The Finnish Spitz is a medium-sized and rugged dog breed, with a fox-like appearance and set of unique characteristics. The Finnish Spitz originated in Finland and is one of the oldest known breeds, with the breed standards dating back to 1812.

Known as the Finsk Spets and Suomen-pystyykorva in Finland, meaning the 'Finnish prick-eared dog', these dogs are famous for their hunting and watchdog capabilities.

One of the most unique and interesting characteristics of the nature of the Finnish Spitz is their love for keeping themselves clean at all times. This dog is essentially an obsessive self-cleaner and spends quite some time keeping itself well groomed.

These dogs get irked at the slightest sign of dirt on their bodies and will react immediately to rectify the same. The dogs of the Finnish Spitz breed have been found licking off any soiling from its coat and feet with all the vigor.

In its love for cleanliness, the Finnish Spitz will also prefer to stay in the cooler parts of the house. It is always advisable to dedicate a specific portion of the house or garden for these smart dogs. They will prefer to live in an area that helps them stay clean and does not rub off any excessive dirt on their coat and body.

Owing to their strong passion for cleanliness, these dogs also make for excellent household pets. They have an ability to wash and clean themselves time and again, even when sitting in company. This makes them a preferred indoor dog, as they do not carry a risk of soiling any of the sitting surfaces.

Interestingly, the Finnish Spitz is often described as catlike in terms of their cleanliness habits. Cats have always been known to be the best-groomed pets, especially as far as self-grooming is concerned. The dogs of the Finnish Spitz breed behave like cats to quite an extent, as far as this aspect is concerned.

Though these dogs do shed quite heavily seasonally, yet their regular habit of grooming and cleaning themselves keeps them free of any unhygienic conditions.

At times, the regular habit of self-cleaning and grooming makes these dogs an ideal pet in households with small children and even other pets. Some of the pet animals are highly allergic to dirt and grime which makes it difficult for such households to have other pets.

This intelligent breed of dogs is highly sensitive to its surroundings and reacts immediately to any changes or happenings that might take place around them. Any activity that might carry the risk of spoiling their clean environment or making them dirty makes them react almost right away, which might include either withdrawing or getting into action for self-cleaning.