Finnish Spitz

The breed descends from ancient spitz-type dogs that accompanied Finno-Ugric peoples for thousands of years, refined over generations to specialise in "loud mouth" bird hunting, a style of hunting rare outside the Nordic countries. A dog finds game, usually capercaillie or black grouse in the treetops, and barks steadily to keep the bird's attention fixed while the hunter closes in. Finnish breeders organised formal conservation of the type in the late 1800s after crossbreeding with other dogs threatened its purity.

Living with a Finnish Spitz means living with a genuinely vocal dog: the bark that makes it useful in the forest can become a challenge in a quiet street, and prospective owners should be realistic about this before buying. Otherwise it is an affectionate, alert, cat-like companion, independent-minded but devoted to its family, and generally good with children it is raised alongside. The coat is dense and weatherproof, shedding heavily twice a year but needing only moderate brushing the rest of the time.

Today the breed remains most popular in Finland, where it is still used for bird hunting as well as kept as a companion, and it has a small but loyal following elsewhere including the UK. It suits owners who enjoy an intelligent, characterful dog and can manage or tolerate its vocal habits.