Finnish Lapphund vs Samoyed
Side by side
Finnish Lapphund
Samoyed
Adult weight
Males 15–24 kg (33–53 lb); females 14–20 kg (31–44 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 20–29 kg (45–65 lb); females 16–23 kg (35–50 lb) (breed club figure)2
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Daily brushing
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Plenty
Class
Family
Family
Which suits you
Size
The Samoyed is a little larger on average: about 22 kg (49 lb) as an adult, against 18 kg (40 lb) for the Finnish Lapphund.
Grooming
The Finnish Lapphund needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Samoyed needs a brush once a week.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Samoyed, and a moderate amount with the Finnish Lapphund.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Finnish Lapphund: affectionate on its own terms; Samoyed: a lap or leaning dog) and on handler demand (Finnish Lapphund: suits a first-time owner; Samoyed: needs steady training).
Alike
Both are rated the same on voice: very vocal.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Finnish Lapphund
Spitz & primitive · Medium
The Lapphund is friendly, calm and willing. It is alert enough to bark at anything new but is seldom sharp, generally gets on readily with people and other dogs, and keeps the stamina of a working breed.
Samoyed
Spitz & primitive · Medium
In temperament the Samoyed is friendly, gentle and sociable. It tends to greet strangers with interest rather than suspicion, so it makes a poor guard dog.
Breed traits
Day to day
Finnish Lapphund
Samoyed
Activity
Differs
A good daily walk and play
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs steady training
With people
Finnish Lapphund
Samoyed
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Finnish Lapphund
Samoyed
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Samoyed grows to the heavier adult, about 23 kg against the Finnish Lapphund's 19 kg.
Finnish Lapphund
Samoyed
More comparisons
Compare the Finnish Lapphund with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Finnish Lapphund breed page. ↑
- 2American Kennel Club. Samoyed breed page. ↑
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 8Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 9American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 10
Parts of this page were written by AI ·