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Finnish Spitz History
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In its native Finland, the Finnish Spitz is called Suomenpystykorva (meaning “Finnish prick-eared dog”) and has been used as a hunter and watchdog for centuries. The dog migrated north thousands of years ago with some of the first human inhabitants of modern Finland. In frozen isolation, the Finnish Spitz remained pure and unchanged by man until the 19th century, when it became so interbred with other dogs it was nearly destroyed. Fortunately two Finnish sportsmen, Hugo Sandberg and Hugo Roos, noticed the Spitz’s peril and worked to propagate pure bloodlines of the breed during the late 19th century. The Finnish Spitz was brought to England during the 1920s and the United States during the 1960s, where it was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991.
Away from its native home the Finnish Spitz is most commonly seen as a family pet and loving companion. In Finland, on the other hand, the dog is still used in much the same way it has been since time immemorial. The Finn’s primary quarry is a large turkey-like game bird called the capercaille, though the dog has also been used to hunt elk and even bears on occasion – no small feat for a dog that rarely exceeds 40 pounds in weight. The dog hunts by locating prey and driving it into the open or back toward its master with loud, piercing barks. The Finnish Spitz is the national dog of Finland, where it is prized for its unique barking prowess.
