Always combined with white
- from red to fawn, coat more or less sprinkled with hairs with black tips
- white with dark patches.
- The adult usually has more marked black tips in the coat than the younger dog
About the Norwegian Lundehund
Origin: Norway
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 9-14 kg
- Height
- Male
- 33-38 cm
- Female
- 30-36 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Spitz and primitive types
- Origin
- Norway
- Also called
- Lundehund Noruego
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Norwegian Lundehund?
A small, agile spitz-type breed from Norway with unique anatomical features including six functional toes per foot and extraordinary flexibility, specifically adapted for hunting puffins on steep, rocky cliffs
Norwegian Lundehund history and origins
An ancient Norwegian spitz breed from the remote Lofoten Islands, developed specifically for hunting puffins on steep, rocky cliffs. Its unique anatomical traits allowed it to navigate treacherous terrain and access bird nests. Nearly extinct after World War II but saved through dedicated breeding programs and now recognized by the AKC and FCI.
Norwegian Lundehund appearance and size
Males typically stand 33-38 cm at the shoulder and females 30-36 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- By his anatomical peculiarities this dog is predestinated to puffin-hunting on the steep rocks around the fjords and along the shore
- Behaviour and temperament
“Alert, energetic, lively”
Quoted from FCI standard n°265. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “By his anatomical peculiarities this dog is predestinated to puffin-hunting on the steep rocks around the fjords and along the shore” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 4 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Norwegian Lundehund
What you get with the Norwegian Lundehund
- Purpose stated in the standard: “By his anatomical peculiarities this dog is predestinated to puffin-hunting on the steep rocks around the fjords and along the shore”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Alert, energetic, lively”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Norwegian Lundehund
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Dense and rough, soft undercoat.
Short on the head and the front of the legs, more abundant at the level of the neck, rear of the buttocks (thighs) and on the tail, but without flag
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°265 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Norwegian Lundehund in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Norwegian Lundehund
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Norwegian Lundehund on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Norwegian Lundehund owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Norwegian Lundehund breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.