Registration, ancestry, and identity
A Finnish Lapphund puppy should leave the breeder with registration or litter paperwork and a multi-generation ancestry record naming the sire and dam. In this breed many lines trace back to Finland, so do not be surprised if names, kennel prefixes, and some certificates are Finnish; what matters is that the dogs named are consistent across every page and that you can identify which certificate belongs to which parent.
Collect the microchip record or chip number and registry details, plus a signed contract and receipt with the breeder's full contact information. If the puppy was imported or the litter was registered with an overseas kennel club first, ask which registry now holds the record and keep any transfer forms with the contract, since you may need them to complete registration in your own name.
Contract terms for a breed that matures on its own schedule
Read the health guarantee, its conditions, and the return-to-breeder clause before paying the final balance. The contract should say whether the puppy is placed as a companion or with breeding possibilities, and what the breeder expects if a hereditary problem is later confirmed by a vet.
Finnish Lapphunds are a natural, hardy breed often placed by breeders who know their lines over many generations. Ask whether the contract or an attached sheet records the food, feeding schedule, and handover plan, and keep the breeder's guidance on exercise and coat care with the signed pages rather than in a separate message thread you may lose.
Veterinary record, including travel documents where they apply
The litter's health record should be signed or stamped by the examining practice and list each examination, vaccinations with dates, worming treatments and dates, and the vet's notes on heart, eyes, bite, and overall condition. If the puppy travelled from abroad, the set should also include the travel and border paperwork that applied to that journey, any rabies vaccination record with its dates, and the health certificate issued for travel.
Check that the microchip number on any travel document matches the number on the chip record exactly. A single wrong digit can stall future travel or registration transfers, and it is far easier to correct while the breeder and issuing vet are still easy to reach.
Parent screening: hips and eyes at the centre
Ask for copies of both parents' hip evaluation results and recent specialist eye examinations, since eye screening in this breed is typically repeated rather than done once. Some breeders also hold genetic test results relevant to their lines; request whatever exists and file it under the correct parent's name.
Ask the breeder about cataracts or other eye findings, hip quality, and general longevity among close relatives. Lapphund breeders often keep detailed family knowledge, and a dated note of that conversation, kept with the certificates, gives your vet context that a single result cannot.
Socialisation, coat, and settling-in notes
Finish by collecting the breeder's written account of the litter's upbringing: sounds and surfaces experienced, visitors handled, car journeys, and time spent apart from littermates. For a spitz breed with a profuse double coat, ask for their grooming routine in writing, including how they handle the heavy seasonal shed and what they avoid doing to the coat.
Add the feeding schedule and the puppy's individual notes, such as confidence level and appetite during weaning. Take the complete set to your first vet visit, request translations of any key Finnish-language pages while the breeder is still engaged, and store everything in KinsLe's Pet Passport so your Lapphund's registration, screening, and health records remain one tidy packet for appointments, boarding, and future trips.