Finnish Dog Breeds

With over 180,000 lakes and the majority of its land covered by green forests, Finland is a country of natural beauty.  It has long, freezing, and dark Arctic winters. However during the short summer months, the sun is shining around the clock, this natural phenomenon is known as the “midnight sun”. And it’s also home to a handful of amazing native Finnish dog breeds. Luckily for those who don’t speak Finnish, they do have names in English as well. So here are the dog breeds from Finland and what you’ll want to know about them.

Finnish Spitz

In its native homeland where it is known as the Suomenpystykorva, the Finnish Spitz is considered a national treasure. So it’s no surprise that it has officially been the National Dog of Finland since 1979. It is a versatile hunting dog that has been in existence for several hundred years.

The Finnish Spitz was developed from native landrace dogs and not from the crossing of other recognized breeds imported from other countries. This makes it not only a true Finn but also a canine of great cultural importance. It is a small to a medium-sized canine that has erect ears with an attractive fox-like coat that is bright red or golden-red in color and is a hallmark of the breed.

As a hunter, the Finnish Spitz breed has been used to hunt everything from small game such as squirrels to larger animals such as elk and bear and even to retrieve waterfowl. However, its main function is as a hunter of forest-dwelling gamebirds. It is known for its ability to find birds both on the ground and in trees.

It then uses its distinct ringing bark (similar to a yodel) not only to mark the location of the bird for the hunter but also to keep the bird from fleeing until the hunter can arrive and make a shot. It is this behavior that has earned it the nickname of the “barking bird dog”.

This Finnish hunting dog breed is also popular as a companion and family dog. In fact, the Finnish Spitz is known for being particularly good with kids. However, because of its hunting background, it does have a tendency to bark and is considered to be a noisy pet that isn’t suited for apartment living.

Finnish Lapphund

The Lapinkoira, or Finnish Lapphund as it’s called in English, is a breed that was originally used by the semi-nomadic Sami people of Lapland as a hunter and guardian. Later on, the breed’s function evolved to that of a reindeer herder. However, with the invention of the snowmobile, it has been used less and less for herding reindeer and more for herding sheep and cattle.

While the Finnish Lapphund dog breed is medium in size, its thick weatherproof coat does tend to make it seem a bit larger than it really is. These friendly canines come in all coat colors from white to black including brown, cream, wheaten, and wolf sable to name a few. Finnish Lapphunds with darker-colored coats sometimes have distinct markings around their eyes that make them look as if they are wearing spectacles.

Because it is not dog-aggressive, naturally submissive when it comes to humans, and known for being gentle with children, the Finnish Lapphund makes a fantastic companion. In fact, it is one of the most popular dog breeds in Finland overall.  An added benefit of owning one is that this Finnish dog breed does not have the typical doggy odor that many other breeds do.

However potential owners will need to keep in mind that as a natural herding breed it will give chase if it happens to see any running animals. Because of this, when it is outdoors it should be securely fenced-in or on a leash to prevent any potential accidents.

Lapponian Herder

This breed shares its ancestry with the Finnish Lapphund, as it was used by the Sami people to herd reindeer for hundreds of years. The two were actually considered the same breed until 1966 when the Lapponian Herder was accepted officially as a separate breed of dog. In Finland, the Lapponian Herder is known as the Lapinporokoira, and in some areas of the country, it still works herding and guarding reindeer.

The breed’s straight and harsh coat is medium or medium-long in length and is particularly dense, allowing the dog to work in the extreme Arctic conditions of Lapland. It may be wolf sable, brown, solid black, or black and tan in color. Purebred Lapponian Herders with brown coats have brown noses while those with coats containing black pigment have noses that are black.

This is a medium-sized working dog that can perform easily in the harsh Finnish climate and for long hours at a time. It is known for barking while it herds along with having a high-energy level when working. In contrast to what you might think however when at home, it is actually a calm and quiet canine.

This is an intelligent dog that is friendly although is generally indifferent to strangers. Female Lapponian Herders in particular can be quite aloof when it comes to people that they don’t know. In addition, excessive submissiveness is a breed trait for females as well.

Karelian Bear Dog

The Karelian Bear Dog is a medium-sized spitz-type dog from the territory of Karelia. This fearless canine has a thick coat that is black (sometimes with a slight tint of brown) and clearly defined white markings typically on the head, chest, legs, belly, and the tip of its tail. The breed’s ancestor was the now-extinct Komi Dog which originated several thousand years ago and was used in the Karelian region for hunting a range of wild game.

The Karelian Bear Dog partially shares its history with the West Siberian Laika Dog. The two were considered the same breed until the 1920s. However, when a new border divided the region of Karelia between the countries of Finland and Russia the breeds diverged. In 1936 a breeding program in Finland was started to create a black and white dog that would silently hunt big game and bark to keep the animal at bay whether on the ground or in a tree.

The official breed standard was established in 1945 and the result is the courageous Finnish dog breed we know today as the Karelian Bear Dog or Karjalankarhukoira. In Finland, the breed is mainly used to hunt elk and brown bear. When it has game cornered it will lunge and bark ferociously to keep it from escaping until it can be dispatched by the hunter. Like other Finnish breeds, this one is popular in its home country but not common elsewhere.

However, this bear hunter’s keen nose, fearlessness, and obedience even in the face of danger have made it one of the top choices of many wildlife agencies for dealing with nuisance bears. And it has been employed for this job in the United States, Canada, and Russia. The dogs are used to find and help wildlife officials to discourage bears of a range of species including black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, and even polar bears.

This practice helps to prevent potentially dangerous interactions from occurring. And it saves the lives of both humans and bears. The Karelian Bear Dog is a working breed that thrives when it has a job to do. It can be dominant with other dogs and is naturally protective of what it perceives as its territory. Therefore this skilled hunting breed is not recommended for the inexperienced or first-time dog owners.

Finnish Hound

When imported hounds didn’t fit the needs of Finnish hunters they decided to create their own native hound breed by crossing dogs with the most desirable hunting traits. Thus the program to create the Finnish Hound or Suomenajokoira was started in 1889 with the first standard being written in 1932. This medium-sized hound dog has a tricolor coat and is the largest of the dog breeds from Finland.

It is a canine that is perfectly suited for hunting in the Finnish terrain which is often difficult, hilly, and covered in snow. The breed is used specifically for hunting hare and fox. Unlike many other hound breeds, the Finnish Hound is generally hunted alone, and not in a pack. It can follow a scent trail on the ground or in the air and it barks as it drives game.

Because of its skills, along with the fact that the hunting season in Finland for both the hare and fox is quite lengthy and it is a native Finnish breed, the Finnish Hound is the most popular scenthound in Finland. While not well-known worldwide, the breed is also a favorite among hunters in other Nordic countries such as Norway and Sweden as well.

This special Finnish dog breed is known for its relentless determination and excitement when it’s time to hunt yet is calm and friendly attitude at home and is never aggressive.  Because of its highly developed natural hunting instincts, the Finnish Hound is typically used as a hunting partner/companion rather than solely as a companion breed.

EtäKärppä/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

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