Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Japanese Spitz Breed Overview
- History of the Japanese Spitz Breed. Where Japanese Spitzs came from
- What the Japanese Spitz Looks Like
- How Much is the Japanese Spitz Puppy?
- What Colors do Japanese Spitzs Have?
- Japanese Spitz Litter Size
- Health Problems in Japanese Spitzs and How to Prevent Them
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Japanese Spitzs
- Other Things to Know About Japanese Spitzs
Japanese Spitz Breed Overview
The Japanese Spitz is a small-sized dog.
The adult Japanese Spitz stands 10 to 16 inches.
The Japanese Spitz belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Japanese Spitz, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that Japanese Spitzs belong to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Japanese Spitzs have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Japanese Spitz is generally described as:
- Affectionate
- Bold
- Cheerful
- Companionable
- Intelligent
- Loyal
- Obedient
- Playful
- Proud
History of the Japanese Spitz Breed. Where Japanese Spitzs came from
Due to the loss of records during World War II, it is difficult to know how the Japanese Spitz came to be.
The breed, which has a similar appearance to the American Eskimo and Samoyed, might be descended from the German Spitz that arrived in Japan via Siberia and China.
Japan`s Kennel Club didn`t establish the breed standard until decades after it was first featured at a dog show in Tokyo in 1921.
Spitz breeders imported Japanese dogs from Canada, the United States, Australia, and China and crossbred them.
As early as 1950, these adorable little dogs had gained a large following, becoming an in-demand breed in their native Japan and around the world.
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What the Japanese Spitz Looks Like
The Japanese Spitz has a pointed muzzle, triangular, pricked ears, a small, round nose, and large, almond-shaped eyes.
This breed has a dignified, elegant appearance.
As with other spitz-type dogs, the Japanese Spitz has a double coat that includes a short, soft, dense undercoat and a straight outercoat that stands off the face, ears, and legs are covered in short hairs.
Long hair covers the rest of its body, especially the neck and shoulders, giving it the appearance of a mane.
Their tails are long and feathered.
Their coats are white.
Japan Spitz dogs are quick, intelligent, and cheerful.
They have balanced bodies, pointed muzzles, and alert expressions that make them look like foxes.
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How Much is the Japanese Spitz Puppy?
The average price of a Japanese Spitz puppy is $2200. The price of a Japanese Spitz puppy ranges from $2200 to $2200.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Japanese Spitz. These factors include what health records the Japanese Spitz puppy has, the lineage of the Japanese Spitz puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Japanese Spitz based on the many factors that determine the price of the Japanese Spitz puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Japanese Spitz puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Japanese Spitz breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
What Colors do Japanese Spitzs Have?
Japanese Spitzs come in the following beautiful primary colors:
Japanese Spitzs come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
Japanese Spitz Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 91 different Japanese Spitz birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Japanese Spitzs can have is 3 puppies. Also, the Japanese Spitz can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 7 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Japanese Spitz will have depends on factors such as the age of the Japanese Spitz, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Japanese Spitz will have and how the litter size of the Japanese Spitz compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
Health Problems in Japanese Spitzs and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Japanese Spitz is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Japanese Spitz puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Japanese Spitz breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Japanese Spitzs for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Japanese Spitzs here.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Japanese Spitzs
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Japanese Spitz.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Japanese Spitz:
- Bergamasco Sheepdog (79 percent match with Japanese Spitz). Learn more about the Bergamasco Sheepdog here.
- Bordoodle (81 percent match with Japanese Spitz). Learn more about the Bordoodle here.
- Dutch Shepherd (79 percent match with Japanese Spitz). Learn more about the Dutch Shepherd here.
Other Things to Know About Japanese Spitzs
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Japanese Spitz that you need to know about the Japanese Spitz breed:
