Seiskar dog

The Seiskar dog is a reconstruction of a spitz type dog breed that was once used for seal hunting on the outer islands of the Gulf of Finland. Dogs that lived on Seiskar Island in those days were used as models for the modern Seiskar dog.

The seal dog is an ancient breed of dog that was practically extinguished when seal hunting ceased in the 1950s at the latest. In the 1990s, Leo V. Sipilä (1937–2005), a native of Seiskar, began to trace the descendants of seal dogs that had been given to mainland Finland from the island. As a result of his work, several dogs with characteristics typical of Seiskar dogs were found, which have served as the foundation for the current Seiskar dog population.

The Seiskar dog Club, Seiskarinkoirakerho in Finnish, was founded in 1999 with the aim of securing the future of this once extinct breed. To date, more than 660 dogs have been registered in the Seiskar dog registry of the Club. The Seiskar dog Club is an independent dog organization that does not belong to any umbrella organization. The Seiskar dog is a Finnish dog breed, but it is not listed by the FCI, Nordic Kennel Union, or the Finnish Kennel Club.

The breed definition of Seiskar dogs is based on contemporary sources and hereditary information about the island’s original dogs. The breeding of Seiskar dogs aims to follow the same principles as the breeding of seal dogs in the past. The Seiskari dog population is therefore open, and new individuals that meet the definition are systematically added to the population. The dogs added in the population are mostly other northern spitzes or mixes thereof. The openness of the population is needed to maintain a diverse gene pool, thereby minimizing the prevalence of hereditary diseases and defects. The health of the dog population is valued as more important than physical uniformity.

Present Seiskar dogs are mainly companion dogs, which, thanks to their agility, keen senses, and sociability, are suitable for most dog-related activities. Seiskar dogs are used in agility, obedience training, tracking, and therapy, among other things.

Seiskar dogs are northern spitz types and have a height at the withers of approximately 50 cm. Some Seiskar dogs have a tendency to chase game, and some are more prone to barking than others. Seiskar dogs are active and require exercise and stimulation. Generally, Seiskar dogs are fairly easy to train and are also suitable as a first dog. However, there are individual differences between dogs, and some males, for example, may exhibit strong gender-specific behavior. 

You can contact the Seiskar dog Club by email at info[at]seiskarinkoirakerho.fi

The Seiskarinkoira Club can also be found on Facebook.

Thanks to Cyrus Heiduska for checking the language.