Rare Dogs: The Norwegian Lundehund

These little dogs are best known for having 6 toes instead of 4 like normal dogs. Those extra toes aid the dogs in hunting puffins and their eggs on the rocky cliffs of Røst.

During World War II, these dogs were nearly wiped out when canine distemper struck their homes. After the war, another round of distemper left only 6 breedable dogs, 5 of which came from the same mother.

But thankfully, after a lot of careful breeding, there are now 1,500 to 2,000 of them in the world. There are less than 300 in the U.S.

The breed's biggest problem, however, is their digestive system. These little dogs are unable to extract the nutrients from the food they eat and the dog can actually starve no matter how much he eats. Due to this problem, the Norwegian Lundehunds have shorter life expectancy.

Due to its rarity, not much is known about these cute little dogs. But one thing is for certain, they are really flexible! Dogs of this breed are known to be able to bend their head backwards along their own spine!