Mary Allen
It is impossible not to listen to the Finnish Spitz: he signals the visit with a loud bark. This makes him a reliable watchdog, but he can do much more: hunters consider the Finnish Spitz an ideal companion and children a great playmate. If you are looking for an intermediate dog that loves to accompany you in sports and loves and protects your family, this breed may be right for you.
National Dog of Finland
The Finnish Spitz has been kept in Finland for many centuries. He supports the people there as a working, guard, and hunting dog, as well as a companion dog, and easily copes with the harsh climate of Scandinavia. The first breed standard for the Finnish Spitz was written in 1892, and since 1979 it has been the national dog of Finland.
Nature of the Finnish Spitz
The Finnish Spitz is ready to give his heart to his people. If he feels comfortable in his family, he behaves lovingly, devotedly, affectionately, and appreciates the intense contact with his pack. If you spoil him with hugs, he will get great pleasure from them. In general, he likes to be with his people. However, he is very wary and suspicious of strangers: he needs time to get used to new people.
Finnish Spitz frolics with children and develops close friendships if they give them the opportunity to be alone. He is easy to learn. He likes to play a lot, but he also gets tired quickly – so he needs a variety of games and tasks.
Aggression or violence is not in his nature. If he is unsure or feels threatened, he will communicate this with a loud growl and bark.
Finnish Spitz: Keeping & Training
You can keep a Finnish Spitz in an apartment, but he feels more comfortable in a house with a garden. Either way, make sure he gets enough exercise.
Your Finnish Spitz needs closeness to nature for a life that matches the species. He loves long walks, even if you prefer to be warm at home. He makes a clear distinction between outdoor activities and household chores. Simple walks won’t keep an active Finnish Spitz busy. If he does not go hunting or has no tasks, he should be busy with extensive playable units. He enjoys playing catch-or-fetch games, working on the track, or mantrailing. However, too frequent repetition of activities is not his business.
Make sure that he is always on a leash when he plays on the lawn or in the park, otherwise, his desire to hunt may end badly for a small animal running past.
An animal friend is also good for the Finnish Spitz: he gets along with dogs and cats, but needs to know them from an early age.
On warm days, make sure your Finnish Spitz has access to shade and plenty of water. Built to live in cold and ice, it is sensitive to heat. On the other hand, in winter you don’t have to worry about your dog: he will love being outside and taking long winter walks.
With sufficient exercise, the Finnish Spitz will be balanced and calm indoors. However, there is one thing you can never fully wean him from his joy in barking. When used for hunting, the Finnish Spitz barks to indicate where the prey is. At home, he also announces visitors – wanted or unwanted. This makes it difficult to live in apartments, especially in buildings with poor soundproofing.
Have a lot of patience in raising him. The Finnish Spitz is not a dog for beginners. His independent nature makes it difficult for him to obey. It requires a lot of consistency and empathy. If you stay on top, you will find a wonderful companion in a ready dog.
Finnish Spitz Care
Grooming for the Finnish Spitz depends on the time of year. In spring and autumn, when he sheds, he needs daily care. You must comb him thoroughly to support his care. In summer and winter, on the contrary, its coat is easy to care for: it is enough to comb it once a week.
If the Finnish Spitz spends a lot of time outdoors, ticks can nest in his coat. Check your Finnish Spitz coat regularly and maybe even bring tick tweezers with you when you travel. Thanks to the light fur, ticks are easy to spot.
Finnish Spitz: Features
The Finnish Spitz is one of the hardest dog breeds. As with many other dog breeds, hip dysplasia can occasionally occur, but this is quite rare.
Since the Finnish Spitz is not common outside of Scandinavia, finding a responsible breeder can be a bit tricky. It is worth asking the club that deals with this breed of dog.