The FoxDogs: Little Red Rockets

The FoxDogs

The farm was originally named after my (Rikke's) dog, Reyna. Reyna came into my life just after I started the farm in 1994. She was the farm's mascot and icon for almost fifteen years, until late 2009. In early 2010 a new FoxDog, Jaska, joined the farm as a small puppy. She is now almost full grown, and learning how to be a good dog, like Reyna was.

Both the FoxDogs are Finnish Spitzes. These small red dogs are the national dog of Finland and are used in their country of origin as farm dogs, companions, and bark pointers. Did we say barking? Yes, they love to bark. I was attracted to this breed in part because of the barking. I like it. Go figure.

Here's a link to a Finnish Spitz dog, in Finland, doing the kind of bark pointing they are known for. The dog corners or trees the prey, then barks to bring the hunter in. In the video the dog has cornered a racoon dog. This is an animal that was imported into northern Europe from Asia for hunting purposes. I'm not sure if, in the video, the dog kills the prey, or if the hunter does and then gives the carcass to the dog. And here's another link showing a Pystykorva (Finnish Spitz in Finnish) hunting in the snow. Such fun!

Reyna used to do this kind of hunting and barking, but I (Rikke) never figured out what I was supposed to do in response. With Jaska, we've learned. It pays to go and praise the dog and tell her the work is over, or you'll end up with dead little animals littering the garage. Sometimes, that happens regardless. With Reyna, Jaska and the cats we've seldom had a problem with rodents around here!

Finnish Spitz tend to be family oriented, high energy dogs. Hence the sobriquet 'little red rockets'. Reyna was very energetic when she was young. She slowed down as she got older. Jaska is something else again when it comes to energy. She quivers with excitement and loves to run. She nearly flies as she covers the ground.

I am working on training Jaska to advanced commands. I never bothered with Reyna, but circumstances (and dog training) have changed and I feel more comfortable doing this with Jaska. Finnish Spitz, like many northern breeds, are usually very smart and very independent in their ways. Traditional aversion or pain based training methods don't work well with them. I trained Reyna to basic commands (sit, stay, down, etc) but never went further because the training methods at the time included things like hitting the dog, picking the dog up by the collar, and so on. And Reyna simply did not respond well to that. Even the dominance methods advocated by experts like Cesar Milan are too much for Finnish Spitzes, in my opinion. I've learned with Jaska to train without these methods, and I'm so grateful to the dog trainers who have developed these kinder, more understanding methods. Jaska and I have the potential to go a long way with them.

Jaska and Reyna are distantly related. They were both bred by the same breeder. I highly recommend her, so check out her website at Royal Touch Kennels. In the 15 years between the births of the two dogs the breed standard has shifted from a very cobby, square dog to one that is a bit more streamlined, with less thick fur, and longer snouts and muzzles. I love both looks for different reasons.

Jaska

Date of Birth: 17 Jan 2010
Came to FoxDog: mid-March 2010
Favorite Things: Running, car rides with head out the window, chasing vermin, toys! toys! toys!, Rikke her Mom and Randy her Dad, playing Grandma's bed, learning new stuff, doing fun tricks, jumping!, pretending to boss the goats around, working on the farm
Comments: I (Rikke) went down to pick up Jaska from the breeder the same way I'd gone to get Reyna, only almost exactly 15 years later. A friend drove me, so I could bond with the puppy on the 3 hour drive back. And bond I did. I'll never forget holding that little brown (they don't turn red until they are about 6 months old) ball of fur all the way home. Jaska was just like Reyna, missed home for about 30 minutes, then settled in. After a while, she decided I was her Mom and that was that. It's a humbling feeling, lemme tell you.
Jaska is different: I have to admit, I've never had a dog like Jaska before. About 2 months after she came here I lifted her onto the bed, as usual, and petted her. She looked at me, and I slowly stopped petting her as we gazed into each others' eyes. I could almost hear her thinking, 'What kind of creature are you? Am I to live with you? Will you be kind to me?' And I in turn thought, 'What kind of creature are you? Will we live well together?'. After what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes she reached up and licked my cheek as if to say, 'You'll be my mother. I'll be your daughter-dog.' And I told her I would, indeed, be her mother. Moments like this happen fairly often with Jaska. It's really something to watch her figure out a puzzle and see her solve it with thought before action.
Jaska's training: I worked hard on her recall. I knew we'd be going places, scary places. If she ran she'd be in danger. So I worked hard to teach her a special form of recall which meant 100% obedience. It wasn't easy. She's an independent dog. I started with her very young, made sure the command was quick (almost barklike), but light and happy. Have to say it with a smile in your voice. Then, when she'd look, I ran away from her. That always made her come, every time. When she reached me she got the best treats ever, every time. Twice now this command has saved us. Once when she got spooked by a banging pot-a-potty door and got out of her harness and once when I slipped on ice, dropped the lead, and scared the heck out of her as I fell and injured myself. That time she hied off into the forest. The first time she ran into a huge campground. Each time I forced myself to make my voice happy and called that special call. Each time, despite her obvious fear, she turned on a dime and ran to me. That command is worth all the work that went into it, and more. I hope I never have to use it again!
Jaska's tricks: Jaska can jump through a hoop. She will beg, sit, down, stay, come, walk close, heel, fetch, leave it, drop it, jump up on things on command, search for things with her nose, peekaboo, kiss your cheek, bow, and place her front paws on your arm, jump into the back seat of the car on command, listen and more. And this is just the start!

The day she came to live with us, 13 March 2010

Jaska in March, 2010, 8 weeks old

Such a nice smile! March, 2010

Late March 2010, trusting already, sleeping on Rikke

Zoom! 10 weeks old.

Potty training walk, 10 weeks old.

4 months old and playing on the hay. Growing up FAST!

Played hard, naptime. 4 months old in May 2010

5 months old. Completely potty trained now. Woot!

July 2010, 6 months old. A farm dog in real.

Supervising the field work, July 2010.

Rest after hard work, August 2010.

Camping at September Crown, 2010. She fits right in.

Been to the groomer, bows in her hair. Oct, 2010.

First big snow, Nov 2010. She's born to it!

Jaska has treed Donatello the farm cat! Dec, 2010.

Fully integrated into the farm, and watching over her goats. Jan, 2011.

Helping in the greenhouse, Feb 2011.

Reyna

Date of Birth: 23 December 1994
Came to FoxDog: mid-February 1995
Favorite Things: Running, car rides with head out the window, eating!, chasing vermin, Mithras the kittykat, any toys, Rikke her Mom, playing tug with Randy, naps, beaches
Passed Away: 9 Nov 2009. She stopped coming out to the fields, something she loved, in early July 2009. We knew the end was near, but she held on, through the pain of arthritis and the horror of Cushings, for a lot longer for us.
Comments: Reyna was a lovely dog, a soul companion for me when I lived alone. She was stocky for a Finnish Spitz and tended to get overweight due to her Cushing's disease, which eventually killed her. When Reyna was young she loved to run and hunt. She went everywhere with me, like Jaska does now. When I'd go out to work, Reyna proceeded me, every time, her golden tail marking the way like a fluttering flag. She'd be a little red dot far in the field, waiting in the rows until I arrived. She'd see me settle in to work, and then commence on her dogly duties (sniffing mostly, it seemed). I have to admit, just writing about Reyna makes me cry. She is terribly missed.
Reyna is different: When she was just 3 or 4 months old the neighbor's dogs got loose. Unbeknownst to me, they came after her as I was digging in the side garden near the house. I heard panicked yipping and thumping as Reyna threw herself against the front door to try to escape two pretty vicious dogs, bent on tearing her to pieces. I rounded the corner of the house, shovel still in hand. What I saw enraged me, so I took off after the dogs, yelling, and barking!, and thumping their rears with the shovel. Little Reyna watched and then came after me, barking herself as 'we' defeated the invaders. When Reyna was 11 months we were out in the fields, working again. I was bent over, weeding. Behind my back, racing across the field towards me on the attack were those same two dogs. I turned around right before they leapt on my back. Reyna saw what was happening, and lit out after them like a, well, a dog-bat out of hell, barking all the while. After I recovered from the shock I did the same. Those dogs never bothered us again.
Reyna was fun: She loved to play games, any kind of game. She loved tug, and fetch, and hide and seek. Her best dog buddy was Watson, my Dad's huge Newfie/Golden mix. When she was little she was small enough to hang on his ear. Amazingly, Watson was a good enough buddy that he allowed this. She'd ride around the house, growling little puppy growls as she dangled from long-suffering Watson's head. It was pretty hilarious to watch. Reyna loved to howl and she loved it even more when I howled with her. We spent some interesting summer nights that way. She loved the beach, and when young would walk for hours with me and my Dad. I do so miss those times.