Overview

Finnish Spitz dogs are medium, squarely built and lively. They have a gorgeous red gold color with a fox-like expression, which are the most important features of this breed. They have small erect ears with a curled tail that makes them quite distinctive. Males are quite masculine in appearance and the females are also very feminine. This is a fun-loving and good natured breed. They get on well with children but small children should be supervised. These dogs are alert and active whether they're outdoors or inside.

Activity

Mature Finnish Spitz dogs are excellent running companions and athletes. They're slow to mature and don't reach complete physical and emotional maturity until around 4 years of age. Strong exercise isn't recommended until your dog is at least a year old, giving the majority of his structural growth time to finish. They do well with 3 walks daily along with playing outside. They love playing with other dogs and catching balls.

Care

Finnish Spitz dogs are very clean, which sometimes seems as if they groom themselves. They need to be brushed weekly, particularly when their coats are changing and shouldn't be bathed unless absolutely necessary. These dogs are natural, wash and wear dogs that need no trimming other than under the pads of their feet. They shouldn't have their whiskers trimmed even for showing. Their nails need to be kept trimmed and their teeth and ears need to be cleaned. Finnish Spitz dogs can live as long as 13 to 15 years as long as they're properly cared for. They love to eat and will try to get extra treats so they can easily gain too much weight.

Character

Finnish Spitz dogs were bred centuries ago as “barking hunting dogs.” This means that they bring the hunter to them by barking. Prospective owners of this dog should understand that barking may be a hunting asset but if someone has neighbors close by, this dog must be taught that it's not acceptable to bark unprovoked. These dogs are more for warning than for guarding and they seldom bite. They have acute hearing and therefore, make ideal watchdogs because of their protective nature of their family. These dogs will alert you to anything unusual. This is a great family dog as well as hunter. They especially love children and will spend hours playing with them. If the play becomes too rough, these dogs just walk away.

Coat

Finnish Spitz dogs have a double coat consisting of a soft, short, dense undercoat with a top coat of harsh textured, long and straight hair.

Temperament

Finnish Spitz dogs are very friendly, active, eager, lively, faithful and courageous but cautious. They're patient with children and tolerate other household pets well. Their strong hunting instinct may have them chasing smaller animals. Their high intelligence helps them become a huge part of their family. However, these dogs aren't for all families. Households where there's tension, fighting and harshness shouldn't own a Finnish Spitz.

Training

Because Finnish Spitz dogs are so intelligent, they're too independent and strong willed to be bullied. They can be trained but only with firmness and gentleness. These dogs respond better to being praised instead of corrected. They bore easily so they need short and interesting training sessions. Patience is very important in training these dogs. You may think you're not getting anywhere and then this dog will surprise you.