The Finnish Spitz, or "suomenpystykorva," is Finland's national dog. It is one of the few genuinely Finnish dog breeds, the others being the Karelian Bear Dog, the Finnish Hound, the Finnish Lapphund, and the Lapponian Herder. During many decades of breeding, the outward appearance of the Finnish Spitz has not changed much; it has always been medium in size, and had brownish or yellowish red coat and erect ears.

This paper discusses the history and present tense of this uniquely Finnish breed of dog, its use, and the following questions: Why is the Finnish Spitz the national dog of Finland and what does the Spitz mean to Finns? How was it bred for its use, and what does the future hold for it?

A Short Description of the Breed

The Finnish Spitz is a lively and beautiful dog. It may not be the perfect pet for everyone, because it is a hunting dog and can be stubborn by nature, but those who own a Finnish Spitz speak very highly of the breed (Simolinna 179). This breed is a part of Finland's cultural heritage; it is very exceptional worldwide, as it has not been cross-bred with other types of dogs (Aarnio in Palukka 12).

The World Canine Organisation (or FCI) qualifies breeds of dogs in ten different groups. The Finnish Spitz belongs to group number 5, which is called "Spitz and Primitive Types" (Fédération). Overall, there are about 600,000 dogs in Finland, and the Finnish Kennel Club registers approximately 44,000 purebred puppies of various breeds every year. In 2006, 805 Finnish Spitz puppies were registered, making the breed the 10th most popular in Finland (Finnish). According to the Finnish Kennel Club's KoiraNet-jalostustietojärjestelmä database [DogNet breeding database] the number of all registered Finnish Spitzes in Finland at the moment is 42,371 (KoiraNet, Update).

A Finnish Spitz male in the woods. Image Source: Punapippuri Kennel

The Outward Appearance of the Finnish Spitz

The Finnish Spitz is most often described as being erect, compact, and almost square-like (Palukka 23). The male's¹ ideal height at the withers² is 1.5 ft, and the female's 1.3 ft. Males weigh about 26-28 lbs, and females weigh about 15-22 lbs (Palukka 20). Their skull is egg-shaped as seen from above, and their muzzle is a bit shorter than the skull. Their eyes are almond-shaped, slightly slanting, and dark in color. The ears are attached relatively high, and they are small, erect, and sharp-pointed. The Finnish Spitz's back is straight and fairly short, while the chest is long but not broad. The dog's tail coils close to the back and curves down against the thigh. It is said that the paws of a Finnish Spitz are similar to those of a cat, which means that they are very round. The Finnish Spitz has a double coat. Its undercoat is soft, thick, and light in color, and its overcoat is wire-haired, medium-length, and brownish or yellowish red. The dog's cheeks, chops, chest, stomach and the back of the thighs are of a lighter shade (Palukka 23).

A Courageous, Spirited Nature

By nature, the Finnish Spitz is temperamental, courageous, spirited, intelligent, and dauntless (Palukka 23). It is an extremely loyal dog, who is very attached to his master, other family members, and home (Ritvola 73). It is also said to be independent, self-sufficient, and to some extent, even feisty (Sarparanta 55). When meeting strangers, the Finnish Spitz may be reserved but it is bred to never be hostile to humans. However, it is very common that two females do not get along with each other. Sometimes males get along, but it is rare. The dog's hunting qualities are excellent: its scent, persistence, and motivation are exceptional (Palukka 23). It cooperates with the hunter without fail (Joenpolvi).

Bred as a Bird Dog, But Can Also Be Trained For Other Game

Even though the Finnish Spitz has been used as a barking bird dog for over a century, it is still interested in other game as well (Joenpolvi). Today, it is used mostly in hunting wild grouse and capercaillie, but some use it in hunting moose, water birds, and small game, such as the weasel-related stoat and marten (Sarparanta 13-20). Despite their small size, some Finnish Spitzes are even used as bear dogs (Joenpolvi).

Differences Between Males And Females

Generally, male dogs can be more active and more aggressive than females (Perhemediat 3). The most visible difference between Finnish Spitz males and females is their size. As in many other breeds, the female is smaller than the male (Palukka 20). A Finnish Spitz female is ready to go hunting earlier than a male (Palukka 23). One explanation for this could be the fact that females usually become sexually mature earlier than males, and it is said that the awakening of a dog's hunting instincts happens at that time (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 97). Finnish Spitz females are normally slightly more sensitive than males (Tuominen, Pikinokka 61). In breeding, the selection of the male has to be more thorough than that of the female because males have more progeny than females making their role in breeding more significant (Mäki 1).

History of the Finnish Spitz

The Finnish provinces of Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu. (Original map source: www.suksi.fi/yhttiedot/FI/50jm.htm)

There are many suggestions concerning the origins of the Finnish Spitz. For a long time, researchers believed that all Spitzes belonged to the same general breed of dog. There was not, however, much scientific proof for that theory. The structural similarities in different Spitz breeds could have occured because their original purpose led to similar development (Sarparanta 4).

It is known that the Finno-Ugric³ peoples who lived in Central Russia thousands of years ago had Spitz dogs. Once the peoples moved to new areas, the dog types became different from each other, mainly because of different living conditions and purpose. This ancient Spitz stock mixed with other dogs as the Finno-Ugric people started interacting with other populations. During the last millennium B.C.E., the proto-Finnic tribe moved westward, and the old Central European Spitz mixed with their dogs. One part of the tribe moved north, all the way to the coast of Ostrobothnia and inland areas, gradually inhabiting the Finnish provinces of Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, where the dogs remained relatively pure (Sarparanta 5-6).

The first literal reference to the Finnish Spitz is from the 17th century when a French explorer, Martinier, traveled the coastal areas of Murmansk, Russia. He met dogs that he later described as being dark red in color and about one foot tall (Palukka 12).

C.R. Sundström stated in his book Handbok för Hundvänner (Handbook for Dog Owners) in 1889, that all the Finnish and Northern Scandinavian Spitz breeds descend from the same ancestors. Sundström also wrote that the "bird dog with a red coat" was very popular because of its small size and small appetite. According to Sundström, it was also a very good hunting dog (Ritvola 15).

In 1890, a breed standard⁴ for the "Finnish Barking Bird Dog" was created by Hugo Richard Sandberg, a Finnish forest officer. That exact same name was used in the breed register of the Finnish Kennel Club in 1892 (Palukka 12). Through this first breed standard, the Finnish Spitz became known among dog enthusiasts in Finland (Simonlinna 10). The Finnish Kennel Club began to regulate the breeding of the Finnish Spitz in 1893. That had a positive effect on the breed, and more hunters became interested in the Spitz (Ritvola 19). Around that time, dog shows for Finnish Spitzes started, and dogs representing the native breed were introduced in competition rings. Later on, those native breed dogs, which came from the peripheral areas of Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, became the foundation for the breeding of the Finnish Spitz (Palukka 13).

In addition to dog shows, bird hunting trials were also organized. The very first hunting trial was arranged in 1897. From 1902 onwards, there first was one trial per year, but then the activity became more popular, and trials were arranged several times a year in various places (Sarparanta 23).

The breeding that was done in the first two decades of the 20th century is considered the foundation of this breed. The majority of current Finnish Spitzes can be traced back to the dogs that were used in breeding during those years (Sarparanta 33).The most important dog in this sense was Nätti, who was the first Finnish Spitz to achieve the title of a champion in a dog show (Palukka 12). Nätti was owned by the forest officer and professor Antti Tanttu, who later on became the leading figure and an unquestionable authority within Finnish Spitz spheres. Tanttu and other Spitz enthusiasts thought that Nätti represented the type of Finnish Spitz and hunting qualities that they wanted to maintain in the breed (Sarparanta 34).

By the 1930s, the Finnish Spitz was a popular hunting dog and numerous enough to become one of the established breeds in Finland. In the 1960s, there were many wild grouse and capercaillies in Finland, which the Spitz was especially good in hunting. This increased the breed's popularity. The all-time peak in registration was reached in 1968, when a total of 2,866 Finnish Spitzes were registered (Palukka 13-14).

The Finnish Spitz Club was founded in 1938; it is in fact one of the oldest breed clubs in Finland. Today, the two other domestic Spitz breeds, the Karelian Bear Dog and the Nordic Spitz, belong to the Finnish Spitz Club as well (Palukka 179). When the Finnish Kennel Club celebrated its 90th anniversary in 1979, the Finnish Spitz was declared to be Finland's national dog (Palukka 13).

Hunting With the Finnish Spitz

Hunting has not been considered a source of livelihood in Finland for over a hundred years. However, this change away from hunting as a livelihood did not leave the Finnish Spitz redundant, because urban Finns began to take up sports hunting. Little by little, sports hunting also became a hobby for rural people (Sarparanta 23). Traditionally, rural Finns were dependent on hunting especially wild grouse and capercaillies, and the Finnish Spitz was bred for that purpose. That is why the Finnish Spitz is regarded as an essential part of Finnish hunting. Watching the Spitz work in the woods and locate birds helps one understand its nature better (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 12).

What Game Is Hunted With the Finnish Spitz?

Nowadays, the Finnish Spitz is, first and foremost, a bird dog. It is used in hunting capercaillie, black grouse, and hazel grouse (Sarparanta 13). However, especially the number of capercaillies has recently been decreasing every year, and soon there might not be enough of them to hunt. This may lead to the fact that the Finnish Spitz will no longer have anything "natural" for it to hunt (Tuominen, Pikinokka 106).

Some Finnish Spitz owners hunt small fur game as well. Squirrels used to be the main game hunted with the Finnish Spitz (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 14). A few hundred years ago, the squirrel's pelt was a very valuable currency in Finland, so the dog's interest in squirrels is understandable. Besides squirrels, the Finnish Spitz is used in hunting stoat, otter, marten, and mink. Hunters should bear in mind, though, that if they want to hunt wild grouse and capercaillies, it is not necessarily a good idea to also hunt small game, especially squirrels. The dog has a tendency to focus only on squirrels, and so the breed is often not used to hunt them at all in order to maintain its interest in other game (Sarparanta 15-16).

It seems if the Finnish Spitz's interest in moose occurs in only certain bloodlines (Sarparanta 17). When training a puppy, the owner must decide whether he wants to train his dog to be a bird dog, a moose dog, or a dog who can be used in hunting both. It is, however, highly likely that moose hunting will hinder bird hunting (Tuominen, Pikinokka 141). That is probably the reason why there are few Finnish Spitzes who are good at hunting moose (Sarparanta 17).

Some hunters hunt water birds, for example ducks, as a way to prolong the Finnish Spitz's yearly hunting period. Water bird hunting does not affect wild grouse and capercaillie hunting negatively (Tuominen, Pikinokka 128). The only problem is that, as opposed to retrievers, it is not in the Finnish Spitz's nature to fetch, and so it may be difficult to teach fetching to a Spitz, although it is not impossible (Sarparanta 20-21).

Training a Barking Bird Dog

Research has shown that some of the Finnish Spitz's hunting qualities, such as the ability to locate birds, are inherited quite weakly. Nonetheless, it seems that the dog's eagerness towards hunting is well transmitted (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 94). The Finnish Spitz is a precocious dog, and is instinctively motivated to hunt (Sarparanta 29). The most important thing to do when the owner is training a puppy is to take it to the woods as often as possible. Only hands-on experience makes a good bird dog (Tuominen, Pikinokka 71).

The first successful shooting from the dog's bark is essential. After that, the hunter traditionally gives his dog the bird's feet, heart, and lungs, since these parts are not used by humans anyway. The hunter then quietly puts the rest of the bird in his backpack. That way the dog understands that he shares the quarry with his master (Tuominen, Pikinokka 73-74).

Hunting Trials

Hunting trials are a way of measuring the dog's hunting qualities. The trials are held on authentic hunting grounds in Finnish forests (Tuominen, Pikinokka 170). The participating dogs are graded according to trial regulations. The main goal of a hunting trial is to find out which dogs are suitable for breeding in terms of their qualities (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 117).

Hunting trials are normally arranged by hunting associations. In order to take part in the trial, the dog must have been awarded in an official dog show, and he must also have been vaccinated (Tuominen, Pikinokka 170-171). The trial consists of three parts, which are all graded. In the first part, the dog's movement and the ability to find birds in the woods is judged. The second part is comprised of the dog marking the bird by barking and the dog's ability to get the bird to stay put. In the third part, the dog is judged by how he follows the bird, and how successful the possible repeat barks are in helping the owner to locate the bird (Tuominen, Suomenpystykorva 117-129).

The Future of Hunting With a Finnish Spitz

During the few last decades, the hunting circumstances in Finland have changed drastically. The number of wild grouse and capercaillies is a lot smaller than it used to be, and the hunting period is shorter. The use of the Finnish Spitz as a barking bird dog is thus diminishing. The Finnish Spitz can be trained to hunt other game, but since there already are hunting dogs specialized in, for example, moose, it is easier to use dogs of other breeds for the specialities to which they have been bred than it would be to re-train the Spitz for new game. In the future, however, using the Finnish Spitz to hunt other birds in addition to wild grouse and capercaillies might save the breed from extinction as a hunting dog (Tuominen, Pikinokka 197-200).

The Finnish Spitz in Other Countries

Finnish Spitzes were first exported from Finland to other countries in the 1920s. The first country to import the dogs was England (Sarparanta 62). Behind the importation was Sir Edward Chichester (Ritvola 97). Nowadays, the Finnish Spitz is quite popular in the Nordic countries, Central Europe, and in England, and they are even found in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada.

In Sweden, the Finnish Spitz has been a known breed for a long time, but the actual popularity began in the 1940s. The high population of grouse in North Sweden has promoted the breed's popularity there. The cooperation between Finnish and Swedish hunters has resulted in the stock of Finnish Spitzes in Sweden being very similar to the Finnish population.

The breed has also been very popular in England. The Finnish Spitz is not used as a hunting dog in England, as is the case in many other countries as well. The Spitzes there are merely house pets. The breed has, however, adapted this role surprisingly well in spite of its nature as a bird dog (Sarparanta 62-63).

Breeding of the Finnish Spitz

The goal in dog breeding is to maintain and develop good qualities in a breed, while reducing unwanted qualities at the same time. When it comes to breeding the Finnish Spitz, the most important thing is obviously the dog's hunting qualities, combined with good health, attractive appearance, and a balanced nature (Tuominen, Pikinokka 39).

The forest officer Hugo Roos is considered to have been one of the pioneers in developing the Finnish Spitz. At the turn of the century, he acquired several Finnish Spitzes and took them to dog shows and hunting trials. Another pioneer was the aforementioned Antti Tanttu, who had very radical ideas about breeding. He believed that the only way to maintain the Finnish Spitz as it was then was to use very narrow in-breeding (Sarparanta 34). In-breeding brings out any latent qualities, and it is possible to get very even litters with this method. However, before long, consistent in-breeding will make the dogs weak (Tuominen, Pikinokka 44). Tanttu was lucky. With the help of other breeders, he established the fundamental type of the Finnish Spitz (Sarparanta 34).

What are the requirements for a dog to be used in breeding today? First of all, the dog must be healthy. The male must have achieved a certain evaluation, which is called a note, from dog shows and hunting trials. The female does not have to have a note from a hunting trial (Suomen 20).

Some past choices made by breeders, for example in-breeding that proved to be too narrow, have caused problems for the Spitz (Sarparanta 57). However, the breeding counseling offered by the Finnish Spitz Club has improved in recent years. There is now more information about the breed, and that has helped avoid problems of the past (Tuominen, Pikinokka 35). Yet active breeding of the Spitz has declined. Ten years ago, there were 468 kennels in Finland which bred the Finnish Spitz. Today, 280 kennels still breed the Spitz to varying extents (KoiraNet, Finnish Spitz. Breeders). None of these, however, breed Finnish Spitzes exclusively (Tuominen, Pikinokka 34).

What Does the Future Hold for Finland's National Dog?

The traditional relationship of Finnish hunters with the Finnish Spitz is truly very emotional. This dog has been their hunting companion for a long time; the livelihood of many Finns used to depend almost entirely on the Finnish Spitz. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that the Finnish Spitz has been declared to be "Finland's national dog." However, the future of this valued breed is uncertain at the moment. The number of wild grouse and capercaillies is decreasing and the duration of the hunting period is shorter. Will the Finnish Spitz survive as a part of Finnish hunting culture? Only time will tell. The breed's fate is in the hands of persistent and resilient Spitz enthusiasts.

---

Notes:

1. Usually male dogs are called "dogs," and female dogs are called "bitches." In this paper, the word "dog" refers to "dogs in general," and therefore the terms "male" and "female" are used to separate the two genders.

2. The highest point of a dog, behind the neck.

3. Sometimes referred to as Finno-Ugrian, Fenno-Ugrian, and Fenno-Ugric.

4. A written standard describing the breed's physical, functional, and temperamental attributes.

Works Cited:

• Fédération Cynologique Internationale [FCI]. Breeds nomenclature. Viewed 13 December 2007.
• Finnish Kennel Club. Finnish Kennel Club. Viewed 13 December 2007.
• Joenpolvi, Matti. Suomenpystykorva. Käyttötarkoitus. Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö - Finska Spetsklubben ry. Viewed 13 December 2007.
• KoiraNet-jalostustietojärjestelmä. Finnish Spitz. Breeders. 10 December 2007. Suomen Kennelliitto.
• - - - . Finnish Spitz. Update Status of Breed. 10 December 2007. Suomen Kennelliitto.
• Mäki, Katariina. Siitoskoiran valinta. Kokonaisvaltaisen koiranjalostuksen tuki ry. 24 July 2001.
• Palukka, Petra, et al. Suomenpystykorva. Helsinki: Perhemediat, 2007.
• Perhemediat Oy. Uusi koira [PDF]. Viewed 13 December 2007.
• Ritvola, Yrjö. Suomenpystykorva. Helsinki: Tammi, 1968.
• Sarparanta, Heikki. Suomenpystykorva - kansalliskoiramme. Helsinki: Suomen Kennelliitto, 1981.
• Simolinna, Jaakko, et al. Suomenpystykorva 100 vuotta. Tiististä kansalliskoiraksi. Myllykoski: Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö, 1990.
• Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö. Suomenpystykorvan jalostuksen tavoiteohjelma 2004 (JTO) [PDF]. 20 March 2004.
• Tuominen, Erkki. Pikinokka pystykorva. Pystykorvametsästäjän opas. Hämeenlinna: Karisto, 1994.
• - - - . Suomenpystykorva metsällä ja kotona. Hämeenlinna: Karisto, 2002.
  

Followup Report [PDF]

Top — General (Other) Papers Index — Index of All Finnish Institutions Papers — FAST-FIN Home

Last Updated 23 April 2010