Plate 141 · Continental Europe
Finnish Spitz
芬兰狐狸犬
“Finland's barking bird dog.”
- Origin
- Finland
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Revived from about 1880
- Today
- Hunting dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Finland
A fox-red spitz that finds birds in trees and holds them with rapid barking; Finland's national dog.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
A 'bark pointer': it trails grouse and capercaillie to a tree and barks until the hunter arrives; also used on elk.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It is thought to descend from spitz dogs brought by migrants from central Russia. By 1880 it was nearly lost to crossbreeding; Hugo Roos of Helsinki and others selected pure dogs in the northern forests and revived it. It became Finland's national dog in 1979.
04 · Today
Hunting dog · Companion
Still mainly a hunting dog in Finland; also kept as a family companion.
Personality
- Good-natured
- Friendly
- Lively
- Vocal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Bred to hunt all day: needs plenty of exercise and a solidly fenced yard.
- Grooming
- A 'wash and wear' natural coat; brush during shedding.
- Training
- Intelligent and independent: short, fun sessions with food rewards.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 13–15 years
- Coat
- Double coat in red, red-gold or gold; never trimmed except the feet
Field note
It can bark up to 160 times a minute, a 'yodel' that holds a bird's attention.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Non-Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 5, standard 49), Finnish Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Non-Sporting Group, recognized 1991.
Popular as a hunting dog in Finland. AKC registrations: ranked 194 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Finnish Spitz — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/finnish-spitz/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Finnish Spitz — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Spitz
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Bark-pointing on birds and elk, assumed central-Russian spitz ancestry, near loss by 1880, Hugo Roos, national dog of Finland (1979).
- Finnish Spitz — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/FINNISH-SPITZ-49.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Finland; Group 5, section "Nordic Hunting Dogs"; accepted 1954.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
