Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: The Spectacles Explained

The wolf sable Lappies are the ones that start this argument. Grey banded coat, dark mask, pale eyebrows, and a stranger in the parking lot says "oh, a Keeshond". They are seeing something real. Both breeds wear spectacles, and only one of them is required to.

What is the difference between a Finnish Lapphund and a Keeshond?

Colour sorts most sightings in about a second. A Keeshond is grey, black and cream. The AKC standard calls the adult a mixture of gray, black and cream, with an undercoat of very pale gray or cream that never contains tan, brown or orange tones. Solid colours and pronounced white markings are very serious faults. A Finnish Lapphund is allowed to be any colour at all, so long as one basic colour dominates.

The jobs differ too. The Keeshond is a companion and watchdog that rode Dutch canal barges. The Finnish Lapphund moved reindeer for the Sami across Lapland. One breed was bred to stay close and speak up. The other was bred to work stock at a distance and speak up. They arrive at similar vocal habits from opposite directions.

The groups reflect that. The AKC puts the Keeshond in the Non-Sporting Group and the Finnish Lapphund in the Herding Group. The UK's Royal Kennel Club puts the Keeshond in Utility and the Lappy in Pastoral. Under the FCI, both are Group 5 spitz dogs, though the Keeshond sits in Section 4, European Spitz, while the Lappy sits in Section 3, Nordic Watchdogs and Herders.

What are the "spectacles", and do both breeds have them?

Spectacles are the fine dark markings that frame a spitz dog's eyes and give it that studious look. In the Keeshond they are a named, measurable feature of the breed. In the Finnish Lapphund they are a happy accident of coat colour.

Here is the Keeshond definition, from the AKC standard approved in October 2024. Spectacles are "a combination of markings and shadings in the orbital area which must include a delicate, dark line slanting from the outer corner of each eye toward the lower corner of each ear coupled with expressive eyebrows." A dog missing those dark lines carries a Very Serious Fault. The FCI standard for the Wolfsspitz describes the same pencilled line and lists absent facial markings as a severe fault.

Now the Lappy side. The word spectacles appears nowhere in the AKC Finnish Lapphund standard, and nowhere in FCI Standard No. 189 either. The Finnish Lapphund Club of America addresses it on its living with a Lapphund page. Darker colours "such as the black, brown or wolfsable may have spectacles surrounding their eyes and/or tan points over their eyes giving them a delightful expression." Owners and breeders use the word freely. The standard asks for none of it.

So both breeds wear glasses, and only the Keeshond gets marked down for losing them. On a Lappy, spectacles range from a few pale hairs to full rings of light colour, and they can shift as a puppy matures. Our colours guide covers how banded hairs produce that effect in wolf sable, sable and domino coats. If your dog is one of the grey banded ones, the wolf sable designs are drawn with those markings in place, and the wolf sable face coaster puts them at eye level on your table.

Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: size and build

These two are close enough that height helps nobody. The AKC gives the Keeshond an ideal of 18 in (46 cm) for males and 17 in (43 cm) for bitches, with a one inch variance either way. The FCI is looser at 49 cm with a 6 cm allowance. The Finnish Lapphund ideal is 49 cm (19.5 in) for males and 44 cm (17.5 in) for females, with a 3 cm tolerance.

Weight lands in the same band as well. PetMD, whose Keeshond page is reviewed by Dr. Teresa Kho-Pelfrey, DVM, gives 35 to 45 lb (16 to 20 kg). Adult Lappies commonly run 15 to 24 kg (33 to 53 lb), so a big Lappy outweighs a typical Keeshond and a small one does not.

Outline is where the eye can help. The Keeshond standard asks for a square-appearing dog with a short back. The Finnish Lapphund is slightly longer than tall. Keeshonden also carry a dramatic pale shoulder line and cream legs and feet, both of which the standard requires. Lappy legs come in whatever colour the dog came in.

What was each breed bred to do?

The Keeshond came off the water. The Keeshond Club of America records the breed as the former Dutch Barge Dog, seen constantly on the canals and rivers of the Netherlands, and as the symbol of the Patriot faction in the years before the French Revolution. It picked up the name from Cornelius "Kees" de Gyselaer, the Patriot leader who owned one. English breeders developed the modern dog in the late 19th century from Dutch and German imports, and the AKC first registered the breed in 1930.

The club makes a point I like. Keeshonden were never bred to hunt, kill, attack or chase, and the club credits that history for the breed's gentle devotion to its people. The FCI standard says the same thing more bluntly, calling the lack of hunting instinct part of what makes the dog an ideal family and watch dog.

The Finnish Lapphund was working livestock the whole time. It herded reindeer, guarded camp, and used its bark as a tool. Our history guide follows the breed from Sami camps to the 1945 standard and the 1993 name change. That working past is why a Lappy still watches moving things a little too carefully.

Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: temperament, barking and time alone

Both breeds are people dogs. The Keeshond standard calls temperament of primary importance and asks for an outgoing, friendly, lively and affectionate companion. The Finnish Lapphund standard asks for intelligent, courageous, calm and docile, plus friendly and faithful. Neither is a guard dog and neither should be shy.

Barking is where the sources disagree, so here is both sides. Vetstreet states flatly that the Kees is a barker, useful as a watchdog and capable of becoming a nuisance. PetMD describes the breed as generally well mannered and less prone to constant barking, though vocal when lonely. My reading is that a Keeshond barks about what is happening at the door, while a Lappy barks about anything that moves anywhere. Our barking guide explains the herding reason behind it and what actually reduces it.

On being left alone, the two breeds fail the same test. PetMD says Keeshonden do poorly with extended time alone, and Vetstreet calls them Velcro dogs that stick close and demand attention. The Finnish Lapphund is equally unsuited to being alone all day. Choosing between these two will never solve a long-workday problem.

The Keeshond does bring one difference in social wiring. The FCI standard describes a natural distrust of strangers, tempered by a temperament that is neither timid nor aggressive. The Finnish Lapphund parent club stresses how socially soft the breed is with new people. Our temperament guide goes into what that softness costs and gives you.

Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: grooming and shedding

Two thick double coats, two vacuum cleaners. Both breeds shed year round and blow undercoat heavily in spring and often again in autumn. Neither is hypoallergenic and neither should be shaved.

Day to day the workload is similar. Vetstreet suggests brushing a Keeshond once or twice a week, more during a shed, at about an hour a week total, with baths only two or three times a year. The Royal Kennel Club lists daily grooming for the breed, which tells you how much variation there is in real homes. A Finnish Lapphund wants brushing a couple of times a week, daily during the blow, and a bath roughly monthly or as needed.

The Keeshond standard adds a rule I wish more breeds had. The dog is to be shown in a natural state, with trimming permitted only on feet, pasterns, hocks and whiskers, and any sculpting severely penalised. Lappy people take the same view for the same reason. My shedding guide explains why the double coat has to stay intact.

Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: health, lifespan and price

This is general information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet, and ask any breeder for results you can verify yourself.

The Keeshond has one famous breed-specific condition. Primary hyperparathyroidism, or PHPT, makes the parathyroid glands flood the bloodstream with calcium and can damage the kidneys. It is inherited, it shows up in older dogs, and a DNA test exists. The Keeshond Club of America health statement asks breeders to screen hips, elbows, patellas and eyes at minimum, with the eye exam registered within a year of the mating, and to discuss PHPT status for both parents. The Royal Kennel Club lists the PHPT DNA test under best practice for UK breeders. Vetstreet adds epilepsy, heart defects, Addison's disease, hypothyroidism and progressive retinal atrophy to the watch list.

The Finnish Lapphund list is shorter and different. Parent clubs ask for a hip evaluation, an annual eye exam by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, and DNA tests for prcd-PRA and Pompe disease, with elbows commonly added in North America. A DNA test never replaces the eye exam. My health guide explains clear, carrier and affected results in plain language.

Lifespan is comparable. The Finnish Lapphund typically reaches 12 to 15 years. The Royal Kennel Club publishes the Keeshond's expectancy as over 10 years.

Price favours the Keeshond, because there are more of them. PetMD quotes 1,000 to 2,000 USD for a Keeshond puppy from a reputable breeder. A Finnish Lapphund from a health-testing, club-affiliated breeder runs about 1,500 to 3,000 USD, or roughly 2,000 to 4,000 CAD, with waiting lists of six months to two years. The Keeshond ranked 90th of 201 breeds in the AKC's 2024 registration statistics, against 129th for the Finnish Lapphund. My price guide covers the full first-year cost.

Which breed is right for you?

Choose the Keeshond if you want a slightly more available breed, a square compact outline, and one gorgeous grey coat you already know you love. Choose the Finnish Lapphund if the colour range matters to you, if you want a herding brain that enjoys sports and problem solving, and if you are willing to wait for a puppy.

For the record, the two names rhyme about as badly as the two breeds match. A Keeshond is said kayz-hawnd, the plural is Keeshonden, and a Lapphund is said LAP-hund. I have been corrected on both in the same afternoon. If your dog is the one with the pale eyebrows and the grey banded coat, come pick a design that gets the markings right over in the Lappy tee collection.

Related Finnish Lapphund guides

• Finnish Lapphund vs Swedish Lapphund
• Finnish Lapphund vs Icelandic Sheepdog
• Finnish Lapphund vs Finnish Spitz
• Finnish Lapphund colours explained
• Do Finnish Lapphunds bark a lot?
• The complete Finnish Lapphund breed guide

Finnish Lapphund vs Keeshond: quick answers

Do Finnish Lapphunds have spectacles like a Keeshond?

Many do, and the marking works differently in each breed. The Keeshond standard requires a delicate dark line slanting from the outer corner of each eye toward the lower ear, plus expressive eyebrows, and calls their absence a Very Serious Fault. The Finnish Lapphund standard never mentions spectacles. The Finnish Lapphund Club of America notes that darker coats often show them anyway.

Is a Keeshond bigger than a Finnish Lapphund?

They are close. The Keeshond ideal is 18 in (46 cm) for males and 17 in (43 cm) for bitches, with an inch of variance. The Finnish Lapphund ideal is 49 cm (19.5 in) for males and 44 cm (17.5 in) for females, with 3 cm of tolerance. A Keeshond weighs about 16 to 20 kg (35 to 45 lb) against a Lappy's 15 to 24 kg (33 to 53 lb).

What colours does a Keeshond come in?

Grey, black and cream, and nothing else. The AKC standard describes a mixture of those three with a very pale grey or cream undercoat that never carries tan, brown or orange tones. Solid colours and pronounced white markings are very serious faults. Finnish Lapphunds are allowed every colour as long as one basic colour dominates.

Which breed barks more?

Sources differ on the Keeshond and agree on the Lappy. Vetstreet calls the Kees a barker that can become a nuisance, while PetMD describes the breed as generally well mannered and vocal mainly when lonely. The Finnish Lapphund was bred to move reindeer with its voice, so it alerts at more things more often. Both breeds respond to training and enrichment.

Which breed is healthier?

Both are reasonably healthy, with different watch lists. Keeshonden have a breed-specific inherited condition, primary hyperparathyroidism, with a DNA test available and screening for hips, elbows, patellas and eyes recommended by the parent club. Finnish Lapphund clubs ask for hips, an annual eye exam, and DNA tests for prcd-PRA and Pompe disease. Ask any breeder for verifiable results.

Which costs more, a Finnish Lapphund or a Keeshond?

The Finnish Lapphund, and it is also harder to find. PetMD quotes 1,000 to 2,000 USD for a Keeshond puppy. A Finnish Lapphund from a health-testing, club-affiliated breeder runs about 1,500 to 3,000 USD, or roughly 2,000 to 4,000 CAD, with waiting lists of six months to two years. The Keeshond ranked 90th of 201 AKC breeds in 2024 against the Lappy's 129th.

Sources

• American Kennel Club: official standard of the Keeshond
• FCI Standard No. 97: Deutsche Spitze, including the Wolfsspitz and Keeshond
• FCI Standard No. 189: Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira)
• Keeshond Club of America: history of the Keeshond
• Keeshond Club of America: health testing recommendations
• Royal Kennel Club: Keeshond breed information and health tests
• PetMD: Keeshond health and care, reviewed by Dr. Teresa Kho-Pelfrey, DVM
• Vetstreet: Keeshond breed information
• Finnish Lapphund Club of America: the AKC breed standard
• Finnish Lapphund Club of America: living with a Lapphund
• American Kennel Club: most popular dog breeds of 2024

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