The Finnish Kennel Club requires parentage analysis of 15 Lappish breed litters

The breed club, Lappalaiskoirat ry, expressed to the Finnish Kennel Club’s Board its concerns regarding the accuracy of parentage, the well-being of dogs taken into custody, and the possible future breeding use of these dogs. 

The hope is to stop the breeding use of dogs with incorrect pedigrees as soon as possible. Therefore, the parentage of twelve Finnish Lapphund litters and three Lapponian Herder litters must be confirmed. All litters concerned have been registered in 2016 or later. Doubts regarding the truthfulness of the pedigrees are based on animal welfare inspections carried out in the kennel that bred the litters as well as on the fact that dogs were taken into custody as a result of these inspections.

Parentage analysis requires a DNA sample of the dog itself, but also of the sire and the dam. According to the Finnish Kennel Club's Dog Registry Guideline, DNA samples for parentage analysis are primarily taken at the breeder’s expense. The sample is taken by a veterinarian or a person authorized by the Finnish Kennel Club. If the dog's parentage is proven to be correct, the Finnish Kennel Club will reimburse the costs for taking samples as well as costs for the laboratory analysis.

More information on parentage analysis is available in Finnish here.

Instructions for owners of puppies, sires, and dams

In order to confirm the parentage of the litter, official DNA samples must have been taken of both the sire and the dam, and these samples must have been sent for DNA profiling. If the genotype of the parents is unknown, the parentage of the offspring cannot be confirmed.

A list of all analysed dogs is kept by Lappalaiskoirat ry.

Check the situation of the parents and inform the breed club when a sample has been taken of your dog.

All samples should be analysed by the same laboratory. Samples are sent to the Genoscoper laboratory (MydogDNA analysis). The laboratory then sends the results to the dog owner and the Finnish Kennel Club. The breed club and the laboratory have agreed on a 20 % discount on parentage analyses for Lappish breeds.

At this point, the dog owner must pay for sampling and parentage analysis himself or herself. If the parentage of your dog is found to be correct, please contact the Finnish Kennel Club for reimbursement.  

For more information

Päivi Rantasalo
Breeding Consultant
paivi.rantasalo@kennelliitto.fi
tel. +358 9 8873 0229

Hanna Kaasalainen
Breeding Secretary
hanna.kaasalainen@kennelliitto.fi
tel. +358 9 8873 0213

Counselling by Lappalaiskoirat ry
neuvonta@lappalaiskoirat.fi
tel. +358 40 417 5785 or +358 44 029 0013
 

A list of Finnish Lapphunds and Lapponian Herders of which parentage analysis is required