Overview
The Tonya Finosu is a small dog from the Tonya district of Trabzon province on Turkey's Black Sea coast. It is of spitz type, with a soft, often pale coat, pricked ears and a tail curled over the back, and it has traditionally been kept as a household companion and watchdog in the region's hill villages.
Almost nothing has been written about the breed outside Turkey and it is not recognised by any major kennel club, so any dog you walk is a rarity and your best source of information is its owner. Small spitz types in general are alert, vocal, devoted to their family and reserved with strangers, and that is a reasonable starting assumption here.
Exercise and walking needs
A small spitz-type companion generally wants two walks a day of around twenty to thirty minutes with time to sniff and investigate. They are not demanding athletes but they are busy and curious, and a dull route bores them.
Watchdog instincts mean the dog will probably bark at things it notices on the walk. A little training along the way, and a route without too many triggers, keeps that in check.
On the walk
- Voice: Expect the dog to announce other dogs, cyclists and strangers. It is doing its job, so redirect it rather than scolding it.
- Recall: Spitz breeds tend to be independent, and a rare dog with an unknown training history should be treated as a lead walk until proven otherwise.
- Strangers: Likely to be reserved at first. Let the dog decide when to approach and keep people from looming over it.
- Other dogs: Unknown until you see it. Introduce new dogs on a lead and watch the body language before letting it play.
Tips for professional walkers
- Treat the first walks as information gathering: short, quiet and close to home.
- Fit a snug harness; small spitz necks slip out of collars easily.
- Brush the coat after wet walks so the soft undercoat does not mat.
- Write down what the dog reacts to and share it with the owner so you both build a picture.
What to ask the owner
- What do you know about the dog's background, and how was it raised and socialised?
- How does it behave with other dogs, children and strangers, and what are its triggers for barking?
- What recall and basic cues does it know, and in which language were they taught?