Suomenpystykorva

FCI:

Finnish Spitz Group V. - Spitz and primitive types, Section 2 - Nordic Hunting Dogs.

General Appearance:

It's a lively, strong and courageous towards any stranger distrustful dog that is never aggressive. It is mainly used for hunting grouse, water feathered game animals, small carnivores and even elk. When it is hunting it is a very passionate and totally independent. It likes making the decision itself, in its sole discretion. Profusely but it compensates the owner for its intelligence, cheerful and balanced character. It is curious, confident and proactive, but not intrusive.

Temperament/Behaviour:

The education must be consistent, but kind. The owner should have some previous experience with dogs, for beginners is not the best breed. It requires from its owner enough tolerance and understanding, not just for their independence.

The most satisfied it is in the presence of the owner and his family in the family circle, it is not good keep permanently in outdoor pens. It likes burrowing, so there is no best breed for gardeners, it is better when it has its own plot. It is vigilantly guarded and very loud. It can a long time entertain itself, for example playing with some toy.

Body:

It's slightly smaller than a medium-sized Nordic Spitz dry and firm body, square format. Height at the withers is ideally, male 47 cm for females 42 cm, with a tolerance of + / -3 cm, body weight ranges 12-13 kg in dogs and in the range of 7-10 kg in females.

Head when viewed from above egg-shaped skull, with an ear toward earlobes gradually expands, it is slightly domed. Longitudinal front furrow should be very shallow. Browridges are less noticeable and the occipital protuberance only slightly marked. The frontal slope is not too significant.

Muzzle should be narrow, dry and toward the nose gradually narrowing. Nasal bridge should be flat nose quite small, shining black. Lower jaw must be well marked, must not be weak. Lips are thin, tight on the edges fully pigmented. Jaws should be strong, well developed teeth, jaws symmetrically. Teeth should be complete bite is tight scissors required. The zygomatic arches are only slightly marked, must not be too curved sideways.

Eyes should be medium-sized, almond shaped, slightly oblique and dark as possible. Their expression should be lively and alert. The earlobes are rather high, always erect and rather small, atop pointed, very mobile, heavily coated.

The neck must be suitably muscular, medium length by females; dogs may seem optically shorter and thicker. Withers must be evident, particularly pronounced by males. The back should be rather short, straight, well muscled. The loin is short, muscular; tail is moderately long, firm, and when viewed from the side slightly sloping.

The tail should be carried up from the root curled just over the stern and shoulders. In late heading back to the upper thigh and toe touches its centre. When drawn down it is reaching approximately to the hock.

The chest should not be overly broad, ribs are slightly arched and chest must be clearly apparent; the bottom line of the body determines the belly slightly drawn up.

The forelegs are straight and parallel to each other; their bones may be neither too strong nor too weak. Shoulders must be very moving, relatively steep. The shoulder bones are strong, slightly oblique and slightly shorter than the blades or forearm. The forearms are perpendicular to the substrate; pasterns should be moderately long and slightly angled. Front feet are round; the fingers must be tightly closed and well arched. The pads are elastic, always black pigment and sides densely covered with hair.

Hind legs are straight, parallel and moderately angulated, their bones should be moderate. Thighs should be fairly broad, well-muscled, knees should be bent adequately and must face forward. Lower thigh should be muscular, hocks low to the substrate sufficiently bent. The hocks are short, strong, and vertical to ground. The dewclaws should be removed.

The body coat is very shiny, fairly long, semi or fully protruding, neck and spine built. On head and legs (except the back of the thighs) there is short and the adjacent area. Built coat on shoulders is noticeably longer and thicker in males, on the backs of the thighs, where it forms the so-called pants. On the tail hair is long and thick. The undercoat should be short, soft, rich, lighter colour than the coat covering.

Colouration on the back is "reddish" or "golden brown". In terms of genetics should be defined as "reddish-orange" or "golden" because of the nose, lips and pads are required in standard clearly black. The inside of the ear lobe, on the cheeks and throat, chest and abdomen, inner sides of legs, back of thighs and tail may be lighter colour. A narrow white stripe on the front chest and small white markings on the feet are permitted.

Faults from the requirements of the standard shall be considered as defects and evaluate accurately the degree of expression with regard to the health and welfare of the dog or bitch.

To negative defects belong aggression or fearfulness, flesh-coloured (completely de-pigmented) nose, overshot or undershot jaw, eyes or yellow glass (whitish colour), earlobes with forward banked peaks, kinked tail, the hair wavy or curly, shades of hair colouring some body parts strikingly different from the basic colour, large white patches on the front chest or limbs (high reaching called-stockings).