Portraits of popular breeds at home and abroad: Norwegian Lundehund

These special dogs were bred and raised specifically for hunting of puffins and guillemots (water birds). For this reason, they have several very specific and for their purpose very practical physical deviations. For example, they have extremely flexible neck so they can turn their head to their back. They can also close their auditory canals so water or clay couldn’t enter it. Also, they have more fingers on their paws as the only breed – they have 6 fingers and 8 finger pads. They used all of them to stick to rocky reefs when hunting puffins. Thanks to loose ligaments in shoulder joints they can spread their legs so much that they lean on ground with their chest.

These special dogs were bred and raised specifically for hunting of puffins and guillemots (water birds). For this reason, they have several very specific and for their purpose very practical physical deviations. For example, they have extremely flexible neck so they can turn their head to their back. They can also close their auditory canals so water or clay couldn’t enter it. Also, they have more fingers on their paws as the only breed – they have 6 fingers and 8 finger pads. They used all of them to stick to rocky reefs when hunting puffins. Thanks to loose ligaments in shoulder joints they can spread their legs so much that they lean on ground with their chest.

All these physical abnormalities helped these dogs hunt birds in their burrows. Today, they are only used socially. Breeders greatly appreciate their energetic temperament, vigilance and protective tendencies and also nice and adaptable nature. They love loud barking so even though they like strangers, the strangers (especially neighbours :)) don’t have to like them. Yet, this is a great family dog, sociable and cuddly. They come back on call and assist their masters with everything. They don’t tend to attack except for bird nests which is understandable considering their history.

When upbringing a norwegian lundehund, the best for them is kind treatment. They also need enough activity in order not to get bored and disobey. They are intelligent, very active and vulpine. But they can also be quite stubborn and headstrong. Even though it is a resistant breed that can live outdoors all year, these dogs like to laze about at home.

This breed is really small. They weigh around 5 to 7 kilograms and aren’t usually taller than 38 centimetres. Have you ever been lucky and seen a norwegian lundehund? Its physical skills are worth seeing in person, you can hardly imagine a dog doing split.

 

Related articles

How to visit the vet without stress and fear

It's no secret that dogs like to visit the vet about as much as we like to visit the dentist. For most dogs, it causes stress that lasts for several hours. Thanks to their instincts, they sense it before you even leave for the vet's clinic. How can you...

Essential oils - a potential evil for your cats

Many of us love essential oils, whether it's because of their smell or their curative effects. Every other home has an aroma lamp or diffuser. But did you know what effects these fragrances have on your cats, and that they can seriously harm them?...

Kukur Tihar: Nepali dog celebrations

The second day of Hindi festival called Tihar is devoted to dogs. Their loyalty and devotion is celebrated, they are honoured as companions, guardians and friends. A holiday which is full of lights and colours doesn’t forget about stray dogs and it is...

Taking care of a brown rat – bathing

Brown rats are very cleanly animals. You can see them licking themselves several times a day and thus keeping their fur in a perfect condition. They suffer if their environment is not suitable, even though they can survive it. Many people think they...

5 tips to keep your dog happy and healthy

For us, devoted dog parents, changes in our lives often include our dog companions. Moreover, the stuff we do to keep our furry friends happy and healthy also commonly influence us as well. We owe them for better life and they deserve to get the same...

10 funny tricks you can easily teach your dog

It is sometimes fine to disrupt dogs’ routine by an interesting activity and what might be better than to teach your dog some tricks. Dogs hate boredom, even the greatest lazybones welcome some distraction. Here you have a couple of tips for tricks you...