Norrbottenspets Breed Magazine features information, expert articles, and stunning photos from AKC judges, breeders, and owners.
NORRBOTTENSPETS
Let’s Talk Breed Education!
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Official Standard of the Norrbottenspets General Appearance: The Norrbottenspets is a small, spitz-type hound of Nordic origin that uses sight, scent, and hearing to hunt forest game and then holds the game at bay and calls the hunter with high-pitched vocalizations. To navigate the rough terrain and climate of Scandinavian forests and hold large dangerous game, like moose, Norrbottenspets are extremely agile, rugged, and weatherproof with a fearless attitude, while at the same time kind and affectionate companions at fireside and home. Norrbottenspets exhibit no extremes in physical characteristics because they must do all things well. The ideal Norrbottenspets is a compact, well-muscled, yet agile dog standing no greater than 18½ inches at the withers. The ideal Norrbottenspets has brown, almond shaped eyes, slightly over medium size upright ears, an unaltered and naturally presented close-fitting double coat of white with a red or yellow mask and spots, a loosely curled tail with the tip touching the hip, bold movement, and a self-confident and daring demeanor. Norrbottenspets are never nervous, shy, or aggressive. Norrbottenspets vocalize when excited. Sexual dimorphism is clearly apparent in Norrbottenspets. Norrbottenspets are presented on the ground or on a ramp for examination by a judge. Size, Proportion, Substance : Size - The desired height for males is 17 to 18½ inches; females, 15½ to 17½ inches. Noticeably over size or under size is a fault. Proportion - Males are slightly rectangular; females are a little longer. The depth of the chest should be one-half the height at the withers. Substance - Norrbottenspets are compactly built without being bulky. They have sinewy, well-developed muscles and are without extremes in angulation or physical features. Bone dimension gives rugged yet graceful proportions. Sexual dimorphism is clearly apparent, with females appearing feminine yet durable. Head: The head is strong, clean cut, and evenly tapering towards the nose when viewed from above and from the side. Sexual dimorphism should be clearly visible in the structure of the head. Expression - Norrbottenspets appear calm, keen, and attentive, with the head carried high and a fearless attitude. Eyes - The eyes are medium sized, almond-shaped, and obliquely set. Irises are dark brown and eye rims are pigmented. Ears - The ears are high set and erect, slightly over medium size in proportion to the head, with hard leather and slightly rounded tips. Skull - The skull is relatively broad with the forehead slightly arched and the top of the skull rather flat. The superciliary arches are well marked, the nosebridge is straight, and the cheeks are defined. The stop is evident but only slightly marked. Muzzle - The muzzle is half the length of head or somewhat shorter, clearly tapering towards the tip of nose, but never snipy. The planes of the muzzle and skull are parallel. Nose - The nose is black. A flesh colored or liver brown nose is a fault . Lips - The lips are thin, tightly fitting, and pigmented. Teeth - Well developed jaws and teeth meet in a scissors bite . Missing teeth except for the first premolar are a fault. Neck, Topline, and Body: Neck - The neck is moderately long in proportion to the body, dry and muscular, with a slight arch and good reach. Topline - The withers are defined with the back and loin level and the croup slightly sloping. Body - The depth of the body is half the total height at withers. Chest - The chest is long, oval in shape, and of normal width, with well-developed last ribs. The forechest is well developed and well defined. The lowest part of the ribcage is in line with the elbow or just below it and merges softly into the bellyline. Tuck up - The bellyline is only slightly tucked up. Back - The back is short, level, and springy with strong muscles. Loin - The loin is short and broad. Croup - The croup is moderately long and broad, slightly sloping, with well-developed and hard muscles. Tail - The tail is rather high set and carried in a high
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curve, loosely curled with the tip of tail touching the side of upper thigh when in motion. When stretched, the length of the tail should not reach below the hock. A stumpy tail or a docked tail is a disqualification. Forequarters: The forequarters are neither narrow nor broad, with legs straight and parallel, and without extremes in angulation. Shoulder Blades - The shoulder blades are long, broad and muscular, forming well defined and developed withers. The shoulder blades are close fitting to the chest and set obliquely, with great freedom of movement. Upper Arm - The upper arm is the same length as the shoulder blade and forms a right angle with the shoulder blade. The upper arm is strong and well developed, lying close to the chest but with great freedom of movement. The upper arm abducts, extends laterally away from the body, forming up to a 90 degree angle with the midline of the chest. Elbow - The elbow turns neither in nor out. Forearm - The forearm is straight with strong bones and lean but flexible muscles. Pasterns - The pasterns are strong and slightly sloping. Dewclaws - Foreleg dewclaws are present and functional. Feet - The feet are small and strong, pointing straight forward. The toes are well arched and tightly knit with well-developed and hard pads. Hindquarters: The hindquarters are without extremes in angulation and mirror the angulation of the forequarters. The hindquarters stand parallel when viewed from behind. Upper thigh - The upper thigh is proportionately long with strong muscles and forms a right angle with the pelvis. Stifle - The stifle is strong. Second thigh -The second thigh is well muscled and forms a marked angle with the upper thigh. Hock - The hock joint is strong. Pasterns - The rear pasterns are rather long, dry, and elastic. Dewclaws - Rear dewclaws are absent. Feet - Feet are as described above. Coat: The Norrbottenspets is double coated. Topcoat - The topcoat is hard, short, and straight, rather close lying with different lengths: shortest on the nose bridge, the top of skull, the ears and the front of the legs; longest on the neck, the backside of the thighs and the underside of tail. An erect coat is a serious fault. Undercoat - The undercoat is fine and dense. Grooming - The Norrbottenspets is shown naturally with no trimming or fluffing of the coat. A dog exhibiting an erect coat instead of a rather close lying coat, whether the erect coat has been produced by grooming or by a naturally occurring coat fault is to be penalized as to be effectively eliminated from competition. Color: The Norrbottenspets has a base color of pure white overlaid with a colored mask covering the sides of the head and the ears and with well-defined and well-distributed body patches. The ideal overlay color is any nuance of red or yellow. Patches on the body are fairly big. Gait: The gait of the Norrbottenspets is smooth and free with strong drive, covering lots of ground. The topline remains firm in motion and the hind legs travel parallel. Individuals with great lateral freedom of movement in the forequarters typical of the breed can exhibit looseness in the foreleg movement that should not be penalized. Temperament : Norrbottenspets are calm, keen, and attentive with a kind disposition; self- confident, they carry their heads high with a fearless attitude. Dogs that vocalize in the ring due to excitement should not be penalized. Norrbottenspets are never nervous, shy, or aggressive. Disqualification: A stumpy or docked tail.
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Approved January 1, 2013 Effective January 1, 2014
The
Norrbottenspets
THIS CHARMING LITTLE FOREST HOUND MAY BE ONE OF SWEDEN’S BEST-KEPT SECRETS!
T he Norrbottenspets (affectionately called Nobs or Norrbottens), is a har- dy, fearless, tree-barking dog that happily (and sometimes loudly!) works to help hunters track game. They are recognizable in Sweden and Fin- land (about 1,600 and 1,300 respectively), but in the US, owners expect to answer, “What breed is that?” any time they leave the house. At this point, there are around 300 Norrbottenspets in the US, but that number is growing as the breed continues to make fans. While the breed’s primary job is hunting, they also do well in other pursuits, including Lure Coursing, Barn Hunt, Agility, Rally, and more. As hunters, the Norrbottenspets can work a variety of game, but primarily work large birds (black grouse being the most common) or small climbing mammals (hunters in the US have had luck with them working squirrels). In Sweden and Finland, the dogs are known almost exclusively as hunting dogs and are valuable to hunters for their ability to track game through dense forests. Once a Norrbot- tenspets has flushed and treed its target, it will stay at the base of the tree, alerting the hunter to its location with a clear, rhythmic bark. Before the days of GPS, this bark was essential to draw the hunters to the location. These days, many hunters do use a GPS collar on the dogs as a backup, but the breed’s hallmark bark remains a reliable indicator. While hunting may be their strength, these dogs also have an agreeable tempera- ment at home that makes them great pets as well. The Breed Standard describes this well: “ To navigate the rough terrain and climate of Scandinavian forests and hold large dangerous game, like moose, Norrbottenspets are extremely agile, rugged, and weather- proof with a fearless attitude, while at the same time kind and affectionate companions at fireside and home. ” Their adaptability has allowed them to fit into a variety of home environments while growing the population in the US. Though we may be few and far between, the Norrbottenspets’ humans work to be as friendly as the dogs. If you see a Norrbottenspets at a show, feel free to say “hi” and ask to meet them—that’s what we’re there for. Visually, the dogs are rather consistent and easy to spot. A medium-sized spitz, they are white piebald with a varying number and size of spots. Generally, the color patches range from a deep red to a lighter cream color, all of which are accept- able. They should be recognizable as a spitz with their pricked ears and curly tails. Females are 15.5-17.5 inches and males are somewhat larger at 17-18.5 inches. Gen- erally, females weigh about 20-25 pounds with males 30-35 pounds, though varia- tions in weight and size do exist; a good dog should not be discarded because it is slightly larger or smaller than the ideal. The Norrbottenspets should not be timid or fearful and should present itself with “a self-confident and daring demeanor.” These dogs demand attention and will make their presence known. Excited vocalization in the ring should not be penalized. The American Norrbottenspets Association is mindfully working toward full recognition, at which point the breed will be in the Hound Group. The club does have a social media presence and encourages questions and interaction from anyone interested in learning about the breed. You can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/ norrbottenspets and on our website: usnorrbottenspets.com.
212 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2022
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