Finnish Lapphund vs Australian Kelpie

Compare the Finnish Lapphund to the Australian Kelpie. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Finnish Lapphunds and Australian Kelpies.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - The Finnish Lapphund is an excellent choice for new/inexperienced owners. The Australian Kelpie is okay for new owners, but may not be as easy as the Finnish Lapphund.
Children - The Finnish Lapphund is very child friendly. The Australian Kelpie does okay around kids, but is not as tolerant as the Finnish Lapphund.
Grooming - Both the Finnish Lapphund and Australian Kelpie are very low maintenance and easy to groom.
Barking - Both breeds will bark frequently, but the Australian Kelpie has the highest tendency to bark between the two.

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Finnish Lapphund vs Australian Kelpie

Breed Name	Finnish Lapphund	Australian Kelpie
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	12-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Height	16-21 in.	18-22 in.
Weight	33-53 lb	30-60 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Finland	Australia
Origin Year	7000 BC	1900 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Below Average
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Good
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Below Average
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Willing To Please	Affectionate Loving Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	No	No
Indoor	Yes	No
Small Yard	No	No
Medium Yard	No	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	30°F to 70°F	30°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	Medium	Very High
Exercise Required	Medium	Very High
Top Running Speed	22 mph	24 mph
Strength	Medium-High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Shedding	High	Medium
Dander	Medium-High	Medium
Drool Amount	None	Low

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Finnish Lapphund	Australian Kelpie
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	Yes
Independent	No	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	Yes	No
Average	No	Yes
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Average
Burrow/Digging	Average	Average
Chasing	High	Average
Follow Commands	Very Low	Average
Fighting	Average	Average
Guarding	Below Average	Average
Herding	High	High
Hunting	Average	Average
Protection	Below Average	Average
Remove Vermin	Average	Average
Sledding	Below Average	Average
Watch	High	High

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Finnish Lapphund	Australian Kelpie
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Cerebellar Abiotrophy	No	Yes
Collie Eye Anomaly	No	Yes
Hip Dysplasia	No	Yes
Osteoarthritis	No	Yes
Patellar Luxation	No	Yes
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Finnish Lapphund	Australian Kelpie
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Hair	No	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Single Coat	No	Yes
Smooth Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Rough	Yes	Yes
Straight	Yes	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Long	Yes	No
Short	No	Yes
Medium	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black & Silver	Yes	No
Black & Tan	Yes	No
Black & White	Yes	No
Grizzle	Yes	No
Tan & White	Yes	No
Wolf Sable	Yes	No
Black	No	Yes
Blue	No	Yes
Brown	No	Yes
Cream	No	Yes
Fawn	No	Yes
Red	No	Yes
Tan	No	Yes
White	No	Yes