The Norwegian Lundehund originated in Norway and is a small and agile dog. Its appearance is special, with auxiliary toes on the front paws, so the front paws have five toes and large paw pads and two dewclaws, and the unique paw structure makes it easy for them to climb cliffs and pass through crevices to catch puffins. Another special feature is that its ear cartilage can fold, also to adapt to climbing cliffs and prevent water droplets from dripping into its ears during rock climbing. This dog has an energetic and sensitive nature, and is also an excellent companion dog in modern families.
It has a positive and enthusiastic reaction to family members and loves every member of the family. As a working dog, it can complete various tasks; as a family dog, its versatility always easily amuses family members. It has high intelligence, a cheerful temperament, and is easy to train. In exhibitions, the Lundehund should demonstrate a stable, content, confident, and cheerful state. It enjoys going out and its wagging tail displays its traits well.
The Norwegian Lundehund originated in the 16th century, and in the past its main job was to catch puffins. During its development process over the centuries, its body structure gradually changed, and now it has some unique physical features. It has six toes on its hind paws, and its neck can twist at an angle of 180°, which is beyond the normal physiological limit. It can also tilt its head to touch its back with its forehead, and its ears can close completely to prevent water from entering.
However, throughout history, objective factors such as low birth rate (female dogs can only give birth to 1 or 2 puppies per litter) and canine distemper (an incurable fatal disease) have resulted in only six Norwegian Lundehunds left in the world by 1963, on the verge of extinction. Fortunately, thanks to the careful breeding of dog lovers and related breeding experts, their numbers have been slowly increasing and now there are approximately 1,500 of them worldwide.
It is lively and sensitive, and very affectionate towards people. Although it used to be an excellent working dog in the past, it is currently restricted in hunting activities and mainly serves as a companion and pet in families. Despite its small size and not requiring a large amount of exercise, it needs to be given moderate exercise every day. It is suitable for urban families but not for busy office workers.
Toes Intertrigo
Symptoms: The dog licks its toes frequently, and the interdigital area becomes red and moist. In severe cases, lameness may occur.
Preparation: Iodine, erythromycin ointment, Elizabethan collar
Instructions: Wear an Elizabethan collar, remove the hair on the feet, wash with soapy water or wipe with iodine, and after the inflammatory area is dry, apply erythromycin ointment between the toe folds once a day, repeat for one week.
Ear Mites
Symptoms: The dog scratches its ears, shakes its head, and the ears have a strong sour odor. There will be increased tear stains, hair loss in the ears, dark brown secretions, and earwax.
Preparation: Ear solution, ear cleanser
Instructions: Clean the hair inside the dog's ears, pour ear solution or Vicks ear wash into the ear canal, gently massage the ear root for 30 seconds, wait for the dog to shake out the ear cleaner, use a cotton ball to wipe off the secretions, and gently clean the ear lobe and ear canal.
Skin Disease
Symptoms: The dog has itching, red and itchy skin, the dog scratches randomly, the fur becomes dull and rough, there is more dandruff, and even patches of hair fall off.
Preparation: Saline solution, topical ointment or skin spray, vitamin B
Instructions: Put an Elizabethan collar on the dog to prevent scratching and licking. Trim the problematic skin and surrounding hair of the dog, then rinse with saline solution for sterilization, and apply ointment or use spray, together with antibiotics and vitamin B.
This dog is easy to raise and requires attention to meet its daily exercise needs. It should be fed on a regular schedule and with attention to balanced nutrition. It is more sensitive to heat and has a relatively poor heat resistance. In addition to regular grooming, it is important to keep it cool in the summer to prevent heat stroke.
1. Can't bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, it is important not to do it too frequently. The frequency of bathing should depend on the dog's hygiene condition. In hot weather, it can be bathed one or two more times, while in winter, it can be reduced by one or two times. However, the total number of baths should not exceed five times. Otherwise, it can damage the fur and skin!
2. Regular brushing
Dogs shed hair almost every day, especially during the spring and autumn seasons when the shedding is more severe. If you want your dog's hair to grow well, regular brushing is an important step. Pet owners can use a special brush for pets to help the dog clean naturally shed hair and prevent tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathing
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of a dog's hair. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can help improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier hair.
4. Deworming
Poor hair quality is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, depriving them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is essential. It is recommended to perform internal and external deworming together. Deworming medication can cause significant harm to the dog's digestive system, so it is advisable to feed probiotics to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order to ensure that the dog has a beautiful coat, it is necessary to establish a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable for the dog and provides sufficient nutrition to meet the dog's needs. On the other hand, provide the dog with an appropriate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, vegetable oil, etc.
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