November 18th, 2010 by Jenny

Norrbottenspets is a spitz type breed that was developed during the early 1600s. This breed is also known as Nordic Spitz and Pohjanpystykorva in its country of origin. This ancient breed was honored by being named as the national dog of Sweden. The Norrbottenspets is a breed claimed both by Finland and Sweden for its great endurance. The dog is quite small in stature but it has a well muscled compact body.

A Norrbottenspets square shaped body is thickly covered with close fitting soft fur. Beautiful white fur with red and brown markings protects the dog from extremely hot and cold temperatures. The dog’s appearance is made more impressive by the bushy tail that loosely curls over the back of the dog.

This dog breed was originally developed to be an all around farm dog although it excels most as a hunting dog. The remarkable courage and excellent hunting abilities more than make up for the breeds small size. Honing the inbred hunting instinct of the dog is easy as its intelligence and the desire to please its people enables the dog to adapt well to training .

The Norrbottenspets is different from other hounds that are classified as scent or sight hunters given that this versatile breed uses both senses to capture the game. The dog does not resemble a fox but it has gained a foxy reputation because of its slyness when hunting. As soon as the dog is released in the hunting area, it will use it senses to flush and chase the game. Once an animal is cornered, the dog would start to bark rapidly purportedly to confuse the game and to cover the sounds made by the approaching hunter.

This rather small dog has a big personality. The dog has an affectionate nature that makes it an ideal dog for older couples needing companionship and security. A Norrbottenspets dog forms a strong bond with its family because it is full of life, very energetic and has a playful personality as well. With these qualities, the dog can participate in all the activities of the family.

The breed was ranked as one of the top 10 dog breeds noted for their gentleness with children. Loving and kind, a Norrbottenspets will exhibit a stable temperament in any situation. Most dogs will react aggressively if teased or pestered by children but not this breed . Being a fairly healthy breed, the dog will provide the family about 20 years of companionship.