The Norwegian Lundehund is unlike any other breed on earth — a small Spitz developed on the remote Norwegian island of Værøy to climb sheer cliffs and pull live puffins from rock crevices. Six fully functional toes on each foot, ears that fold shut to keep out debris, shoulders that rotate flat to the side and a neck that bends backward to touch the spine are not curiosities — they're working adaptations. Fewer than 2,000 Lundehunds exist worldwide, and almost every individual carries the gene for Lundehund Syndrome, a protein-losing intestinal disorder that defines how the breed must be fed and monitored. This guide covers the breed's near-extinction and recovery, its quirky independent temperament, the realities of living with a primitive Spitz in a UK home, and the lifelong dietary management every owner has to commit to.
Norwegian Lundehunds are one of the world's rarest and most unusual breeds, originally bred to hunt puffins on Norwegian cliffs. They have six toes on each foot, extremely flexible joints, and can close their ears shut.
The Norwegian Lundehund — 'lunde' meaning puffin and 'hund' meaning dog — is one of the world's oldest and rarest breeds, with a documented lineage stretching back at least 400 years on the remote Norwegian island of Værøy. For centuries, isolated coastal farmers used these tiny, hyper-flexible dogs to scale near-vertical sea cliffs and extract puffins and their eggs from narrow rock crevices — a uniquely lucrative harvest in a region with little arable land. When new puffin-hunting nets and protective laws made the breed economically obsolete in the late 1800s, numbers collapsed. By the end of WWII, an outbreak of canine distemper had reduced the entire global population to just six dogs, all on Værøy. Every Norwegian Lundehund alive today descends from those six survivors, which is why the breed remains genetically narrow and tightly stewarded by the Norsk Lundehund Klubb. The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom recognised the breed in 2002, and the AKC followed in 2011 — but worldwide registrations still hover around 1,500–2,000 dogs, making it one of the rarest pedigree breeds you can legally own.
The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, rectangular spitz-type dog standing 12–15 inches at the shoulder and weighing 13–20 pounds. The coat is a dense double layer — short and harsh on the body, longer around the neck — coloured in shades of fallow red to tan with white markings, often with black-tipped guard hairs that darken with age. What makes the breed visually unmistakable is its anatomy. Lundehunds have at least six fully formed, jointed toes on each foot (most dogs have four toes plus a vestigial dewclaw), with extra muscles and tendons that give them exceptional grip. Their shoulder joints rotate so freely that the front legs can extend straight out to the sides at 90 degrees, allowing the dog to lie flat against a cliff face. The neck is so flexible the head can bend backward to touch the spine, and the ears can be voluntarily folded shut — forwards or backwards — to seal out water and debris in the puffin burrows. No other breed combines all four traits.
Norwegian Lundehunds are alert, energetic and deeply loyal to their immediate family, but the centuries of isolation on Værøy bred a cautious, self-reliant dog. They are typically reserved with strangers and slow to warm up, though rarely aggressive. Inside the home they are playful, mischievous and surprisingly affectionate — many owners describe them as cat-like in their independence and curiosity. They have strong pack instincts and usually do well in multi-dog households, particularly with other Lundehunds. Early, patient socialisation is critical: an under-socialised Lundehund can become anxious or shy in busy environments. They are vocal communicators with a distinctive yodel-like vocabulary, and they retain a strong urge to climb, dig and explore vertical spaces.
Training a Norwegian Lundehund requires patience, humour and a light touch. They are highly intelligent but were bred for centuries to make independent decisions on isolated cliffs — not to take direction from a handler. They learn quickly but bore equally fast, and harsh or repetitive methods will simply shut them down. Short, varied positive-reinforcement sessions of 5–10 minutes work best, with high-value food rewards. They excel at scent work, agility and trick training thanks to their absurd flexibility, but recall can be unreliable around small mammals and birds — the prey drive runs deep. Crate-training and consistent house rules from puppyhood are essential, partly because they are notorious diggers and climbers and will exploit any unsecured fence, gate or sofa cushion.
The Norwegian Lundehund's defining health concern is Lundehund Syndrome — a group of related gastrointestinal disorders including protein-losing enteropathy, intestinal lymphangiectasia and chronic gastritis. Almost every Lundehund will develop some form of digestive sensitivity in its lifetime, and severe cases can be life-shortening. Symptoms include intermittent diarrhoea, weight loss, low blood albumin and fluid retention. Management is lifelong and involves a low-fat, highly digestible diet, careful protein selection, B12 supplementation and routine bloodwork (ideally an annual full biochemistry panel including serum albumin, B12 and folate). Beyond the syndrome, the breed is generally hardy with few orthopaedic issues despite its unusual joints. Patellar luxation occurs occasionally. Average lifespan is 12–15 years, often longer with proactive dietary management. The Norsk Lundehund Klubb runs an ongoing crossbreeding programme with Norwegian Buhunds, Icelandic Sheepdogs and Norrbottenspets to widen the gene pool — pedigrees from this programme are now AKC and KC recognised.
Diet is arguably the single most important decision a Lundehund owner makes. Because Lundehund Syndrome is so widespread, most experienced owners and the breed clubs recommend feeding a low-fat, highly digestible, novel-protein diet from day one — not waiting for symptoms. Hydrolysed-protein veterinary diets (Royal Canin Hypoallergenic, Hill's z/d or Purina HA) are common starting points, as are gently cooked fresh-food services that allow precise control of fat and protein source. Avoid fatty treats, dairy, raw hide and rich human food entirely. Feed 2–3 small meals per day rather than one large one to reduce gut load. Many owners also supplement with a daily probiotic and monthly B12 (either oral or injectable) under veterinary guidance. Sudden food changes are particularly risky for this breed — transition any new food over 10–14 days, not the standard 7.
The ideal Norwegian Lundehund owner is patient, observant and prepared for a lifetime of dietary management. They are not a beginner breed — not because they are difficult to live with day-to-day, but because the medical literacy required to manage Lundehund Syndrome well is genuinely demanding. Best suited to: experienced dog owners who enjoy unusual breeds, households with another calm dog for company, and people who can commit to annual bloodwork and a strict prescription or fresh-food diet. They suit apartment life provided they get 30–60 minutes of daily exercise plus mental enrichment, and they thrive with secure outdoor access for sniffing and climbing. Less suited to: very young children (the breed is delicate and reserved), households that travel constantly and cannot maintain dietary continuity, or anyone unwilling to budget for a specialist diet for the dog's entire life.