. If you want a striking red-gold dog, you are drawn to an independent hunting breed, and you can live with serious barking, the Finnish Spitz may be your match.

Ask yourself a few plain questions. How much barking can your home and your neighbours take? Do you want a dog that hangs on your every cue, or one that thinks for itself? Are you set on a particular colour? Both breeds need daily exercise, both carry a weatherproof double coat that sheds and needs regular brushing, and both want to be part of the family rather than left alone in a yard. For the Lapphund side of that decision, my honest guide to whether the breed is right for you walks through the day-to-day reality.

For my family, the Lappy was the right call. Timber and Tundra are gentle, funny and deeply attached to us, and they wear their Castlegar winters like the thing they were built for. The Finnish Spitz is a wonderful breed in the right hands, and Finland clearly agrees, since they made it the national dog. Either way you will spend years correcting people at the dog park, which is roughly why the Finnish Lapphund t-shirt collection exists, drawn breed-true down to the ear set and the curl of the tail.

Related Finnish Lapphund guides

• Finnish Lapphund vs Swedish Lapphund
• Finnish Lapphund vs Icelandic Sheepdog
• Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond
• Finnish Lapphund vs Eurasier
• Finnish Lapphund vs Norwegian Elkhound
• Finnish Lapphund vs Lapponian Herder vs Swedish Lapphund

Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz: quick answers

Is the Finnish Spitz the same as the Finnish Lapphund?

No. They are two separate Finnish breeds. The Lapphund is a reindeer-herding dog in many colours, and the Spitz is a red-gold bark-pointing hunting dog. They share only the country and the broad spitz family.

Which breed barks more, the Finnish Lapphund or the Finnish Spitz?

The Finnish Spitz. It was bred to bark while hunting and can bark as many as 160 times a minute. The Finnish Lapphund is also vocal, and its barking comes from a herding and watchdog instinct, so it can be trained to settle.

What colours does the Finnish Spitz come in?

Red-gold only, in shades from pale honey to dark auburn. That foxy colouring is part of the breed standard. The Finnish Lapphund comes in nearly every colour, including black and tan, wolf sable, brown, cream, sable, domino and black.

Which is more affectionate and easier to train?

The Finnish Lapphund is generally the more affectionate and biddable of the two, thanks to its herding background. The Finnish Spitz is loving with family, more independent and strong-willed, so it needs patient, positive training.

Are either of them good family dogs?

Yes, both can be good family dogs. The Finnish Lapphund is calm and gentle with children, and the Finnish Spitz is playful and loyal with its family while staying aloof with strangers. Neither is a guard dog.

How long do these breeds live?

The Finnish Lapphund typically lives 12 to 15 years, and PetMD gives the Finnish Spitz an average of 13 to 15 years. As with any breed, talk to your vet about health screening and choose a breeder who tests their dogs.

Sources

• American Kennel Club, Finnish Spitz breed page
• PetMD, Finnish Spitz breed health and care (vet reviewed)
• Finnish Spitz, Wikipedia (FCI Standard No. 49, size, colour, barking rate, history)
• Finnish Spitz Club of America, breed background and AKC recognition
• FCI Standard No. 189, Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira)
• American Kennel Club, Finnish Lapphund breed page
• The Kennel Club (UK), Finnish Lapphund
• Finnish Lapphund Club of America, general health
• American Kennel Club, most popular breeds of 2024 (registration statistics)

Written by Jill, co-founder of Lapphund Designs. Jill lives in Castlegar, BC with her husband and their two Finnish Lapphunds, Timber and Tundra.