The Spitz breed of dog is found mostly in the Arctic. Their long, thick 2-layered coat protects them from frigid temperatures. Originally, the Spitz helped humans in three main ways: to hunt, to herd, and to pull sleds. Today, there are over 60 breeds of Spitz officially registered with international dog clubs.

At some time, long ago, the Spitz dogs were brought to warmer climates like Europe, North America,  Asia, and some to Africa. We have the Japanese Spitz, the German Spitz, the Indian Spitz, the Danish Spitz, and the Finnish Spitz. Other related breeds are the Canadian Eskimo dog, the Akita, the Chow-Chow, and the Samoyed

The Finkies: National Dog of Finland

Finland is a country above the Arctic Circle called ‘The Land of 60,000 Lakes’. This most remote Northern country borders Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. The Finnish Spitz ancestor breed of the Spitz is well-prepared for the extremely cold climates of these Nordic Countries.

Flame-Colored Coats

The Finnish Spitz is a dazzling flame-colored, red-golden dog with erect ears and pointed nose that looks like a fox. Their colors run from chestnut-red, golden-red, and pale honey-gold.  Also called the Finnish Barking Bird Dog, and in Finnish, the Suomenpystykorva (‘suo-men-pys-ty-kor-va’) They are ‘lovey-dovey’ companions, good with children, good hunting and agility dogs, but may be ‘wary’ of other dogs.

Life Span and Pet Responsibilities

This small to medium breed weighs 20-35 pounds and stands 15-20 inches at the shoulders. They live 12-15 years.Their upkeep includes a lot of exercise (they love to run, and are agile athletes). Grooming the thick double-coat hair that sheds is a regular necessity. This includes the gorgeous, sweeping, bushy tail that curves elegantly over the back of the Finnish Spitz.

King of the Barkers

The people of Finland are proud of their ‘barking’ dogs. Finnish Spitz are very vocal, loud, and competitive ‘barkers’. Contests are held each year to choose the loudest barker, a proud moment for the owner. Nobody complains of a barking Finnish Spitz.

Two Men That Saved the Finnish Spitz

In the 1880s, the breed was in danger of extinction. Two enthusiastic sportsmen and dog lovers stepped up to keep the breed progressing. Hugo Roos, and Hugo Sandbery, became passionate about the remarkable temperament, intelligence and courage of the Finnish Spitz. They determined to preserve the breed. Now, the beautiful, foxlike, red-gold animal is popular all over the world.

We hope you enjoyed the stories of two ‘golden’ dogs: The Golden Retriever and The Red-Gold Finnish Spitz in our Smarty Pants “What Kind of Dog Are You” August Posts.