Norwegian lundehund is a small dog from the Arctic islands of Norway. The lundehund has several unique characteristics not found in any other breed. It has at least six toes on each foot. It also has an unusually flexible neck, enabling the head to bend all the way back to touch the spine. The lundehund has flexible shoulders that allow the legs to move out to the sides. In addition, it can close its ears and fold them forward or backward. All these characteristics help the breed to retrieve live puffins from tight crevices in steep vertical cliffs. It has been bred for hunting puffins since at least the 1600’s.
The Norwegian lundehund stands 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) tall and weighs 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 14 kilograms). It has a short coat that may be reddish brown to tan in color with white, red, or dark markings. The Norwegian lundehund is an agile and clever dog.
