The Norwegian Buhund or 'Norsk Buhund', a herding dog of the spitz group, is the farm dog of Norway. 'Bu' in Norwegian means homestead or the mountain hut lived in by shepherds at the summer pastures, and 'hund' of course means dog. Buhunds taken along by the Vikings on their travels and colonizing journeys over 1,000 years ago were the ancestors of the Iceland Dog and influenced the collie breeds.

The buhund should be a typical spitz of medium size, compact, energetic and alert. The head is wedge-shaped with clearly marked stop and rather short muzzle with dry lips. The ears are pointy, firmly erect, taller than they are broad. The neck is rather short and dry. Deep chest with firm, straight back. The breed should be as tall as it is long. Normal angulation in the legs. The tail is powerful, set high and curled over the back. The coat has a thick, close-laying topcoat and soft undercoat, longer on the neck and chest.