Dog Breeds from Finland
There are five recognized dogs from Finland, known in their homeland as the Karjalankarhukoira, Lapinporokoira, Suomenajokoira, Suomenlapinkoira and Suomenpystykorva. The Lapinporokoira and Suomenlapinkoira are used for herding Reindeer and the remaining Finland dogs are hunting breeds.
The Finnish Reindeer dogs are commonly known as the Lapponian Herder (Lapinporokoira) and Finnish Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira). These two breeds are closely related, with the Herder decending from the Lapphund. The Lapponian Herder has become a rare breed, even in its homeland, while the Finnish Lapphund is more popular and is now a common companion dog in Finland.
The other Finland dogs are hunting breeds, although they differ greatly in appearance and purpose. The Suomenajokoira, or Finnish Hound, is a rare breed and little known of the Foxhound type. The Suomenpystykorva, or Finnish Spitz, is a “bark pointer” and will bark to attract the hunter to the location of prey. The Karjalankarhukoira is commonly known as the Karelian Bear Dog, its loyalty and willingness to protect its owner from a bear earned Finnish dog its name.