It's an interesting diet this breed needs. Basically small frozen scraps, but very rich in content. Their digestive systems evolved as nomads north of the Arctic Circle and know nothing else, so a bit of care needs to be taken. His body will do a lot with the vital scraps of tundra animals, and doesn't know how to handle big foreign diets which make him unenergetic and unwell after a few meals.
Tonight's menu is sheep and beef tripe—their organs go well, but their meat and fat doesn't.
Frozen salmon cuts—these dogs know fish as well as reindeer and love frozen meet. They extract all the goods from them.
And a rabbit foot—Fur and bone is common in their diet and helps clean. They can start to poop bad without fur fibre.
One of the more tame dishes considering the other weird off cuts of bits and pieces he gets. Thought some may find it interesting for a bit of an unusual breed outside of Finland.
Edit: And yeah, the photo makes the meal look big and him small. But he's 20kg and that dish is about 3/4 a banana in diameter.
TIL
Maybe talk to a vet or do some reading to verify literally anything a Lemmy user says. I've encountered more lunatics here than anywhere else and OP thinks his dog is magic and can only eat frozen foods.
Just sayin.
You could, but a vet will remind you that lappies (and most other dogs) catch, kill, and eat furred animals for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps more modern breeds may be special, but not the ancient dogs. They are simple as long as diet matches the biome they evolved in, otherwise it can get messy (lol) and they are less energetic.
"Trust me, bro".
"Be a dear and help me with the Google."
Okay, you asked for it. Here you go, served hot and fresh from the American Kennel Club:
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/finnish-lapphund/#:~:text=Nutrition,nutrients%20the%20Finnish%20Lapphund%20needs.
"A high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior) will have all the nutrients the Finnish Lapphund needs. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones."
Not only is your dog not some kind of special, mythical creature - you should be making sure it can't access bones. Hopefully next time you'll learn to keep your trap shut before you start saying dumb shit in public.
I didn't ask for anything, but you've managed to find information that says, "Feed your dog food." Cool.
Unsurprisingly, you will see this same text on the other breeds. It's the AKC so information is generic and minimal.
Somehow it seems this may be a surprise to you, but different breeds have different dietary requirements, You are meant to know these well and stick to them as the side effects of not doing this become apparent, such is the case with all ~~special, mythical creatures~~ dogs I have had. Some are easy, some are more difficult. Diet should be well-researched before getting any breed or you could end up at the vet, finding out there. And, yes, in addition to everything else, his local vet and a vet friend prescribe the same diet.
Now you're just making stuff up or didn't read your own "source". Or the Sami were doing it wrong for 3,000 years and it's a wonder the breed survived! /s
Well, we know now dogs need food, but what is "all the nutrients the Finnish Lapphund needs"? Well, I'm glad you didn't ask...
They should be having around 15–20% of their meal being raw bone, obviously not cooked or hollowed. For most dogs on raw diets, the standard is around 7–15%. Additionally, apart from their large canine fangs, their teeth are mostly very large splitters specifically for bone as much of their diet is carcasses. Reindeer, rabbit, fish, often partially frozen as they're nomadic. Many other spitz breeds share this trait like buhunds, lundehunds, and malamutes. They can have dry foods, but it isn't as easy to consume with those teeth and a high moisture diet is needed as they quickly start having digestive issues on dries—a lot of gas and blockages, he will begin whimpering and stop eating after about a week. It is like if you were suddenly forced to eat something the human body does not know how to handle. Though, other dogs I've had have eaten only dry foods and thrive with them, as simple as grabbing a good bag from the pet store.
The other key is omegas as they have evolved on a heavy fish diet and their body demands it much more for their insane coat and its production. He certainly needs more than my other double-coated dogs. Again, this isn't unusual for many spitz breeds from colder parts of Europe. Not doing this results in huge energy drops and a poor coat. They are extremely resourceful with fats compared to many other breeds, but still require much more so whole fish and berries are regular. Considering this guy is out in the snow for days on end at times, covering long distances, he relies on that famous lappie coat and good energy reserves. It's 1C right now and he's out sleeping in the cold by choice. They can manage -30C before needing a heat source, provided they're getting the proper fats.
Not that you'd care, but there are entire books about this, including written by the Sami themselves. Obviously none of it stops at "feed it high quality food." Yeah, duh. That's true for any ~~special, mythical creature~~ dog, or you're just an ignorant owner.
Take your meds, dude.
Sorry, you'd given the impression you really wanted to know. My dog's diet has been quite obsessive to you up to this point. It's a little odd, but harmless.
Don't L too much cause it's wrong. You can feed them dog food just as well as any other dog.
When I have done this in the past, he has become unwell and unenergetic. Because I am responsible for his well-being, it is cruel to conscientiously neglect it. Fur is not a extensive thing, but is given in a meal once or twice a week. Bone is in every meal.
It may not be necessary for all breeds, however this topic has been covered extensively—especially for Lapphunds and similar breeds—and therefore there is a wealth of information available to you if you would like to have a quick look into it. As a dog owner, a primary responsibility is ensuring they're healthy, just as much as you hopefully look after your own health. A Finnish Lapphund has a noticeable uptick in health and behaviour when their diet is looked after. I have had many dogs and this breed is more unique in diet than others. It is one of the noteable points raised and discussed when deciding to care for one; again, you can easily find information on this yourself. If you have a lappie and have somehow missed this, I strongly encourage you to look it up, especially for their longevity. Their teeth structure alone highlight the reliability of bone in their diets as well.
Edit: And a benefit here is that rabbits are invasive and endanger native wildlife. So it is more ethical, healthier, and available option than fur and feather supplements.