Norwegian Lundehund
About the Norwegian Lundehund
Temperament
Physical Characteristics
| Size Category | Small (10-25 lbs) |
|---|---|
| Height | 12-15" |
| Weight | 13-15 lbs |
| Coat Type | Double |
| Coat Length | Medium |
| Colors | |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Moderate (30-60 min/day)
30 minutes per day recommended
Grooming
Moderate - Weekly
Mental Stimulation
★★★★★Needs plenty of mental challenges
Drooling
★★★★★Living Conditions
Cost of Ownership
| Purchase Price | $2,000-$3,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $1,300/year |
Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.
Health Considerations
Like all breeds, Norwegian Lundehunds may be prone to certain health conditions:
Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.
Best For
- Families with Children
- Active Owners
May Not Be Ideal For
- First-Time Owners
- Sedentary Lifestyles
Guides for your Norwegian Lundehund
The story behind the Norwegian Lundehund
The Lundehund comes from remote islands off the northern coast of Norway, particularly around Vaeroy in the Lofoten archipelago, where it was used to climb steep cliffs and enter narrow crevices to retrieve live puffins from their burrows for food and feathers. Its extra toes, flexible joints and closing ears are direct adaptations to that work. Puffin harvesting declined after the practice was regulated and nets replaced dogs, and outbreaks of distemper in the twentieth century reduced the breed to a handful of animals on more than one occasion. Every modern Lundehund descends from a very small number of survivors, giving the breed an exceptionally narrow genetic base, and Norwegian authorities have supported an outcrossing programme to address it. It is recognised internationally and remains rare.
Originally bred for: Puffin hunting, Cliff climbing retrieval, Farm dog. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.
Feeding a Norwegian Lundehund
Given the breed's association with a digestive disorder affecting nutrient absorption, feeding should be planned with a veterinarian familiar with it. In general, a highly digestible complete diet in several small meals suits this small, active dog, with weight and stool quality monitored closely.
Watch for: The Lundehund is strongly linked to a gastrointestinal condition causing protein loss and poor absorption, and affected dogs frequently need prescribed therapeutic diets. Owners should treat unexplained weight loss, vomiting or chronic diarrhoea as urgent and seek veterinary assessment rather than adjusting food themselves.
Not sure what to put in the bowl? See our picks for the best dog food for small breeds.
Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.
Living with a Norwegian Lundehund
Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.
For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.
Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a comfortable no-pull harness.
Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.