Finnish Spitz

This beautiful dog looks like a fox, and he's as clever as one. Finnish Spitz dogs are devoted to their families and love frisky play with kids. They are active and "barkative", with sounds ranging from soft "singing" and yodeling to high-pitched barking. They are intelligent and independent thinkers. While Finn's are affectionate with their families, they may be shy around strangers and other dogs.
 

Finnish Spitz breed facts

The Finnish Spitz is the national dog of Finland.  In Finland, contests are held annually to select a "King Barker."  Except in Finland, the Finnish Spitz is primarily a house dog.

Information you should know before owning a Finnish Spitz

The Finnish Spitz is prized in Finland for its handsome fox-like appearance, lively personality and loyal disposition.

The Finnish Spitz is a faithful companion.

He has functioned since earliest times as a natural bark pointer, who directs the hunter to the location of treed game by a distinctive bark or yodel.

The Finnish Spitz is the national dog of Finland. The history of spitz-type dogs can be traced back several thousand years. As various tribes migrated to different areas, they bred their dogs according to need, thus developing separate strains. One clan made its way to the far northern regions where, the Finnish Spitz emerged as a pure breed and an invaluable asset to the hunter. Advanced methods of transportation brought diverse populations and their dogs together and the original Finnish Spitz were mated with other breeds, until by 1880 they were nearly extinct. About that time, two sportsmen from Helsinki observed the pure native dogs, realized their many virtues, and returned home with superior specimens in an effort to salvage the bred. One of the pioneers bred them for over 30 years and the other launched an impressive rescue campaign.

The Finnish Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1892. The first known Finnish Spitz imported to the United States arrived in 1959. The Finnish Spitz Club of America was founded in 1975 and on January 1, 1988, the breed became eligible to compete and was assigned to the Non-Sporting Group. They had competed in the Miscellaneous Classes since November 1983.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Medium
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Medium
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	More than once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Country
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Appearance Dog considerably larger and carrying more coat than the bitch. Bearing bold. Whole appearance, particularly eyes, ears and tail indicates liveliness. Compact, hard-conditioned hunting dog with medium bone and no suggestion of coarseness.
	Characteristics Eagerness to hunt, courage tempered with caution, fidelity and intelligence.
	Temperament Alert, lively, friendly but independent.
	Eyes Medium sized, lively, preferably dark. Almond shaped with black rims, set slightly aslant, with outer corners tilted upwards.
	Mouth Jaws strong with perfect regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
	Neck Muscular, of medium length, with no excess of skin or fat. In males may appear shorter due to dense ruff.
	Forequarters Strong and straight.
	Body Almost square in outline. Back straight and strong. Chest deep. Belly slightly drawn up.
	Hindquarters Strong. Only moderate turn of stifle. Hock of medium angulation.
	Feet Preferably round. Hind dewclaws always removed. Removal of front dewclaws optional.
	Tail Plumed, curves vigorously from its root in an arch, forward downward and backward, then pressing down against thigh, with its tip extending to middle part of thigh. Extended, the bone of tail usually reaches to hock joint.
	Gait / Movement Appearance Dog considerably larger and carrying more coat than the bitch. Bearing bold. Whole appearance, particularly eyes, ears and tail indicates liveliness. Compact, hard-conditioned hunting dog with medium bone and no suggestion of coarseness.
	Coat On head and front of legs short and close, on body and back of legs longish, semi-erect, stiffer on neck and back. Outer coat on shoulders considerably longer and coarser, particularly in males. On back of thighs and on tail, hair longer and denser. No trimming allowed, not even of whiskers. Undercoat short, soft and dense.
	Colour On back reddish-brown or red gold, preferably bright. Hairs on inner sides of ears, cheeks, under muzzle, on breast, abdomen, behind shoulders, inside legs, back of thighs, underside of tail, of lighter shades. Undercoat also a lighter colour, making whole coat glow. Narrow white stripe not exceeding one and half centimetres in width on breast permitted. Black hairs on lips and sparse separate black pointed hairs on back and tail permitted. Puppies may have black hairs which decrease with age, black on tail persisting longer.
	Size Height at withers: dogs: 43-50 cms (17-20 ins); bitches: 39-45 cms (151/2-18 ins). Weight: 14-16 kgs (31-35 lbs).