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She Raises The World's Rarest Breed Of Dog
"It's the rarest dog in the world - there are only about 500 in the world - and it has a number of traits that aren't found in any other breed," says Stephanie Stober, Goodrich, N. Dak., one of only a handful of "Lundehund" breeders in the world.
The Lundehund is a small dog, standing only 13 in. high and weighing 12 to 15 lbs. It's an old dog breed that was noted in written accounts as early as 1432 by Italian fishermen, and some people think it survived the last ice age. Years ago in Norway, an owner's wealth could be judged by how many Lundehunds he possessed. The breed nearly became extinct several times in 1963 there were only 6 left in the world. The breed is now on the road to recovery. "The Lundehund is a friendly, lovable, gentle, and playful dog that's good with children," says Stephanie. "Its coat is dense but quite short and easy to maintain."
The dog takes its name from the Norwegian word "lunde", which means puffin bird. The puffin, a penguin-like bird, breeds in large colonies in caves and underground passages in steep mountain hills on the coast of Norway. Among the old Norsemen puffins were considered a delicacy, but it was a difficult bird to catch. The Lundehund was bred to get into narrow ages and caves, pull out the birds, and deliver them alive ,to its master;
The.Lundehund is able to get into small passageways because it has an extremely flexible neck joint which enables it to bend its head 180? right, down onto its back. It also has a very moveable shoulder-joint, which allows it to stretch its front legs out at right angles to its sides. Other distinguishing features include very strong legs with at least 6 toes on each foot, and the ability to shut its ears to protect against dust and moisture.
Stober has no Lundehunds for sale but she does sell limited numbers of llamas, miniature sheep, and other exotic animals.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Stephanie Stober, Rt. 1, Box 5, Goodrich, N. Dak. 58444.


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1990 - Volume #14, Issue #1