Photo of a Japanese Spitz dog

Japanese Spitz

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.
Size
Weight
Male - 5 - 9 kg.
Female - 5 - 9 kg.
Height (at withers)
34 – 37cm in height.
Female - 30 – 34cm in height.
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.
Color
This dog breed is renowned for having a pure white coat.
Care
Exercise
Japanese Spitz are a highly energetic dog breed, requiring about an 30mins up to 1 hour of exercise across the day.
Energy Level
Moderate to High
Longevity
12-14 years.
Club Recognition
AKC Class.
Not classified
UKC Class.
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.
Traits
Barking
Snoring
Drooling
Grooming
Social Needs
Digging
About
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.
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.

What to Expect

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.