Japanese Spitz
White all over, small, and quieter than most spitz breeds. Developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s, and the coat sheds dirt instead of holding it.
Overview
The Japanese Spitz was developed in Japan in the 1920s and 30s from imported white spitz dogs, including German Spitz stock, and standardised after the Second World War. It is pure white with a thick standing double coat and a distinctly foxy face.
It is essentially a companion breed with a watchdog's alertness, and it was designed for that from the start rather than repurposed into it.
Temperament
Bright, affectionate and loyal. Japanese Spitz are good with children, sociable with familiar people and reserved with strangers, and they are enthusiastic watchdogs.
They are intelligent and trainable and they bond closely to their families. They bark to announce things and they can be trained to moderate it, which is more than can be said for some spitz breeds. They dislike being left alone.
Care and grooming
The thick white coat is unusually easy: it is textured so dirt falls off it rather than sticking, and it needs brushing twice a week with daily attention during the two heavy moults. Bathing is infrequent.
Patellar luxation is the main concern, along with runny eyes, which are common in the breed. Ten to sixteen years.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes to an hour a day plus play and training. They suit flats given the exercise.
They are hardy and long lived, and they are one of the easier white coated breeds to keep clean, which is not the impression the coat gives.
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