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Breed

Norwegian Buhund

The Norwegian Buhund is a herding breed from Norway, standing males 17–18.5 in · females 16–17.5 in at the withers, weighing males 31–40 lb · females 26.5–35.5 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–15 yrs.

A photograph of the Norwegian Buhund
Breed group
Herding
Origin
Norway
Height
males 17–18.5 in · females 16–17.5 in
Weight
males 31–40 lb · females 26.5–35.5 lb
Lifespan
12–15 yrs

Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Norwegian Buhund is taller than 28% of the measured breeds, heavier than 29%, one of 27 in the Herding group, one of 7 from Norway.

Compare the Norwegian Buhund with another breed

Living with the Norwegian Buhund

Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Norwegian Buhund’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.

Around people and other dogs
Affection with family
5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
Good with young children
4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
Good with other dogs
3 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
Openness to strangers
3 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
Watchdog / protective nature
4 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
What they will ask of you
Energy
4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
Exercise needs
5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
Playfulness
4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
Barking
4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
Around the house
Shedding
3 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
Drooling
1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
What they tolerate
Tolerates being alone
4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Tolerates hot weather
2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Tolerates cold weather
5 of 51 poorly · 5 well

Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Norwegian Buhund on AKCNorwegian Buhund on DogTime

Breeds that look like the Norwegian Buhund

A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Norwegian Buhund.

Side by side

Height 0–38 in

  1. Norwegian Buhund
    17–18.5 in
  2. Hällefors Elkhound
    22–25 in
  3. Norwegian Lundehund
    12–16 in
  4. Norrbottenspets
    17–19 in
  5. Jämthund
    22–26 in
  6. New Guinea singing dog
    14–15 in
  7. Swedish Vallhund
    12–16 in

Weight 0–220 lb

  1. Norwegian Buhund
    31–40 lb
  2. Hällefors Elkhound
    66 lb
  3. Norwegian Lundehund
    13–15 lb
  4. Norrbottenspets
    24–33 lb
  5. Jämthund
    50–65 lb
  6. New Guinea singing dog
    18–30 lb
  7. Swedish Vallhund
    25–35 lb

Lifespan 0–20 yrs

  1. Norwegian Buhund
    12–15 yrs
  2. Hällefors Elkhoundno recorded figure
  3. Norwegian Lundehund
    12–15 yrs
  4. Norrbottenspets
    14–17 yrs
  5. Jämthund
    12–14 yrs
  6. New Guinea singing dog
    15–20 yrs
  7. Swedish Vallhund
    12–15 yrs

Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.

See the Norwegian Buhund on the breed mapRead about the Norwegian Buhund on Wikipedia
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© 2026 Woof & BeyondWritten by The Woof & Beyond Team