The finnish spitz can most likely be traced back to South East Asia, like the old red asian hunting spitzes of the finno-urgarian people, who moved north with their spitzes that showed a clear resemblance to the modern laika breeds.
The finnish spitz was first bred to conform to a standard in the late 1800s - before that it had been considered an everyday hunting breed. Now it was turned into a so-called barking gundog. A loud, clear barking shows the hunter in which tree game can be found. In the first breed standard, written in 1890, the breed was referred to as 'finnish barking gundog'. The breed was officially recognized in 1897 under the name of 'finnish spitz', and has since been named as Finland's national breed.

The breed should be compact, agile and carrying itself with pride. It should appear lively and alert. It is a very typical spitz, with a wedge-shaped head, erect ears and almond-shaped eyes. The neck carries the head high, the chest is deep but not too broad. The tail is set high and curved loosely over the back. The coat is rather long on the chest area, and should not lay smooth but rather stand out from the body. A ruff surrounds the neck, in particular in the males. The tail and thighs have long fur, the head and frontlegs of the legs smooth.