Finnish Spitz

A Finnish Spitz is a breed that originated in Finland. This is an old breed and is bred to be a hunting dog. It is known as a "bark pointer" which means it indicates the position of the game by barking in order to attract the attention of the hunter. This breed has been usually used to bark at the game that runs into in to the trees, such as capercailzies, grouses and squirrels. However it serves well to also hunt down elk and moose. There have been some individuals who have been known to attempt hunting even bears using this breed in spite of its small size.

In Finland the breed is used as a hunting dog even today but because it loves children and is very friendly by nature it is used as a house pet in other countries. The Finnish Spitz has been the national dog of its native country since the year 1979. This breed has a square build which means the length of its body and its height are almost the same or the length is slightly shorter as compared to the height of the withers to the ground. The Finnish Spitz must look like a fox however it should have a coat fluffier than that of a fox.

The length of its body is usually measured from the point of the fore chest or shoulder right in front of the withers right up to the rump giving the dog a short back and a square build. The females generally have a longer back. Both the males and the females should have slightly long legs. The Finnish Spitz has a double coat but its outer coat ideally should not exceed 2 1/2 inches at the ruff. Its undercoat should be light in color as compared to the red and golden outer coat and also it should be soft. The undercoat should shed twice in a year.

For a healthy Finnish Spitz, it is necessary to have a good shedding of the undercoat while the dog needs to "blow coat". Some exhibitors show dogs with undercoat that should be removed but that is the breeder, owner or handler's choice. In dog shows, the failure to shed the undercoat is considered as neglect by some judges because they prefer a combed and clean coat. If claws appear at the back it is advised to remove them since they usually are small. However, dew claws can appear at the back where they look like toes but don’t serve much of a purpose in the front.

The young Finnish Spitz is similar to the young ones of the red fox. They are usually black, brown, grey or fawn with a large part of their body being black. The adults should be golden red in colour. The shade can vary from dark chestnut to pale honey. White patches which are no more than 1.5 centimetres wide are allowed on the chest and white tips on the feet are also permitted but not ideal. The lips, nose and rims of the eyes should always be black.