Breeds / Medium
Finnish Spitz puppies
Lively, independent and famously vocal, the Finnish Spitz is an alert hunting spitz that is affectionate with their family and wary of strangers.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin Finland
- Adult weight 9.1 to 15 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 20 to 33 lb
- Adult height 39 to 51 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Medium double
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 13 to 15 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the Finnish Spitz
The Finnish Spitz is the national dog of Finland, a bark pointer bred to find game birds in dense forest, hold them in a tree and bark steadily until the hunter arrives. Expect a fox red spitz with prick ears, a curled tail and a dense double coat. The temperament follows the work: independent, alert, quick to notice anything new and extremely vocal. Indoors they are affectionate and lively, and they rate well with children and with other pets.
This is a very high energy dog with the stamina to range for miles, so a solid fence is not optional and a lead is wise outside it. Grooming is light, a pin brush every few days, with two heavy shedding periods a year. Training needs patience, because a spitz asks why before they comply. The barking is the whole point of the breed and cannot be trained away, only channelled, and that is what most new owners fail to plan for.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Finnish Spitz puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Patellar luxation, graded by a veterinary orthopaedic exam
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
- Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist eye exam
- Epilepsy, diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
Your Finnish Spitz puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Finnish Spitz.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 9.1 to 15 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 30 inch (30 x 20 x 23 in, 76 x 51 x 58 cm) for an adult of up to 15 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other medium breeds
American Cocker Spaniel
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
American Water Spaniel
Aussiedoodle
Australian Cattle Dog
More on the Finnish Spitz
Previous: Finnish Lapphund · Next: Flat-Coated Retriever
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from Finnish Spitz breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/finnish-spitz/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.