The breed falls under the mitochondrial DNA sub-clade referred to as d1 that is only found in northern Scandinavia.

It has a profuse coat with pricked, highly mobile ears, distinctive markings and an elegant nose.

The Lapphund has a profuse double coat, with a short, fluffy undercoat and a longer topcoat.

In Finland, only two dog breeds are legally allowed to be kennelled outdoors in winter: the Finnish Lapphund and the Lapponian Herder.

[5] The profuse hair around the head and neck give the distinct impression of a mane in most males.

Common colourations may include crème, black, red, brown, sable and wolf-sable.

The Finnish Lapphund is a recognized breed in Finland, the rest of Europe, Australia and the United States.

The Finnish Lapphund club of Great Britain adopted an ethical policy in 2006 that matings will only be allowed if the progeny can not be affected by GPRA.

The Sami are an indigenous people residing in areas now divided between Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia.

[5] Finnish Lapphunds are the most similar to the long haired dogs developed by the Sami people in order to assist them with herding, often favoured as winter herders for the reindeer.

[12] Norwegians and Swedes were among the first to consider standardizing the dogs of Lapland prior to World War II.

[citation needed] In the post war years, the dogs of Lapland were at serious risk due to distemper outbreak.

[17][18] The Finnish Lapphund Club of America (FLCA) is the parent organization in the United States and was awarded parent club status on November 25, 2015, thus allowing it to hold licensed championship point events.

[18] The breed was first introduced to the United Kingdom in 1989 and is represented by the Finnish Lapphund Club of Great Britain.