Days 8 and 9 - Our Final Weekend in Turku, Finland

Our stay in Finland ended at the weekend in memorable style with visits to two of Finland’s big dog shows in Turku, where Osa afforded a prestigious honour at Sunday’s speciality lapphund competition. After being paraded before chief judge Saara Sampakoski (Shacal Kennel), Osa and Mark were given a special plate and rosette, which signified the spirit of Finland and that Osa possessed all the characteristics and qualities that traditional breeders in Lapland strive for. It was an unexpected accolade and one, we are informed, that is not freely awarded. It left Four Men pretty chuffed, especially Jeffo, Osa’s owner.

Osa may not be a towering brute like some of his male counterparts here but what we do know now is that he has an enviable striking, well-portioned head that has dawn attention from the day we arrived. It was one of the first comments made from renowned Finnish breeders Matti Takanen and Riita Takalo from the Lumiturpa Kennel, who bred Osa’s influential grandfather, Norri, and with who we had such a wonderful time with on Friday. It was great to discover that, looks wise, Osa and Norri had plenty in common.

Osa also caught up with another one of Norri's grandsons at the show, Lumiturpa Eppu, they were very pleased to met!

I think our pint-sized hero was feeling the effects of a long week - and he was not the only one. On our final day’s shoot, we were all feeling a little jaded but mightily content that we had pulled off an ambitious project and could now share it with everyone. If this trip has proved anything, it is people’s love of dogs and how they can transform lives simply by just being there or, in our new friend Anna Pasanen’s case, instrumental in helping her cope on a day-to-day basis in a wheelchair. The boys all admit to a new perspective on how dogs should be raised. 

Jeffo concedes that if he had Osa’s life all over again he may have approached it differently after seeing the example set in Finland for these hardy, lovely breed. There is no doubt, given the evidence on show, that Osa would have thrived much better in a completely natural environment than in the, so called domesticated bliss that he has lived in all of his life. “I didn’t realise all this when I got him - I just loved the breed’s characteristics without maybe fully taking in the dog’s very best interests and ideal conditions,” he says. “This was a real eye-opener and maybe people need to weigh up a lot more when buying a lappie. Maybe I’d do it differently next time round, who knows?”

Jukka Kuusisto, a Finn who helped introduce the first lappie to the UK and who attended Sunday’s show, agrees wholeheartedly that this breed is much better outdoors in the elements than curled up in front of an indoor heater. Even dog owner James Gore, who fell in love with the reindeer dogs here, says it has given him a different outlook. “I’d love to get one but whether I can provide the life it really needs to thrive is another thing” he says.

It was no coincidence that the best night’s sleep Osa had was on a freezing cold night in the van when he slept alongside Jeffo, with the three boys huddled in the upstairs tent. Unfortunately, the boys could no stand it, so it was the only time the campervan was properly used.

We also attended the international breed show on Saturday (only 53 lapis attended this one compared to 166 on Sunday) and it was a bonus to be able to take Osa in. But there were hiccups on both days - and, yes, Jeffo was at the heart of them. On the first day, he forgot to take Osa’s passport, which was needed to get him through a vet inspection and, the very next day, Jeffo forgot the worming tablet, which must be administered between one and five days in front of a vet before a dog is allowed to return to the UK. By this stage, though, we were used to things going astray, so nothing new there!

While the hard work for three guys and Osa is finished, it is just beginning for our editor Isaac. Still, we're all confident that we've come away with some great footage, some great knowledge and some even better memories; and we hope that everyone has enjoyed what we have accomplished. It was no easy trip but pulling it off has been so rewarding.

First thing Monday morning we are back on the ferry from Turku to Stockholm, we will then make our 18 hour drive to Calais and board the Euro Tunnel and soon after will be back in the UK - getting some well deserved sleep... without Mike's ridiculously loud snoring! 

We would have never been able to do this without the help of Nina Lahin, who acted as our translator and main organiser for us here, we have so much to thank her for... especially her patience! We also absolutely loved meeting Matti and Riita and all of the people at the Finnish Lapphund Club of Great Britain (Liz Mowatt, Osa’s breeder, and Toni Jackson among them) who chipped in to make this a reality. We offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to you all. Also a big thanks Mandy, Nigel and Tasha, the owners of Ellie, Osa’s full sister from the 2001 litter, for letting us visit them on the UK leg of filming.

Anyhow, this is the Four Men and a Dog team signing off now! Thanks again to everyone for all of the support, please continue to follow us for regular updates on how the editing process is going and to see how Osa is doing. 

All of the Best,

Michael, James, Isaac, Mark and of course, Osa.

Please make sure to Subscribe to this blog, as we will be updating our adventures along the way. And make sure to Like our Facebook page to see regular posts! www.facebook.com/4menandadog

Please visit www.dogsfortedisabled to see the charity that we are supporting. And if you would like to donate to the Dogs for the Disabled charity, then please visit www.justgiving.com/4menandadog