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General Appearance
Appearance Dog considerably larger and carrying more coat than the bitch. Bearing bold. Whole appearance, particularly eyes, ears and tail indicates liveliness. Compact, hard-conditioned hunting dog with medium bone and no suggestion of coarseness.

Characteristics
Eagerness to hunt, courage tempered with caution, fidelity and intelligence.

Temperament
Alert, lively, friendly but independent.

Head and Skull
Head medium sized and clean cut. Longer than broad. Forehead slightly arched, stop moderate. Muzzle narrow, seen from above and from sides, evenly tapering. Nose pitch black. Lips black, tightly closed and thin.

Eyes
Medium sized, lively, preferably dark. Almond shaped with black rims, set slightly aslant, with outer corners tilted upwards.

Ears
Small, cocked, sharply pointed. Fine in texture and mobile.

Mouth
Jaws strong with perfect regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Muscular, of medium length, with no excess of skin or fat. In males may appear shorter due to dense ruff.

Forequarters
Strong and straight.

Body
Almost square in outline. Back straight and strong. Chest deep. Belly slightly drawn up.

Hindquarters
Strong. Only moderate turn of stifle. Hock of medium angulation.

Feet
Preferably round. Hind dewclaws always removed. Removal of front dewclaws optional.

Tail
Plumed, curves vigorously from its root in an arch, forward downward and backward, then pressing down against thigh, with its tip extending to middle part of thigh. Extended, the bone of tail usually reaches to hock joint.

Gait/Movement
Light and springy, quick and graceful, with drive.

Coat
On head and front of legs short and close, on body and back of legs longish, semi-erect, stiffer on neck and back. Outer coat on shoulders considerably longer and coarser, particularly in males. On back of thighs and on tail, hair longer and denser. No trimming allowed, not even of whiskers. Undercoat short, soft and dense.

Colour
On back reddish-brown or red gold, preferably bright. Hairs on inner sides of ears, cheeks, under muzzle, on breast, abdomen, behind shoulders, inside legs, back of thighs, underside of tail, of lighter shades. Undercoat also a lighter colour, making whole coat glow. Narrow white stripe not exceeding one and half centimetres in width on breast permitted. Black hairs on lips and sparse separate black pointed hairs on back and tail permitted. Puppies may have black hairs which decrease with age, black on tail persisting longer.

Size
Height at withers: dogs: 43-50 cms (17-20 ins); bitches: 39-45 cms (151/2-18 ins). Weight: 14-16 kgs (31-35 lbs).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - March 1994

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available from the Online Shop.

Kennel Club Breed Standards Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve. The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.

The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts. This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Club and Societies

• FINNISH SPITZ CLUB. Sec. Mrs B Williams. Tel No: 01279 812463
• FINNISH SPITZ SOCIETY. Sec. Mr D Rolfe Tel No: not available, please contact the Kennel Club

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