The ever-wonderful temperament of Japanese Spitz makes for a prized breed among their owners. Thriving on human company and affection, they make for beautiful long-term companions.
Size:
Weight Range:
Male: 5 - 9 kg.
Female: 5 - 9 kg.
Height at Withers:
Male: 34 – 37cm in height.
Female: 30 – 34cm in height.
Features:
Japanese Spitz are distinguished by their neat and small square shaped body, with an upright chest, and thick, soft double coat that extends up to a feathered tail and is pure white.
Expectations:
Exercise Requirements: Japanese Spitz are a highly energetic dog breed, requiring about an 30mins up to 1 hour of exercise across the day.
Energy Level: Medium - high, this dog breed is highly energetic and intelligent in nature, so stimulation is necessary.
Longevity Range: Expected lifespan for this dog breed is between 12-14 years.
Tendency to Drool: Japanese Spitz do not have a tendency to drool, making them a very furniture friendly breed.
Tendency to Snore: This breed of dog is not notoriously known for snoring.
Tendency to Bark: Japanese Spitz love attention and are very attentive, especially to their surroundings and naturally tend to bark in friendly communication and alerting their owners. However, this dog breed is very intelligent, and with adequate training this can be improved.
Tendency to Dig: If exercised and stimulated across the day the Japanese Spitz does not show a tendency to dig or exhibit this behaviour.
Social/Attention Needs: Japanese Spitz adapt well to apartment living and love having their owners present, they are very affectionate and tightly bond with their owners and family.
Health Risks: Low.
Bred for:
This dog breed was bred for companionship and will happily be on alert to protect the people they care about most.
Coat:
Length: Medium length coat, with shorter fur along the legs and snout, with a long-feathered tail. Due to the double nature of the coat, it rarely attracts dirt or fleas.
Characteristics:
Colors: This dog breed is renowned for having a pure white coat.
Overall Grooming Needs: As the Japanese Spitz features a double coat, it will shed seasonally twice a year. Regular weekly grooming to maintain and remove the undercoat to prevent matting.
Club recognition:
AKC Classification: Not classified
UKC Classification: Utility
Prevalence: This dog breed is immensely popular in Japan due to its very clean and neat nature and fitting the mould for the perfect apartment living dog; however, this breed tends to be seen less globally and is considered rare.
The Japanese Spitz makes for a very neat roommate amongst a household of 1 or a loving family, they adore their human companions and make a bubbly and fun addition to the home.
You can expect this dog breed to reach a weight range of 5-9kg and a height range between 30 and 37 cm. With an affectionate temperament and soft white double coat, they are the perfect lapdog that could easily be mistaken for being as soft as a teddy bear. Bonding with their companions, they will quickly alert you of unfamiliar visitors or territory around them, with their upright ears and active state they don’t miss a beat.
This dog breed is very intelligent and easy to train, so stimulation and exercise are key to keeping them happy. A small walk in the morning or evening is all they need, approximating 30-45 mins with usually no more than an hour maximum required to keep their energy levels balanced.
Personality:
This dog breed will make you laugh and impress you with its witty nature and quick thinking. They are sharp as a tack with intelligence and thrive on stimulation and training, so if you love to teach tricks, they will be eager to learn from you.
Their temperament is placid and gentle, making them great around the entire family and social with other dogs if they are an addition to the pack. Because they are a very social dog breed, they love having their companions around them where possible, and don’t adapt well to long periods of time alone.
Living With:
Japanese Spitz are very popular as an apartment savvy breed, so they can adapt to most living environments with ease, they do shed their double coat so will require grooming and daily brushing for about a week when this happens.
Recommended Diet:
Puppy: Hill's Science Diet Puppy Small & Mini Breed Dry Dog Food
Adult: Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Breed Dry Dog Food, Hill's Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Small & Mini Breed Dry Dog Food
Mature: Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Senior Small & Mini Breed Senior Dry Dog Food
History:
The Japanese Spitz are initially believed to have been descended from white German Spitz bloodlines initially, as the German Spitz breed varies greatly in colour diversity and size, averaging between 9-13kg; it is estimated that this breed was brought over to Japan around 1920 via Siberia and China sources.
Unfortunately, that is as far back as speculation goes as all records of the breed and its development across time were destroyed during the times of WWII, leaving only speculation of traditional lineage.
Health Concerns:
Japanese Spitz as a breed are in general, both healthy and active and usually this breed has very few genetic issues.
- Patella Luxation - where the dog's kneecap can dislocate out of its normal position
Other minior health concerns can include:
- Environmental allergies.
- Epiphora-watery discharge from eyes.
In order to help you identify possible health issues upfront, it would be advised, as with all dog breeds, to obtain veterinary records and DNA certificates for both father and mother prior to bringing home your new companion.
It is advised that any prospective pet parents are aware of potential health challenges faced with this breed and that you do your own research before ownership.
