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Finnish Spitz
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King Henry of the Felines
Finnish Spitz
Height 15-20 inches
Weight 25-35 lbs.
Life Span 12-14 yrs.
Overview Finnish spitzes are friendly, active, and lively companions. Eager to please, they do well in obedience classes.

These dogs love children and usually get along with other dogs. They will bark when someone is at the door (their bark is part of their hunting persona) but warm up to most people quickly.

If this dog is separated from family life--left alone in the backyard for long periods, for example--it will begin to bark or yap excessively.

Appearance The undercoat is short, soft, and dense, and sheds in warm weather; the straight, harsh guard hairs measure one to two inches. Coat color ranges from pale honey to deep auburn.

The head is almost twice as long as the widest part of the skull. The bushy tail curves up in a tight, vigorous curve.

Grooming & Exercise The Finnish spitz needs to be brushed a few times a week and requires several brisk walks and some playtime daily.
Origins The Finnish spitz, which originated in the 19th century, is the national dog of Finland, where it is still used as a hunting dog.
Other Finnish spitzes are not suitable for city or apartment life because of their extremely vocal nature.

Breed-related health concerns: epilepsy, pemphigus foliaceous (an autoimmune skin disease causing ulcers and scabs to develop on the skin all over the body).

Information and images from the ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs, by Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, V.M.D., with Jacque Lynn Schultz. © 1999 by Chanticleer Press, Inc. Published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco.