Also known as the Nihon Supittsu, the Japanese Spitz is a playful and affectionate breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the Japanese Spitz can be traced back to 19th century Japan, when unnamed breeders began experimenting with crossing various Spitz breeds. Enthusiasts believe the Japanese Spitz to have been developed by mating such breeds as the Samoyed, German Spitz, Russian Spitz, and American Eskimo Dog, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Japanese Spitz has been most commonly kept as a companion and show dog, proving its superior abilities to entertain while providing sweet and gentle companionship.
Today, while the Japanese Spitz has attained an underground popularity as both a companion and show dog, the breed remains rather rare world wide.
Personality Traits
Best known for its outgoing and playful nature, the Japanese Spitz is a genuinely happy breed. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, and love to play the role of lap dog. This breed is highly intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Japanese Spitz is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate. These dogs adapt well to full-time indoor and apartment living, and view spending time outdoors as a rare and special treat.
Train-ability
Due to its need for human attention and eagerness for mental stimulation, the Japanese Spitz generally responds well to basic training and commands. These bright dogs have the ability to learn to perform most any task their trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Japanese Spitz. This breed can be somewhat sensitive to criticism and responds best to positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Japanese Spitz. These spunky dogs are always on the go, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. This breed is very intelligent, obedient by nature, easy to train, and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Japanese Spitz gets along well with children and other pets, known for its gentle approach to small children and for making friends quickly with other pets due to its social nature. These dogs adapt well to indoor and apartment living, and only require moderate amounts of daily exercises. The Japanese Spitz is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Japanese Spitz. Like many companion breeds, these dogs are known to suffer from separation anxiety. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed who travel frequently, have full-time work, or are away from the home on a daily basis are advised to begin researching another breed. During an attack of separation anxiety, the Japanese Spitz will act out of nervous destruction and may destroy property, chew, dig, bark, whine, and ignore basic training such as housebreaking.
For reasons unknown, the Japanese Spitz loves to dig, and is quite good at doing so. It is not unusual for this breed to dig a hole under a fence within the matter of only a few minutes. The Japanese Spitz must be supervised or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
Like most Spitz breeds, the Japanese Spitz has a full and gorgeous coat which requires almost constant attention such as brushing, grooming, and bathing in order to prevent tangling and staining and maintain its attractive appearance.
As previously mentioned, the Japanese Spitz remains rather rare world wide and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Japanese Spitz is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: patellar luxation – dislocation of the knee, epilepsy, primary lens luxation – dislocation of the lens, cryptorchidism – failure of one or both of the testicles to fully descend, and difficulty in birthing – often resulting in caesarian section.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Japanese Spitz? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.heydogs.com/j/japanese_spitz.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/japanese_spitz
