Breed Comparison: Finnish Spitz Versus Sealyham Terrier

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Finnish Spitz Versus Sealyham Terrier: Introduction

Are you thinking of getting a new pet dog, and you have narrowed down your choices to the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier? Well, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will provide you a detailed comparison of these two dog breeds to help you decide which of the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier better suits you.

We will provide you a detailed discussion and comparison of dog attributes such as intelligence, price, general health, friendliness, etc, for both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier.

Furthermore, we will let you know which one of the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier is better suited for new dog owners, for owners with kids, for owners that live in apartments, for owners with dog allergies, etc.

Importantly, we did some analysis and calculation and we obtained a number that we call the Better-Pet Score™ for both the Finnish Spitz and for the Sealyham Terrier. The dog breed with the higher Better-Pet score is the `better` pet. We hope that these Better-Pet Scores will provide you more insight into deciding which pet to get between the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier.

Our only goal here is to help you make a well-thought-out decision on your next long-term companion, be it the Finnish Spitz or the Sealyham Terrier

Finnish Spitz versus Sealyham Terrier: Overview

A very important difference between the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier is the size difference between the two dog breeds. The Finnish Spitz is a medium-sized dog while the Sealyham Terrier is a small-sized dog.

Furthermore, the Finnish Spitz belongs to the Sporting Dogs group. Sporting Dogs were bred to help hunters catch and retrieve feathered game. Some sporting dog breeds such as Retrievers, which were built for swimming, were bred to hunt waterfowl in water. Whereas sporting dog breeds like setters, spaniels, and pointing breeds were bred to hunt quail, pheasant, and other game birds nest on grasslands. Many Sporting Group breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that protect them from harsh hunting conditions.

On the other hand, the Sealyham Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group. Terrier Dogs were originally bred to go underground to hunt rodents and other small wild animals (vermin). Terriers come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but all terriers are energetic, highly intelligent, and territorial. Terries also have the tendency to escape. They require a securely fenced yard.

Finnish Spitz versus Sealyham Terrier: Comparison Table

The table below compares the Finnish Spitz to the Sealyham Terrier based on different important factors such as Price, Health, Kid-friendliness, etc.

When a dog breed scores higher for a factor than the other dog breed, the box of the breed that scores higher is shaded green and the box of the breed that scores lower is shaded red. When there is no difference between the breeds for a particular factor then the box is shaded gray for both pets. Also, when the factor is not important in picking a pet, or when the factor cannot be compared between two pets, the box for the factor is shaded gray for both pets

Most of the factors in the table for each dog breed are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5. “1” means “worst”, and “5” means “best”.

However, some factors such as “Price”, “Average Lifespan”, etc. cannot be on a scale of 1 to 5, so they are not on a scale of 1 to 5 in the comparison table.

Factor Finnish Spitz Sealyham Terrier
Tolerates Being Alone 1/5 2/5
Does NOT Drool 5/5 3/5
Life Span 12 to 15 years 12 to 14 years
Height 15 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder Up to 10 inches tall at the shoulder
Easy To Groom 2/5 1/5
Weight 20 to 35 pounds 22 to 24 pounds
Adapts Well To Apartment Living 3/5 4/5
Good For Novice Owners 3/5 4/5
Easygoing 3/5 2/5
Tolerates Hot Weather 3/5 3/5
Friendly Toward Strangers 3/5 3/5
Potential NOT to Gain Weight 3/5 3/5
Easy To Train 3/5 3/5
Does NOT chew on things 3/5 4/5
Low Prey Drive 3/5 4/5
Does NOT Shed 2/5 2/5
General Health 4/5 5/5
Intelligence 4/5 4/5
Tendency NOT to Wander 2/5 3/5
Calmness/ Low Vigor 2/5 4/5
Tolerates Cold Weather 5/5 4/5
Affectionate With Family 5/5 4/5
Kid-Friendly 5/5 4/5
Dog Friendly 5/5 4/5
Does NOT Bark or Howl 1/5 2/5
NOT Rambunctious 1/5 2/5
Minimal Exercise Needs 1/5 2/5
Potential For Playfulness 5/5 4/5
Average Lifespan 13.5 years 13.0 years
Average Price $900 No Data
Price Range $600 – $1100 No Data
Common Health Problems and Recommended Health Tests No Data
  • Eye Examination- Yearly Exams Recommended
  • Primary Lens Luxation
    		•
    Popularity out of 200 Dog Breeds 179 157
    Intelligence Rank (out of 130 Dog Breeds) 43 56

    *Data from dogtime.com, OFA.org (The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), petcalculator.com, wikipedia.org, ATTS.org (the American Temperament Test Society)

    Next, we added the scores of the factors that can be added together for the Finnish Spitz in the table (that is, `Ease of Grooming` score + `General Health` score + `Calmness` score + …etc) and we compared it to the corresponding total score for the Sealyham Terrier. We call these total scores the Better-Pet Scores, as we mentioned earlier. We called this score the Better-Pet score because the better dog breed will have a higher score. This is because the pet will the higher score will have minimal needs and be easier to have as a pet.

    The Better-Pet score for a Finnish Spitz is 77 out of 125 while the Better-Pet score for a Sealyham Terrier is 80 out of 125.

    Based on their Better-Pet scores, the Sealyham Terrier is a better pet than the Finnish Spitz. So, you should get the Sealyham Terrier!

    Although we have done our best to analyze these two dog breeds in a very unbiased way, however, we will like to let you know that there are some dog attributes that cannot be assigned a number for comparison. We cannot put a number on how cute a dog breed is, for example. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

    Also, the dog breed that best suits you will depend on your peculiar lifestyle, your taste, and your priorities, which we do not know. So, for you to decide on which breed is right for you, read through the rest of the article to further understand both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier so that you can make your own well-informed decision on which pet to get.

    The Similarities Between the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier

    The Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are very similar in certain aspects. Below is the list of where the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are most similar:

  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier do not like to be left alone.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier require a lot of grooming and are not very easy to groom.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are very healthy. They do not suffer from a lot of health problems compared to other dog breeds
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are highly intelligent.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier can tolerate cold weather.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier get along well with other dogs.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are highly vocal. They have the tendency to bark and howl.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
  • Both the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier are very playful.

    • Size (Weight and Height) of Finnish Spitz versus Sealyham Terrier

    Now, let us discuss the difference in size between the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier.

    Finnish Spitzs weigh 20 to 35 pounds when fully grown. Finnish Spitzs are 15 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.

    On the other hand, Sealyham Terriers weigh 22 to 24 pounds when fully grown. Sealyham Terriers are Up to 10 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.

    The Intelligence of the Finnish Spitz versus the Intelligence of the Sealyham Terrier

    Finnish Spitz Sealyham Terrier
    Intelligence Rank 43 out of 130 dog breeds 56 out of 130 dog breeds
    Trainability Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions!

    Professor Stanley Coren, the famous psychology/neuropsychological professor and, dog lover/trainer measured and ranked the intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.

    According to Prof. Stanley Coren, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:

  • Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence a dog has because of what the dog was bred for. This type of intelligence comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that were bred for guarding will have high `guarding` instinctive intelligence, while dog breeds that were bred for hunting will what high `hunting` instinctive intelligence. However, you cannot compare the intelligence of dog breeds based on instinctive intelligence because such a comparison will not make sense.
  • Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. It includes learning and benefiting from experience with his environment, solving new problems, and so forth. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. Thus, two dogs can have remarkably different levels of adaptive intelligence even if they are of the same breed.
  • Working/Obedience Intelligence: This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. Importantly, different dog breeds have different learning abilities. Also, science has shown that some dog breeds can learn faster than some other breeds. This means certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. Dogs with high Working/Obedience Intelligence are smart and easy to train.

    • Prof. Coren showed that the Working/Obedience Intelligence of different dog breeds can be measured reliably. Thus, he was able to rank different dog breeds based on their Working/Obedience Intelligence.

    This is important because according to Prof. Coren, 51 percent of a dog`s intelligence comes from its genes while 49 percent of a dog`s intelligence comes from the dog`s environmental circumstances.

    To rank the intelligence of dog breeds, Prof. Coren employed the help of 208 dog obedience judges in North America to fill out a detailed survey on dog obedience. This number represented more than half of all of these judges in North America at the time. He also employed 63 veterinarians and 14 guard dog experts to collect data on the personality of different dog breeds.

    Prof. Coren found that the Finnish Spitz has an obedience intelligence rank of 43 out of 130 dog breeds. The Finnish Spitz belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category. This means that Finnish Spitzs tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.

    The Sealyham Terrier has an obedience intelligence rank of 56 out of 130 dog breeds. The Sealyham Terrier belongs to the `Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category. This means that Sealyham Terriers tend to learn new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions!.

    The Finnish Spitz is more intelligent than the Sealyham Terrier.

    However, Prof. Coren noted that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone, that other factors such as sociability, adorability, and compatibility with the owner are other very important factors that new dog owners need to consider when deciding on a new dog.

    The Popularity of Finnish Spitz versus Popularity of Sealyham Terrier

    Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds. The AKC collects this data for purebred dogs only(no mixed or hybrid dogs).

    The graphs and the table below show the popularity of the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier over the years.

    Based on the AKC popularity data over the years, the Sealyham Terrier is more popular with dog owners than the Finnish Spitz. This is because, over the years, the average popularity of the Sealyham Terrier is 157 out of about 200 dog breeds while the average popularity of the Finnish Spitz is 179 out of about 200 dog breeds.

    Popularity of Finnish Spitz

    Popularity of Finnish Spitz

    Popularity of Sealyham Terrier

    Popularity of Sealyham Terrier

    Year Finnish Spitz Popularity Rank Sealyham Terrier Popularity Rank
    2013 170 158
    2014 174 169
    2015 178 158
    2016 179 155
    2017 177 150
    2018 184 164
    2019 183 154
    2020 187 148

    Tolerates Being Alone: Finnish Spitz versus Sealyham Terrier

    Finnish Spitzs do not like to be left alone.

    Sealyham Terriers do not like to be left alone.

    Which one drools more, the Finnish Spitz or the Sealyham Terrier

    Finnish Spitzs do have a very low tendency to drool.

    Sealyham Terriers drool moderately.

    Which is Easier to Groom, the Finnish Spitz or the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs require a lot of grooming and they are not very easy to groom.

    Sealyham Terriers require a lot of grooming and they are not very easy to groom.

    Is the Finnish Spitz Better for Apartment Owners than the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs adapt moderately well to apartment living.

    Sealyham Terriers adapt very well to apartment living.

    Which is Better for New Dog Owners, the Finnish Spitz or the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs are OK for new dog owners.

    Sealyham Terriers are very good for new dog owners.

    Can Finnish Spitzs Tolerate Hot Weather? Can Sealyham Terriers Tolerate Hot Weather?

    Finnish Spitzs can tolerate hot weather as long as the weather is not too hot.

    Sealyham Terriers can tolerate hot weather as long as the weather is not too hot.

    Is the Finnish Spitz Easier to Train than the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs are fairly easy to train.

    Sealyham Terriers are fairly easy to train.

    Does the Finnish Spitz Have a Higher Prey Drive than the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs have a moderate prey drive. They can sometimes chase after smaller animals and pets.

    Sealyham Terriers have a very low prey drive. This means they get won`t chase after smaller pets. They tend to get along well with other pets.

    Do Finnish Spitzs shed more than Sealyham Terriers?

    Finnish Spitzs shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.

    Sealyham Terriers shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.

    Wanderlust Potential: Finnish Spitz vs. Sealyham Terrier

    Finnish Spitzs have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.

    Sealyham Terriers have a moderate tendency to wander. This means that they sometimes get distracted by other animals or objects.

    Can Finnish Spitzs Tolerate Cold Weather? And can Sealyham Terriers Tolerate Cold Weather?

    Finnish Spitzs can very well tolerate cold weather.

    Sealyham Terriers can very well tolerate cold weather.

    Are Finnish Spitzs good family dogs? What about Sealyham Terriers?

    Finnish Spitzs are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.

    Sealyham Terriers are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.

    How Kid-friendly are Finnish Spitzs and Sealyham Terriers?

    Finnish Spitzs get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.

    Sealyham Terriers get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.

    Which Dog Breed is more Dog-Friendly, the Finnish Spitz or the Sealyham Terrier?

    Finnish Spitzs get along very well with other dogs.

    Sealyham Terriers get along very well with other dogs.

    Do Finnish Spitzs Bark and Howl? What about Sealyham Terriers?

    Finnish Spitzs are highly vocal. They have the tendency to bark and howl.

    Sealyham Terriers are highly vocal. They have the tendency to bark and howl.

    Other Dog Breeds That are Similar to the Finnish Spitz

    Furthermore, there are other dog breeds that are very similar to the Finnish Spitz that you can consider on your quest to get the best pet.

    We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds have similar personality and temperament as the Finnish Spitz:

  • Bearded Collie (78 percent match with Finnish Spitz). Here is our comparison of the Sealyham Terrier vs Bearded Collie.
  • West Highland White Terrier (79 percent match with Finnish Spitz). Here is our comparison of the Sealyham Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier.

    • Other Dog Breeds That are Similar to the Sealyham Terrier

    Furthermore, there are other dog breeds that are very similar to the Sealyham Terrier that you can consider on your quest to get the best pet.

    We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds have similar personality and temperament as the Sealyham Terrier:

  • Dutch Shepherd (75 percent match with Sealyham Terrier). Here is our comparison of the Finnish Spitz vs Dutch Shepherd.
  • Cardigan Welsh Corgi (77 percent match with Sealyham Terrier). Here is our comparison of the Finnish Spitz vs Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

    • Other Breed Comparisons that Might Interest You

    You may also be interested in how the Finnish Spitz and how the Sealyham Terrier compares to other breeds. So, see below the comparison of the Finnish Spitz and of the Sealyham Terrier to other breeds:

    Finnish Spitz Versus Other Dog Breeds

    Finnish Spitz versus Japanese Spitz     Finnish Spitz versus Black and Tan Coonhound     Finnish Spitz versus Shiloh Shepherd     Finnish Spitz versus Miniature Pinscher     Finnish Spitz versus French Bulldog     Finnish Spitz versus Shihpoo     Finnish Spitz versus Chinook     Finnish Spitz versus Cane Corso     Finnish Spitz versus Scottish Deerhound     Finnish Spitz versus Mastiff     

    Sealyham Terrier Versus Other Dog Breeds

    Sealyham Terrier versus Samoyed     Sealyham Terrier versus Collie     Sealyham Terrier versus Scottish Terrier     Sealyham Terrier versus Chinese Shar-Pei     Sealyham Terrier versus Valley Bulldog     Sealyham Terrier versus Pomeranian     Sealyham Terrier versus Treeing Tennessee Brindle     Sealyham Terrier versus Bluetick Coonhound     Sealyham Terrier versus Schnoodle     Sealyham Terrier versus Pyrenean Mastiff     

    Conclusion: Finnish Spitz versus Sealyham Terrier. Which One is a Better Pet?

    In summary, there is nothing like a better dog breed or a worse dog breed. The important question to ask is which dog breed better matches your interests and lifestyle. We hope our discussion above will help you in deciding which dog breed between the Finnish Spitz and the Sealyham Terrier better suits you and your family.