Finnish Spitz
Question:
> -> Does anyone know about this dog? Are they a family dog ? > The problems we have had seem to be typical of the spitz type. She digs > in the yard a little. She sheads quite a bit twice a year, although > regular brushing minimizes that. She is somewhat stubborn when it comes > to training. Not that she is willfully disobediant. She just doesn’t > seem interested. We haven’t had a problem with barking, though it is > apparently a trait of the breed.
Ooops, I missed the original, but here we go: I’d say Finnish Spitz makes a good family dog, but there are certain things that you should know. First, it’s a hunting breed (used in hunting birds like hazel grouse, black grouse etc.). And they hunt by BARKING, so most probably you might have problems with barking. It’s a natural trait for Finnish Spitz. And as the above reply says, they’re stubborn and independent, so they’re difficult to train. And I wouldn’t trust a FS off leash in the city (the instincts!!). Plus they can be very dog-aggressive (like Norwegian Elkhounds and Karelian Bear Dogs [another Finnish spitz-breed]). So be prepared for possible problems, if you decide to get a FS. I think it’s always best to tell the bad sides, and if you still consider the breed, go ahead. Finnish Spitz is our national breed, and they’re very popular (if I remember correctly, FS was on place 6 on the list of the 100 most popular breeds in Finland 1994). I’m always happy to share information of all Finnish breeds; Karelian Bear Dog, Finnish Hound and Finnish Spitz. Just e-mail me and ask! Tiina from Helsinki, Finland
Response:
-> Does anyone know about this dog? Are they a family dog ? I can’t really speak about the breed in general, but we adopted a Funnish spitz about 6 months ago (we’ve been told she is fairly typical). Loki is a wonderful family dog. She is an affectionate and gentle dog. I have a four year daughter who sometimes gets, as four year olds will, a little rough with the dog. Loki will just walk away. She is very mellow. The only time she gets hyper is when she wants to go out. Finnish Spitz’s are a good family dog size. They are small enough not to be a dominating presence or to be intimidating to young kids, and yet big enough not to be yappy and annoying (please don’t flame me, it’s just my opinion…) The problems we have had seem to be typical of the spitz type. She digs in the yard a little. She sheads quite a bit twice a year, although regular brushing minimizes that. She is somewhat stubborn when it comes to training. Not that she is willfully disobediant. She just doesn’t seem interested. We haven’t had a problem with barking, though it is apparently a trait of the breed. Loki prefers to yodel. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me with any questions. | "…the law is the law. And, as all of you know, without the law, | | well, there would be no lawyers. And without lawyers… well, it | | just goes on and on." | | -The King in *The Point* |
Response:
Does anyone know about this dog? Are they a family dog ?
Response:
try this address for Finnish Spitz info http://www.aescon.com/poochnet/breedinf/f-spitz/finnish.htm
Response:
The Finnish Spitz may be a "family dog" in the rest of the world out of necessity (no possibilities to hunting) but in Finland where it originates it is still very much a hunting dog. And with this comes the character of a hunter – FS is definitely not any couch potato. The FS barks a lot. As a matter of fact it barks almost all the time and if it is a good representative of its breed its bark can be heard in next town. Now the solution for this problem in US at least seems to be to cut off their vocal chords, which of course stops the bark from being heard. However, as the main thing this breed has been bred for centuries is barking birds, squirrels, elks, postmen etc., I (along the rest of the Finns) consider this operation to be of utmost cruelty towards these dogs. Anyone who has seen a FS in work in forest knows that they LOVE their work! And just as equally they feel its their duty to guard their home against intruders. FS isn’t by nature an indoor dog. It has a wonderful coat that keeps it warm even in coldest winters and makes it life inside warm houses somewhat a pain. However, if it lives all its life inside it will develop a less dense coat; it might not look so good though. In Finland 90% of FS:s live outside in their own shelters and guard the house. As of character, FS:s do get sometimes these fits when they will come to you and demand to be petted, but generally they tend to be quite rough (just like Finnish men, maybe that’s why Finns have been so attached to their dogs through times…:-D). They are very independent dogs and obedience training them might be somewhat difficult; not because they would be stupid but because they are used to work alone and make decisions themselves. They are also very loyal to their own master: they choose one person who is their human and work for him/her, but may refuse to respect any others. In many ways, they are a primitive breed that has wolf not so far back in their ancestors. Some might now say that out there the FS:s have been bred to be only pets and that their character is completely different from what it is in Finland where they are still used in their original duties. However, it only takes a few generations back to find strong, working hunting dogs behind all the FS:s of the world and trust me, you cannot change the temperament of the breed in such a short time. The FS:s might not function the original way anymore, but it’s because they are not allowed to do so, not because they wouldn’t be capable and willing to do so. After all this flaming I have to say that Finnish Spitzes are wonderful dogs to be owned by. They are loyal, honest, intelligent creatures and extremely beautiful as well. The point is to understand the breed and its nature and treat these dogs according to it. Hunting probably is out of the question outside Nordic countries but the dogs must be provided with some sort of action to fill the gap in their lifes. If you live in an area where the dog can function as a guard dog and bark as much as it feels, house it outside in a good shelter of its own, make the dog work in some way and take it out to *long* walks regurarly, then it’s a good choice. However, if you want a family dog that lives inside, doesn’t disturb neighbors, loves to be petted, is kind to all household members including children and visitors and is content to walk around the block and come back home, you might want to consider a whole different breed. Btw, if you are still interested in the breed, there is a page in WWW that has some (very little thus far, I’m afraid, but I’ll be working on it) information on the breed. You can find it at: http://xiron.pc.helsinki.fi/people/aliinamo/koira.html The page handles a research project of our Department that included also the Finnish Spitz and their hunting test results. — Anna-Elisa Liinamo Department of Animal Science "Plus que je vois les hommes, University of Helsinki plus j’aime les chiens" P.O.Box 28 00014 Helsinki University Mme de Sevigne (:=D) Finland (nothing personal, though) tel.: +358-0-708-5590 fax: +358-0-708-5379 www: http://xiron.pc.helsinki.fi/people/aliinamo/aliinamo.html
