If there is one description that best sums up the Finnish Spitz’s head, it is “fox-like,” and the breed standard says this in the first line of the section on the head.
We can talk about the importance of a slightly tapered head, one that is longer from occiput to tip of nose than broad at the widest part of skull in a ratio of 7:4. We can mention that the skull is flat between ears, that there is some minimal rounding ahead of the earset, that the forehead a little arched, and that the skull to muzzle ratio is 4:3. We would be remiss in leaving out that the stop is moderate, and that the muzzle is narrow when seen from the front, the sides and from above.
We can get into the weeds of detail in explaining the headpiece of this beautiful breed, Finland’s National Dog, and one of the world’s few basal breeds, but we can share one word that would aptly do the job as well:
Wedge.
When was the last time – or any time – that you saw a fox with a blocky head?
Likely never. Nature doesn’t make a blockheaded fox, and if the Finnish Spitz is to be fox-like, it shouldn’t have a blockhead either. This means that like a fox, the “Finkie” has a wedge shaped head, one that should make you see a triangle from each direction, from the top, from the front, and from the sides.
Photo by Miika Mehtälä From Unsplash and shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license
“Finnish spitz. Suomenpystykorva. #9” by miikajom is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Finnish Spitz by © Wirestock | Dreamstime.com
When a Finkie has a particular fox-like head, medium-sized and clean cut, it is a harmony of lines that form a wedge and enhance the breed’s lively expression. A muscular or coarse head, too long or too narrow head with snipey muzzle, is to be penalized in a show ring.
Image at the top by Llima Orosa from OpenVerse was marked with a CC BY-ND 2.0 license and was free to copy and redistribute in any medium or format