FAQ
The following is a simplified FAQ section but you can't beat actually chatting to owners about their experience. Generally speaking Lappies learn quickly and have an independent streak, not wanting to repeat the same exercise over and over and getting bored quickly. Recall needs a lot of training - not because they will want to run away forever, far from it, but because they like to chase squirrels and rabbits and tend to rush up to other dogs - they have selective hearing until they are good and ready to come back - good manners must be taught and a lot of training is necessary for the first two years to avoid the above!
ARE THEY GOOD WITH CHILDREN?
They adore respectful children, but they can't eat a whole one. The video below of my two Lappies at The London Pet Show sums them up pretty well!
DO THEY DIG?
Given half a chance, yes, especially as a pup or to dig a hole under a large shrub for shade. We teach all our puppies to dig! ;-) Lappies also like to help with the gardening, chewing through the trunk of a Clematis, digging up plants and eating the irrigation system - mentioning no names Salo......
ARE THEY VOCAL?
They certainly can be, it's partly nature and nurture. I always recommend training your Lappy to hold a 'fluffy' when greeting you or excited (they naturally tend to do this anyway) as it stops the sound from escaping their mouth! Don't encourage or reward it and your Lappy should be no more noisy than any other breed. Here's my dear old Smuu, my first ever Lappy, who always had far too much to say for herself! Awww bless.
ARE THEY GOOD OFFLEAD?
Not often! Training has to start as soon as they are vaccinated, practising 'lead on' and 'lead off' and having a long training line attached to them so that they never learn to run off. It's not that they want to actually run away, it's more that unless you have ingrained into them that you are the most exciting thing on the planet (you're probably not) then a squirrel or a rabbit is going to be far more fun to chase! They think nothing of running out of sight as they work out of sight when herding reindeer in their native country and they do have a strong hunting instinct. I always walk mine off-lead with bells on their collars so I stand a chance of hearing them - but of course that depends on how far they go! If you put a lot of work in, and keep it up as dog matures, you shouldn't have a problem, or not much of one anyway;-)
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ARE THEY GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS?
This takes me back to the 'are they good with children' - with well behaved, respectful dogs, yes, but Lappies are not daft and if another dog decides to duff them up on a walk, most Lappies are not going to just lie there and take the punishment - however, they rarely start any trouble. I have walked my dogs with many other breeds without any difficulties. Adolescent males can get a bit full of themselves and it's not uncommon for Lappy males to dislike other Lappy males (particularly evident at a dog show). Lappies do like to run up to other dogs when they are offlead - usually with passive body language, it's a real Lappy trait, albeit not particularly desirable. Dogs kept on a lead can become reactive to other dogs so again, lots of training is required to avoid this.
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ARE THEY GOOD WITH OTHER ANIMALS?
If introduced slowly and under strict supervision, then yes - but other people's cats and chickens would be considered fair game!
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DO THEY LIKE TO SWIM?
On the whole, no, some hate getting their feet wet & will avoid puddles & some will wade in up to their elbows, but a very small percentage actually enjoy swimming. Annoyingly my boy Salo insists on lying down in every puddle he comes across on a walk. Here he is enjoying a swim whilst Sisko looks on.
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ARE THEY EASY TO TRAIN?
The vast majority of Lappies are highly food motivated which helps a lot when it comes to training. Lappies like to have a go at agility, obedience, tracking, flyball, heelwork to music, Rally 'O' and on the continent take part in search and rescue. They love nothing more than their owner getting the treats out and teaching some tricks! Being so intelligent does mean that they quickly pick up bad habits too - I always say that with a Lappy 'once is a treat and twice is a habit'. Lappies have a low boredom threshold so keep training sessions very short indeed and don't be surprised if after throwing a ball three times, they stop retrieving it '- their attitude 'if you want it so much, stop throwing it away!'.