Cheerful, playful and friendly. Sensitive, independent and courageous. Raised, faithful and kind. All this characterizes a wonderful and small variety of huskies - the Finnish Spitz.
History and purpose of the breed
Suomenpistikorva, or Finnish Spitz, is a hunting breed of huskies that originates from dogs of the ancient Finnish Suomi people. Initially, it was called Finnish Barking Birddog (a barking, bird-hunting Finnish dog) or Suomenpystrykorva (a Finnish dog with sharp ears).
Spitz was brought to Finland over two thousand years ago, from the banks of the Volga River (at that time the area was part of Central Russia, and today belongs to Finland). The breed was bred purposefully for hunting all kinds of game (from squirrels and other small rodents to wild boars and bears).
Particular attention in breeding was given to the hunting qualities typical of huskies on the exterior and bright red color. As a result of the selection work, a Finnish Spitz dog was unpretentious in maintaining and maintaining medium-sized with excellent working qualities.
This breed is quite versatile in hunting practice and specializes in ducks and boron birds. The task of the Spitz is to detect and bite game until the arrival of the hunter. Also, the dog is able to work with dignity and fur-bearing animals after appropriate training. Earlier, a Finnish spitz was used to drive an elk, and dogs brought into the USSR could work according to a bear, however, somewhat inferior in hunting passion to other huskies.
One of the important performance indicators of the breed is the frequency and continuity of the bark at the time of designation of the game. The frequency with which a hunting good dog should bark is about 160 times per minute.
Training
The Finnish Spitz is a smart enough dog that can be trained very easily. However, if he is frightened or overexcited, then he can become wayward and stubborn. Classes should be interesting, positive, calm, but short, as this breed gets bored very quickly. Only positive rewards and reinforcements apply. Also, you have to stock up on considerable patience, because the Finnish Spitz grows up quite slowly, and therefore can only learn a new team after 20-35 repetitions. By its nature, this breed is very independent, and therefore you should treat the dog so that she sees you as a leader and respects you.
One of the drawbacks may be the loud and frequent barking that the Finnish Spitz possesses. Reviews of the owners of the breed are very negative about this. But we should not forget that this is one of the main working qualities of a good hunting husky, however this problem can be controlled with the help of training, but it should be started from an early age of the puppy.
Features of content and hair care
Finnish Spitz are hunters by nature and need daily long walks on a leash or in a safe place without it. It also requires various kinds of physical activity so that the dog can spend as much of its inexhaustible energy as possible.
The coat of the Finnish is tight-fitting and thick, it protects the animal from the cold, allowing it to tolerate very severe frosts. Dogs are able to live in cold and temperate climates, but they do not tolerate heat very well.
Caring for wool is not difficult, as it is self-cleaning. It is enough to comb the Finnish Spitz a couple of times a week with a comb and a massage brush. During the season of molting, you have to comb out the hair every day.
Dogs are bathed no more than three to four times a year. To avoid all sorts of irritations and infections, you should regularly check and clean your eyes and ears, as well as cut your nails if they don’t grind enough when walking.
Feeding
Future owners of Finnish Spitz puppies need to take care in advance to find out how to feed their pets. The puppy's diet should not include pork and chicken. It is believed that this meat is fatty and therefore should not be used in feeding. A pet can be given raw meat. What to feed him, you can find out from the breeder during the acquisition of the puppy. But with any selected diet, bones should be given with extreme caution, as some of them may simply not be chewed by the dog. In general, everyone is not recommended to feed the animal, since the stomach of this breed is quite weak.
In conclusion…
Dogs of this breed, of course, are one of the most beautiful representatives of the whole variety of huskies. Small sizes and a fiery-red fur coat distinguish them from their counterparts. You will not find a better and more devoted friend than a Finnish Spitz. Photos from joint walks in nature or just in a close home circle will look much better if your mischievous and faithful four-legged friend flaunts them as a full member of the family.