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About the Nordic Spitz dog
also known as Norrbottenspets

Small, more or less white spotted or piebald multipurpose hunting dogs have lived with the Finnish inhabitants in North Botnia (Norrbotten), Finland, Sweden, Lappland and Kainuuland as long as there have been wilderness settlements. South of this region lived a more solid-colored Spitz dog from which in the late 1800´s kennelmen started to breed the Finnish Spitz, the National Finnish dog breed. The white-spotted hunting Spitz was left out of the breeding program of "The Barking Finnish Bird dog."

The Swedes "adopted" this little dog and the first standard was approved in the Swedish Kennel Club in 1910, but the story of "The Barking Bird Dog of Norrbotten" was short, as it was thought to have become extinct in the uproar of the World Wars. The studbook was closed in 1948.

Some specimens of the breed had been taken to southern Sweden, but the breeding program flattened to none, because the Finnish speaking Tornio River Valley people of Sweden could not speak Swedish and the majority of kennelmen could not speak Finnish. In addition to this the Swedish hunting culture was completely different to that of the Finns. It was thought that shooting game out of a tree marked by the bark of a dog was not elegant enough.

The breed was found again during the late 50´s and early 60´s, when at Pajala (Smithstown) in Sweden there still were white spotted native dogs, remnants of the Finnish hunting culture.

FCI confirmed the new breed standard in 1966 and the official name became Norrbottenspets. Although the breed is officially Swedish, its roots are deep down in Finnish forests. The basic stock of the Nordic Spitz has been collected from the Finnish side of the frontier. The breed standard was accepted in Finland in 1973.

Following the Swedish Kennel Club´s hopes, Finns began to search for native dogs from the outskirts of the remote countryside in North Finland that matched the standard. Surveys and approvals to the breed registry have been made (and are still made). The studbook is still open in Finland. Nowadays the Finnish Nordic Spitz population is nearly one thousand.

The Nordic Spitz is slightly smaller and lighter boned than the Finnish Spitz. It is also longer in back, ears a little bigger in relation to the head and the coat is smooth, short and lying. The tail is also curled somewhat more loosely than with the Finnish Spitz.

The Nordic Spitz is a jolly, vivid and adaptable dog, great as a hunting companion or family pet. It is also well-suited for agility and other competitive dog sports.

Thank you to Saman's Kennel in Finland for this history of the Nordic Spitz breed.