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Why does the Norwegian Lundehund have six toes?

The puffin-hunting past behind the breed's unusual feet.

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Short answer

The Norwegian Lundehund was used to catch puffins on steep cliffs, and its extra toes and very flexible front legs help it climb almost vertical rock. The breed standard asks for at least six toes on each foot, and the dog could crawl into puffin burrows and fetch the birds alive. Puffins are now protected.

a dog with a leash sitting next to a small moose silhouette and a vet cross

Why

  1. Store norske leksikon says the Lundehund has two extra toes on every leg and that the breed got its name from catching puffins.
  2. The breed standard asks for at least six toes on the front feet, five of them touching the ground, and at least six on the hind feet, four of them touching the ground.
  3. The same standard says the dog's neck can bend so far back that it touches its back, and that the cartilage in its ear openings can draw together.

Details

Puffins nest in scree, and the dog took the bird from the nest and carried it out to the hunter. Modern hunting methods and depopulation of the coast reduced the number of dogs, but people at Måstad on the isolated island of Værøy kept the hunting tradition alive. Distemper nearly wiped out the breed between the world wars and during the Second World War, and it was saved from dying out after the war.

Tip

To spot the extra toes, look at the front paws: the breed standard expects at least six toes there, with five resting on the ground.

People also ask

  • Why do Norwegian Lundehunds have six toes?
  • What does the Lundehund use its extra toes for?

Sources

Information checked on 20 October 2026.

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