[1] The Lundehund was a valuable working animal for hunting puffin birds along the Norwegian coast as food for over 400 years.

[2] The first known written record of the breed dates to 1591, when a bailiff wrote of his visit to Værøy that, “one cannot easily retrieve [puffins] from the depth without having a small dog accustomed to crawling into the hole and pulling the birds out.”[1] Its flexibility and extra toes were ideal for hunting the birds in their inaccessible nesting locations on cliffs and in caves.

There have also been stories of Lundehund being used on Lovund, Lurøy by Petter Dass, as cited in his famous work, Nordlands Trompet.

The breed was nearly extinct around World War II when canine distemper struck Værøy and the surrounding islands, reducing the population to just two dogs.

[6][7][5] The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, rectangular Spitz type dog with several unique phenotypical traits.

There is no cure, though the disease can be managed; however, many dogs experience repeated acute episodes of Lundehund Syndrome throughout their lives, resulting in extensive medical treatment and poor quality of life.

[11][12] There are indications that for the Lundehund to go on a low fat and higher protein diet has very positive effects on the health with respect to digestive problems.