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The Lapponian Herder, nicknamed the "Reindeer Dog", originated in Finland. The legend of the dog is as follows: "A long, long time ago a couple of dogs sat on a hill chit-chatting and watching humans who were desperately trying to gather up a herd of reindeer. Having looked at the idle yelling and running around for a while, the dogs decided: "We could do that better". And so did the reindeer herdsmen get an irreplaceable helper, a dog who himself wanted to help."* The reindeer herders have become irreplaceable in the hearts of the Lapp herders.

They are exceptional and enthusiastic herders, hard workers to a fault. They are equipped with an the ability to cover rough terrain. The Lapponian Herders are selfless and loyal companions to their masters. They are tenacious herders and let nothing stand in their way as they traverse rough terrain, gathering the reindeer and bringing them to their masters.

They are also quite attractive dogs, being a mid-sized shepherd that has nice proportion and expression. The coat is most often primarily brown and black, but it may have some white spots. There are some Lapponian Herders that have gray markings, as well as some that are varying shades of dark brown and light tan. The completely gray Lapponian Herder is not unheard of, either, but is extremely rare. Regardless of color, the coat is sleek and shiny with fairly thick, midlength fur. The body of this dog is longer than it is tall and it should be very well-muscled. His or her trot is so smooth that he appears to simply float along the ground.

Interestingly, the disposition of the two sexes is somewhat different. The female Lapponian Herder is very docile, much more so than the male. The male of the breed tends toward more dominance, although they are still obedient and eager to please.

The Lapponian Herder is a wonderful companion to the herdsman that he or she is working with. They are, according to standards of the breed, loyal, obedient, and hard-working. They are energetic during work and calm when it's time to relax. They are friendly dogs and quite predictable to those who are accustomed to the breed. Being very intelligent, they train quite easily. Owning one of these dogs is almost always a highly rewarding experience, but their strong desire to work makes them more suited for herding, as they were bred to be, than they are for a family pet.

*source: http://koti.mbnet.fi/tuulen/po ro21.htm

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