For centuries, the people of the world’s northernmost climes have bred a type of dog known as spitz. These Nordic breeds can be burly like the Alaskan Malamute or dainty like the Pomeranian, but spitz types share certain traits. These include a profusely coated tail curled tightly over the back, a wedge-shaped head usually bearing a foxlike expression, and erect, pointed ears. The Norrbottenspets (nor-bo-TEN-spets) is a member of this ancient clan of cold-weather hunters and workers.
The Norrbottenspets (or Norrbottenspitz in English) means spitz from the county of North Bothnia and probably originates from small Laika type spitz that was known to live with hunting people in the North Cape area in prehistoric time; small hunting spitz has survived for thousands of years through natural selection. In the very harsh areas of the northern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula, hunting for food and fur was a necessity for survival. Precious furs like sable, marten-skin, and ermine were the only valid currency for centuries. When fur prices dropped drastically after World War II, so did the interest of the Norrbottenspitz. The breed vanished and had no registrations for many years; hence the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK) declared it extinct. But only a decade later, news came that some true-to-type specimens had been found living as pets and watchdogs on small homesteads in the inland area of North Bothnia. Due to the very dedicated work of a few men, this old type hunting spitz was saved. In 1967, the Norrbottenspitz was reintroduced to the Registry in Sweden and a new standard was drawn up.The FCI accepted the new breed standard and the official name became Norrbottenspets.
Following the Swedish Kennel Club´s desire, Finns began to search the remote countryside of North Finland for native dogs that matched the standard to broaden the gene pool. They were successful and the majority of foundation dogs came from Finland. The studbook is still open in Finland but was closed in the 1980s in Sweden.The Norrbottenspets population is about 1600 in Sweden and 1300 in Finland with scattered individuals counted in some tens around the world.
Norrbottenspets were accepted to the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service in November 2007. As of November 2012, 181 Norrbottenspets, 175 of these with 3-generation pedigrees, were recorded with the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service.
