Description

This little dog, with its fuzzy coat and curly tail, resembles a miniature Samoyed. The head is foxy in appearance, with high-set triangular ears, and typically dark eyes. These features tend to give the breed a mischievous or cheeky expression. The fluffy, plumed tail curls up over the dog’s back in typically Spitz-dog fashion.

Origin: Germany

Look

The German Spitz has a thick fuzzy coat that comes in many different coat colours, such as orange, black, brown, white, and wolf grey. The undercoat is soft and woolly, and the topcoat is long and harsher. The fur is extra-long on the tail and neck, and there is some feathering on the legs. Your German Spitz needs to be brushed thoroughly several times a week. This removes dead hair and skin, prevents tangles, and keeps your dog’s coat sleek and healthy. The German Spitz does shed heavily twice a year, which can be messy, though frequent brushing will help reduce the amount of hair shed around the house.

Health

Fortunately the German Spitz is generally a healthy dog, but the breed is prone to a few health conditions:

• Eye Problems
• Epilepsy
• Patellar Luxation

At NewDoggy.com we promote puppies from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. NewDoggy’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

Although the German Spitz is an intelligent breed, this breed reacts better to positive reinforcement training methods. This is not a dog that will show you unquestioning obedience. If you are firm but fair, and above all consistent during training, your German Spitz will soon learn what is expected of him/her.

Temperament

The German Spitz is intelligent and bold. They are very loyal, even devoted, to their humans, and are happy to show their affection for you. These lively dogs get on with most people and animals, though they can be a little territorial. Be aware that the German Spitz tends to have a high prey drive, so these dogs should be carefully socialised with other pets, and ideally supervised when with the latter.

Living with

The German Spitz makes a fantastic pet. They are very intelligent dogs. You do need to give them something to do; otherwise they will often entertain themselves by howling, barking, or destroying the house. They tend to be noisy: a trait inherited from their days as watchdog. Good training from a young age, combined with play and exercise, will help reduce howling and barking.

These little dogs are brave and bold with a taste for adventure, so they’ll be happy to run and walk with you. The German Spitz’s energy and courage mean that this breed can excel at many canine sports, including canine agility and flyball.

The Spitz usually gets on well with children, but make sure that your children play gently, as an over-enthusiastic child could accidentally hurt the little dog.