Besides it\u00b4s nice looking coat and adorable face, the lundehund has several very unique features. \u00a0While most dogs have 4 toes, this little dog has 6! \u00a0 \u00a0In addition to it\u00b4s increased gripping abilities, it can crane it\u00b4s neck 180 degrees backwards and rest it on it\u00b4s back. \u00a0I have a weimaraner who can do this too-it looks so uncomfortable! \u00a0Craning it\u00b4s neck isn\u00b4t the only joint related rarity the lundehund boasts. \u00a0It can turn it\u00b4s forelegs to the side at a 90 degree angle perpendicular to it\u00b4s body. \u00a0That means it can lay completely flat on the ground with it\u00b4s 4 legs spread straight out. \u00a0The lundehund<\/strong> also has ears that are normally upright, but can be closed completely to protect from dirt and moisture.<\/p>\n The word lundehund<\/strong> comes from the Norwegian word lundefugl<\/strong>, which means puffin bird. \u00a0This breed has been in Norway since the 1600s and was used primarily to hunt along the coasts for puffins and their eggs. \u00a0Because of the lundehund\u00b4s flexibility and super traction paws, these dogs were at an advantage for hunting puffins in the nooks and crannies of cliffs and caves on the coast. \u00a0The Lofoten Islands are home to many puffins and coincidentally where the lundehund<\/strong> traces it\u00b4s earliest roots to. \u00a0The isolation of a small fishing village called M\u00e5stad (on the island of V\u00e6r\u00f8y, one of Lofoten\u00b4s islands)\u00a0and consequent poor communication with the outside world is arguably the only reason the lundehund <\/strong>exists today. \u00a0In every other area the lundehund<\/strong> inhabited, it is extinct.<\/p>\n While there are about 2,000 of these dogs worldwide (350 in the U.S. and most of the rest in Norway) today, there was a time when there were only 6. \u00a0Canine Distemper struck this breed 2 separate times-once around World War II eliminating many of them and then again in the early 1960s. \u00a0Through careful breeding, the lundehund <\/strong>was able to survive as a species and is no longer considered endangered.<\/p>\n This awesome little dog might be on my wish list in the future to join my lovely Weimaraner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever seen a norsk lundehund? \u00a0I don\u00b4t believe I have ever seen one as I wasn\u00b4t aware of their existence until I read the latest issue of Viking. \u00a0I\u00b4m not usually very interested in small dogs, but this dog seems pretty cool. Besides it\u00b4s nice looking coat and adorable face, the lundehund…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2011\/07\/lundehund-legs-out-238x350.jpg\")