THE FASCINATING Finnish Spitz BY HOLLY HORTON ! AJUAQ KENNELS that’s the catch. Training for compe- tition is often repetitive, which is boring. Finnish Spitz want to please their humans, but will not do end- less repetitions just to prove it. Doing obedience, rally, or agility with a Finnish Spitz isn’t so much “training” as it is “teaching.” By varying teaching techniques and working obedience moves into games, these dogs can and will learn, and can earn performance titles. We must keep in mind that these dogs were bred to track and tree prey independent of the and the challenge of negotiating obstacles at high speed appeals to this quick-minded and fleet-footed companion. Finnish Spitz in the Show Ring The Finnish Spitz ring is a chal- lenging one in which to compete. It takes a person who has already been bitten by the “show bug”—and who has an incurable case—to take on the unique challenge of showing a Finnish Spitz to its championship. Not because they all “look alike” (although that is occasionally an issue—especially at a Supported Entry or Specialty), but because you while you do it—especially if a chew y is part of the deal. A trip to the dog park is a great way to spend an afternoon. But the thing they enjoy best is a long walk or hike—if possible in a park or in the moun- tains—where they can use their fine- ly tuned hunting senses. The first time I went hiking with my Finnish Spitz it felt like my first time in the mountains, though I had grown up hiking them. This ancient hunting breed notices every little thing: every sound, scent, and flick- er of movement. A rustle in the
leaves could be a mouse or a grouse; the breeze brings more than just the scent of pine and the sound of wind in the trees; that movement yards off the trail needs watching! What a joy to see those dark eyes track the game into brush or up a tree, and red furry bodies tremble with excitement! But the best part about this won- derful, versatile, intelligent breed is that they have one of the happiest personalities of any dog I’ve ever owned. Because of their reputations as barkers, many people pass up the opportunity to own this excellent companion. They want to be with you and please you. In Finland, it is common for a household to have only one to three Finnish Spitz (the current hunting dog, the venerable old retiree, and perhaps a pup start- ing to learn the family business). They are part of the family, and you are important to them—as they are to you. No day is ever bad enough that their bright eyes and foxy grins can’t fix it. And really, what more could any human ever ask? Holly Horton PO Box 901464 Sandy, Utah 84090-1464 hheventer@yahoo.com
hunter, so they have to be able to make decisions without being com- manded first. They want to think— not simply take orders. True to arc- tic dog personality, my dog some- times couldn’t resist doing creative interpretations of some of the exer- cises—like heeling on my right instead of my left. He thought it was funny (no one could miss his big happy grin); I was mortified! That is, until I caught the judge trying to hide his laughter behind his clip- board. If a CD still seems too daunting, Rally is the way to go. Precision is still needed to get high scores on the exercises, but the course and exercises are different every time, so there isn’t a need to be creative to keep himself—or the judges— entertained. This is a venue where many arctic breeds succeed, and where Finnish Spitz can truly shine. I’m currently working on earning the first RAE with a Finnish Spitz, and we are having a lot of fun doing it. The event that the most Finnish Spitz truly enjoy is Agility—and they are well-suited for it. There have been several Finnish Spitz who have ventured into this ring and excelled. Quick turns and bounding over objects is exactly what they were bred to do. The thrill of the chase
there are relatively few being shown. Finding competition so even one point is available often requires travelling long distances. Where I am, my nearest competi- tion is a minimum of a six-hour drive away; finding majors often requires 12-18 hours. As a result, there are many quality Finnish Spitz who never set foot inside a show ring. Breeders can’t keep every promising pup, and there are a lim- ited number of show homes. Few people who search out this breed as a pet see the point of driving many hours and spending a lot of money to get a ribbon. The upside to having only a few Finnish Spitz competing at any one time is that it’s not a ring that sees a lot of “big name” professional han- dlers. The incidence, whether inten- tional or not, of judging the “wrong end of the lead” rarely happens here. Most of us are owner-han- dlers—and very proud of it. Finnish Spitz as Companions Like many arctic breeds, Finnish Spitz adapt to whatever environ- ment their humans live. They are not a breed that will park itself on your lap while you watch TV. But they’ll be willing to hang out with
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