If you would like to come and visit my adult Lappies you would be more than welcome, just drop me a line telling me about yourself and we can organise something. I live near Guildford in Surrey. I will happily answer your questions about the breed and tell you what living with them is like and the upsides and downsides, in my experience. You will be able to judge for yourselves what adults are like within the home. Please do join the Finnish Lapphund Chat group hosted by Yahoo groups (subscribe on Links Page) that I set up in 1999, as reading through the archives will give you a massive head start on learning more about the breed - there are also hundreds of photo's to browse through.

I very rarely breed a litter, but when I do, I usually select new homes from the people that have visited me. After spending some time chatting over my dogs I generally have a very good idea of what visitors are like and whether a Lappie would suit their lifestyle. I also get a chance to meet the children that will be living with a puppy. If they are well behaved and respectful of my adult dogs then I feel happy that they will be fine with one of my Lappie puppies. People with unruly kids get told to contact someone else! Often after such a meeting, people are desperate for a pup, either from me if I have a litter planned or from a breeder I can recommend. This can be where the long wait sets in!

When looking for a home for a puppy I give preference to people who either live reasonably close, or who are active on the Finnish Lapphund List, who have joined the S.F.L.S (Southern Finnish Lapphund Society) and are keen to join in on Lappie walks etc and/or who may be interested in showing. As you may have gathered, I like to keep in touch with all my dogs, not just when they are puppies, but throughout their adult life. I love reading about the dog's exploits on the Yahoo list and meeting up for get-togethers when possible. I don't just sell a pup to the first people who ask to 'go on my list', take the money and wave them off without another thought. I give very careful consideration to the right home for each and every pup based upon what the owner wants to do with their dog and what the character of the puppy is. I also conduct a home visit to ensure that the garden is adequately fenced and to answer any on the spot questions the new owner may have. Today I drove 230 miles to conduct a home visit. A bit OTT? Well maybe, but new owners-to-be seem to appreciate the amount that I care and the effort I put into my pups, and I in turn have the peace of mind of knowing that I have found a secure and special home.

It is a good idea to visit as many Lappies as possible and a good way of doing this is to visit a dog show. Details of forthcoming shows can be found at www.highampress.co.uk  www.fossedata.co.uk , or www.dog.biz  Lapphunds are often well represented at Championship Dog Shows and the owners will usually be more than happy to answer any questions you may have (although best not to ask them just before they go into the ring!).

So, having decided that the Lapphund is the ideal dog for you and your family, what next? I suggest you contact both the Finnish Lapphund Club of Great Britain http://www.finnishlapphund-club.co.uk/start.htm  and the Southern Finnish Lapphund Society http://www.sfls.org.uk/puppy.htm  who both run puppy lists. I suggest that you also post a message to the Finnish Lapphund Yahoo group giving as much detail about yourself as possible. The messages are read by many of the breeders in the UK (and indeed around the world) and active participation really does help to firmly place you in the minds of the breeders when planning a litter. There are far more people wanting Lappie puppies than pups available and breeders can pick and choose. To make sure your email doesn't just get lost amongst a hundred others all wanting the same thing - get involved, become someone we feel that we know, join in on Lappie walks - be seen to be the kind of owner that we breeders would love to have for one of our precious pups; sometimes it is simply a case of being in the right place at the right time. I was chatting with a friend who said that were she to want to get a dog, she would phone the breeder and leave her number and expect to be rung when the litter is born. I'm afraid it simply doesn't work like that with Lappies! Do be determined and do be patient - as everyone will tell you, they really are worth waiting for!