Finnish Spitz

The Finnish Spitz descended from specialized spitz-type dogs developed by isolated Finno-Ugrian tribes in northern Russia over 3,000 years ago. When migrants from Russia made their way to Finland, they took their spitz-type dogs with them. Most of these dogs were prized for their hunting abilities and generally were all-purpose hunters. Over time, the Finnish Spitz developed as a hunter of game birds, utilizing a strange but effective technique. The dog locates a bird and follows it until it lands in a tree, then move around and wag its tail to catch the attention of the bird. The dog then starts barking quietly and gets louder and louder so that the human hunter can sneak up undetected and shoot the bird. The Finnish Spitz almost became extinct in the late 19th century as members of the breed would interbreed with other dogs. Luckily, a Finnish sportsman from Helsinki named Hugo Roos saw the value in the pure breed and made an effort to revive it.