Fun Finnish Spitz Facts For Kids

The Finnish Spitz, more commonly known by the nickname Finkie or Finns, is a breed of dog that is native to Finland. This Spitz dog is known for its glistening red coat of fur and is a popular pet dog breed in Finland and all over the world.

These dogs were bred to be companions to hunters and were trained to hunt diminutive game animals, as a result of which, they developed a strong sense of smell. They are a member of the pointer dog breed, like the Pudelpointer that helps in hunting by pointing at the game.

Because of their barking tendencies, they are considered to be talkative and can often be loud, but with proper training, this tendency can be controlled to keep the barking at a minimum.

The Finnish Spitz has garnered a huge following among dog lovers all over the globe and has made its way to households in every corner of the world, and to know more about the dog, you can read through the article!

If you like these facts about the Finnish Spitz, do check out these articles about the German Spitz and Japanese Spitz.

Finnish Spitz Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Finnish Spitz?

The Finnish Spitz dog breed, also known as the Finnish barking dog, is a small-sized dog that originated in Finland. These dogs usually belong to the non-sporting group of dogs and were bred in the late 1800s with the Northen Spitz that was brought to Finland by immigrants from Central Russia.

The Finnish Spitz is popular in its home country and has been named the national dog of Finland.

What class of animal does a Finnish Spitz belong to?

The Finnish Spitz belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many Finnish Spitzes are there in the world?

Since the Finnish Spitz dog breed is one of the popular Spitz breeds and is known for being good with children, they have made their way from Finland to various parts of the world as a great pet.

Due to this vast distribution of this dog breed as a loving pet all across the world, their population cannot be estimated, and hence, the total population count is currently unavailable.

Where does a Finnish Spitz live?

The Finnish Spitz prefers to live in cold weather and is accustomed to it due to its dense short soft double coat with a harsh outer coat. These dogs were originally bred as tracking dogs in Finland that were used in the hunting of small game.

Their Finnish nicknames of Finnish cock-eared Dog, Suomenpystykorva, and Finnish Barking Bird Dog were given to them after recognizing the efforts of this dog as great hunting dogs for small game.

Over the years, the Finnish Spitz personality has changed as they have adapted to more of a house dog role in countries other than Finland where they are still used as a hunting bird dog.

They are known as the 'king of the barkers' because of their natural inbuilt instinct of hunting and are suitable for indoor as well as outdoor living conditions as the breed standard is raised to be as hardy as possible.

If you live in an area where the barking of your dog can cause issues with the neighbors, then it is not recommended to keep this dog as a pet.

To get the best out of your Finnish Spitz puppy they should be kept in a house that comes with a backyard as this dog is energetic and loves to run. Daily exercise should be a part of the routine that you should incorporate into your Finnish Spitz's daily activities.

Obedience training is also required for the Finnish Spitz dog breeds, be it a pure Finnish Spitz or Finnish Spitz mixed with other dog breeds.

What is a Finnish Spitz's habitat?

The Finnish Spitz breed is adaptable to all sorts of habitats due to the mixed breed design that the dog has had through the years.

These dogs are known for their high thick fur coat and as a result of this thick coat, can survive in harsh weather conditions, making them suitable for cold or warm countries which have led to this dog becoming one of the popular dog breeds.

Who do Finnish Spitzes live with?

The Finnish Spitz loves to be around its owners and is an excellent family pet because of its fondness towards children and other family members. This fox-like dog is good with other pets and will adapt to its surroundings with a proper amount of training.

The Finnish Spitz breed is an amazing companion as it is fully devoted to its humans and their family and will get along just fine with everyone in the household, but in certain cases, it will get a little defensive around strangers.

If you provide your Finnish Spitz puppies with proper training, they will create a playful relationship with other household pets.

Due to the Finnish Spitz temperament, they are not recommended for novice owners with no prior experience with dogs as training them can be hectic and these dogs also belong to the group of dogs that experience separation anxiety if they are left alone for too long.

How long does a Finnish Spitz live?

The average life span of the fox-like Finnish Spitz is estimated to be between 12-15 years. This lifespan can also be in some cases extended with a controlled diet and proper training regime.

Even though the Finnish Spitz is a healthy dog, its life expectancy may get lowered due to health issues that might lead to illness and premature death. It is important to be aware of the diseases and illnesses that these dogs might get affected by if you are to raise a healthy dog with a high energy level.

Hip dysplasia is common among adult dog breeds and may also affect your Finnish Spitz. In this condition, the thighbone does not fit into the hip joint which can be seen if your dog is walking improperly. If not treated, this will eventually lead to arthritis in your dog.

Patellar luxation is another instance that affects Spitz dogs where the knee joint slides in and out of place which leads to severe pain. Even though this leads to the dog becoming crippled, most of them can live a normal life with the condition. This can be treated with surgery.

This fox-like dog can also become affected by epilepsy, which is incurable, but can be managed with proper medication.

When buying a Finnish Spitz puppy, make sure you get its health checked before you bring it home, even though the signs of illness do not appear until your puppy turns into an adult dog. By this time, it is recommended to get health clearance as health problems will shorten your pet's life.

Always remember to buy or adopt your puppy from a reputable breeder or shelter.

How do they reproduce?

Since the Finnish Spitz size is small-to-medium, these dogs reach sexual maturity after reaching the age of 10 months. Female Finnish Spitz dogs have a gestation period of 63 days after they have successfully mated with the male.

During the mating process, the male can sense the female is in heat or not by sniffing her vulva, if the female is receptive to mating, the male will mount her and they will copulate.

Females can conceive during the first estrus cycle, but in captive-breeding conditions, they are bred during the second cycle as pregnancy can occur only during the estrus cycles.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Finnish Spitz is currently unknown as the dog has not been listed on the IUCN Red List. Due to the fact that this dog breed has garnered popularity all around the world as a good family dog, their population count is seen as stable.

Since Finnish Spitz dogs are the result of mixed breeding, they can be bred back to a stable population count even if their numbers start dwindling.

Finnish Spitz Fun Facts

What do Finnish Spitzes look like?

The Finnish Spitz somewhat resembles a fox and has a pointed muzzle that is tipped off with erect ears, a curled tail, and a thick coat.

The most common colors that are found amongst this breed are red, gold and golden-red and can even come in a pale honey color tone. The Finnish Spitz colors can also be changed by breeding them with other breeds which can result in the breeding of a white Finnish Spitz or a black Finnish Spitz.

All in all, the red Finnish Spitz is the most commonly found color of the breed.

The underbelly of this dog is paler in comparison to the rest of its body that has a short, soft coat with long, coarse hair that forms the outer coat. Compared to males, the female has a thinner ruff around the neck. Their ears are pointed and stand tall on their faces.

How cute are they?

The Finnish Spitz breed is as cute as dogs can get! Their fluffy coat along with their playful and energetic nature makes this breed cute to the core. They are known for their barking habits which they often use to attract attention to themselves in an effort to play with the family members in their households.

How do they communicate?

Like most dog breeds, the Finnish Spitz too, communicate with each other and their humans through the use of visual and vocal communication methods. Positioning their tails and ears, licking, and sniffing come under the visual communication method. As for vocal communication, they do so by barking, whining, or growling.

These dogs are actually quite famous for their barking abilities as they have been bred as hunting dogs who attract the attention of small game animals like birds and rabbits to themselves which leads the hunters to have a proper shot at a successful hunt.

In Finland, there are even barking competitions held to show off their barking capabilities.

How big is a Finnish Spitz?

This dog breed reaches a maximum body height of 15-20 in (38.1-50.8 cm) and is twice as big as the much common Chihuahua breed.

How fast can a Finnish Spitz run?

The movement speed of this breed in full stride is currently unknown. They do, however, need a large area to run around to let their excess energy burn and will need to do so to maintain proper health.

How much does a Finnish Spitz weigh?

Full-grown adult Finnish Spitz weight between 20-35 lb (9-15.8 kg). Compared to other mixed-breed dogs like the German shepherd wolf dog, they are considered lightweight.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male is called a dog and the female is called a bitch, much like most other dog breeds.

What would you call a baby Finnish Spitz?

A baby Finnish Spitz is called a puppy.

Puppies can be quite a handful and hence the training of your puppy needs to begin as soon as possible after you have acquired them as things learned in the young stage will help them catch on to other more extensive training methods when they grow up.

What do they eat?

Like most dog breeds, the Finnish Spitz needs a mixture of high-quality dog food to keep their health intact.

Are they slobbery?

The Finnish Spitz is on the lower drooling scale and if you are someone who does not like your pet's drool to get onto you, your clothes, or the furniture around you, then this breed will be the perfect pet for you!

Would they make a good pet?

Absolutely! This breed makes an excellent pet with its joyful and playful attitude and can be the best companion if treated properly.

Did you know...

The price of a Finnish Spitz depends on what sort of puppy you are getting, as a mixed-breed will cost you less in comparison to a purebred puppy.

These energetic dogs require regular exercise to burn their excess energy.

Compared to designer breeds like the dachshund beagle, the Finnish Spitz is much more on a low-key scale as they are pretty but not as gorgeous as designer breeds.

What do the Finnish call the Finnish Spitz?

Due to the pointed ear appearance that this dog has, it is known as Suomenpystykorva, in its native Finland, which translates to 'Finnish pricked ear dog'.

Having your own Finnish Spitz

If you are searching for a loving family pet then the Finnish Spitz is your go-to dog! For starters, the Finnish Spitz costs $1,000-2,000 for the purebred ones. The price can be lowered if they are not purebred.

The Finnish Spitz is not suited to novice or first-time owners as their training can be quite challenging due to their temperament which consists of them being too moody or playful to take training seriously, which is why it is recommended to start training them as puppies so they can pick up on simple commands like known when to stop barking which is one of the popular traits.

To keep your dogs health in check, brushing and grooming are necessary. They should be brushed weekly as they are a clean breed and have a non-oily fur coat which leads to them being odorless.

Finnish Spitz shedding is heavy during the spring and fall and you will need to brush them regularly during this period to keep them and the household clean.

They should be bathed only when necessary and trimming should be kept at a minimum. Dental hygiene and nail care should also be provided to keep them healthy.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our labrabull facts and border terrier facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Terrier coloring pages.