8h • Breed of the Week
Finnish Spitz
The Finnish Spitz, the national breed of Finland, can be traced back to ~100 A.D. with their ancestor being imported to Finland by some tribes in Russia. The historical writings related to the early history of the Finnish Spitz are long gone so what we do know is from the documentation of Finnish Spitz enthusiasts and preservers of the breed along with artifacts from excavations of the area.
The Finnish Spitz has had many names in Finnish (which is a very complicated language) but in English the names they have been known as are Finnish Spitz, Finnish Barking Bird Dog, Finkie, Finsk Spets. While the translation does not change when in English (or French) in 1946 the breeds name was changed once again giving it more of a name than a description in the native language.
The historic life of a Finnish Spitz was not an easy one. They not only would search and hunt alongside their humans but were also responsible for feeding and fending for themselves. Due to this life being a reality for the breed for generations (and the Finnish Spitz learning to chase and consume small birds and animals for food and staying close to home for protection from predators) these traits are now a feature in the breed not a bug. They are very faithful to their home, are great guardians of their human/family and skeptical of strangers.
Before the 19th Century the Finnish Spitz was relatively isolated from genetic influence and so was a purebred with a good sized population. It wasn’t until by 1880 with the development of improved modes for passage that other types of dogs were brought into the area and bred with the local Finnish Spitz. This happened without much interjection of humans which led to the Finnish Spitz almost becoming extinct just due to breeding influence.
It wasn’t until two forestry experts named Hugo Richard Sandberg (1849-1930) and Hugo Johnathon Roos (1863-1963) had met and went hunting with the breed that the dwindling population stood a chance for survival. They selected pure examples of the breed in order to recover the breed and the many wonderful qualities that caught their attention in the first place.
Hugo Sandberg described the breed as “…sharing their bright and dull days…” with their family and “…reflects all the characteristics of his owner…” with “self-sacrificing loyalty” and “…more courage than could be expected of such a small dog”. It was then that Sandberg offered to a newly establish Kennel Club (1889) to protect and preserve this breed. The Kennel Club decided to accept the Finnish Spitz into its registry and accepted the standard in which was suggested by Sandberg.
A fun fact about the Finnish Spitz is that they are encouraged and were bred to bark while they hunt (hence being called Finnish Barking Bird Dog at one point). They have a kind of yodel that breed enthusiasts don’t mind and there is an annual competition where there is record of a Finnish Spitz is being able to bark up to 160 times a minute. What is more important than speed barking is barking while hunting. Only then can one be crowned king.
The ability to bark consistently not only helps the hunter find where the dog has treed a bird or other small animal but this also frightens the animal so they remain still. This gives the hunter time to approach. The Finnish Spitz’s ability to search and track were more important features than catching and killing particularly when on land without much to hunt. This makes sense considering catching and killing is difficult to do if you cannot search and track down game.
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Finnish Spitz
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