Finnish Spitz
Quick facts
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AKC Group: | Non-Sporting |
| Height: | Male: 16-19 inches, Female: 14½-17 inches | |
| Weight: | Male: 47-53 pounds, Female: 40-47 pounds | |
| Colors: | varying shades of golden-red from pale honey to deep auburn | |
| AKC recognized in: | 1991 | |
The Finnish Spitz has been the national dog of Finland since 1979 and was originally named "Suomenpystrykorva" which means the Finnish cock-eared dog. Trained as a hunting dog, it makes a distinctive bark when directing the hunter or points with its head and muzzle. Crossbreeding almost made the Finnish Spitz extinct in the late 1800s until two Helsinki sportsmen saved them from extinction.
The Finnish Spitz can easily be trained with a soft voice and kind touch to become a very obedient dog. It does not like repetitive training. It moves briskly and, because of its balanced body structure, it can run towards the prey during a hunting trip without hesitation.
Its face is an appearance of urgency with energetic life. You can tell what it is reacting to with its pointed ears. The body of the Finnish Spitz is simple and well-balanced. The prominent feature in its body is its square stock and the synchronized movement of its eyes, ears and tail. When it moves on to hunt for birds, the Finnish Spitz points with its pointed muzzle while its eyes and ears follow excitedly and its curled tail stays firm on its back.
There is no need for any exaggerated features to find a dog that means business when it is doing a serious business to run after a prey. But, nowadays, the Finnish Spitz is taken home by fanciers as a non-sporting dog although its ancestors were of the sporting breed.
The Finnish Spitz has a double coat with short and dense undercoat while the hair on its head and legs is short and close. Some dog owners would keep the outer coat within 2½ inches at the ruff.
Dewclaws appear at the front and back legs. If back claws appear, it is advisable to have them removed. However, the dewclaws on the front feet appear to be small and have no purpose. There is no need to remove them.
Temperament
| Affection |  |
| Cold Tolerance | |
| Ease of Training | |
| Energy level | |
| Exercise Requirements | |
| Friendliness : Children | |
| Friendliness: Other Animals | |
| Friendliness: Other Pets | |
| Grooming Requirements | |
| Heat Tolerance | |
| Playfulness | |
| Protection Ability | |
| Watchdog Ability | |
It is prone to bark when there is something extraordinary nearby that threatens the home. When it barks at home, the Finnish Spitz is functioning as a guard dog. When faced with other dogs for the first time, it has the temperament to be shy, passive, but sometimes, it can become aggressive. It is best to leave it alone to figure out how to handle the situation with other dogs.
The Finnish Spitz loves children and is gentle with them. It is trainable and can obey commands easily after just a few times of practice. It is the complete companion that would love to go out for long walks or play for a long time outside and return home inside lying on the couch or sitting by your feet watching TV.
When it barks, it gives its best to let you know that there is an intruder or something that you need to look at. It can be trained to reduce its barking though. Although it is very energetic, moderate exercise is fine with it.
Health and Exercise
The Finnish Spitz has an average lifespan of 12-15 years. It is considered to be one of the healthiest dog breeds around, due to being a natural breed which was not tampered with during development. However, due to the small breed pool associated with this dog, several genetic ailments can exist:
- Epilepsy
- Luxating Patellas
- Cardiac Issues
- Hip Dysplasia
Visitor Comments
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