Japanese Spitz

The Japanese Spitz does well on a well-balanced, good-quality food, whether store-bought or homemade. Treats are useful for training, but too many can lead to weight gain, so keep an eye on portions and learn which human foods are safe for dogs and which are not. Keep clean, fresh water available at all times.

Feed adult dogs twice a day, in the morning and evening. Puppies should eat three times a day to lower the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). Follow the feeding guidelines on the packaging to gauge how much to give based on weight, and ask your vet for advice tailored to your dog's health, age, and lifestyle.

Once your puppy turns 1, slowly transition from puppy food to a high-quality, small-breed adult formula. Adult food carries fewer calories than puppy food, which helps prevent unwanted weight gain.

A healthy Japanese Spitz on a complete diet usually needs nothing extra unless your veterinarian recommends a supplement. A vet may, for example, suggest a joint supplement or an omega-3 fatty acid such as fish oil to support a dog with patellar luxation.

The Japanese Spitz has a profuse, white, double coat: a thick, generous undercoat beneath a longer outer coat. The breed sheds the undercoat twice a year, and when it blows its coat the entire undercoat comes out over about two to three weeks. During those spring and fall shedding seasons, daily brushing helps remove the loose fur and keep it off your clothes, furniture, and floors.

For most of the year the coat is low maintenance, needing only weekly brushing to prevent matting and infrequent baths. The coat naturally repels dirt, so mud and grime tend not to stick. If your dog does get muddy, let it dry and then brush it out.

Bathe only every few months, since bathing too often strips the coat's natural oils and can irritate the skin. As with all breeds, trim the nails regularly and clean the ears with a veterinary ear cleaner about once a month, watching for any signs of trouble.

Start a dental care routine with at-home teeth brushing, ideally building the habit in puppyhood as part of lifelong dental hygiene. Like many light-coated dogs, a Japanese Spitz may develop tear staining; gently cleaning the eyes with a dog-safe face wipe can help reduce it.

The Japanese Spitz has a moderate amount of energy and does well with about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. It doesn't have to be rigorous; a neighborhood walk, a game of fetch, or chasing a ball in the yard all work. A good run or daily walk benefits these dogs both physically and mentally, and they will happily settle onto the sofa with you afterward.

This adaptable breed suits many living situations, from apartments to houses to farms. Given more room they will gladly roam, while in an apartment a daily walk does the job. Keep them leashed in unfenced areas to stay safe, and note that they don't tolerate cold well and may not want to linger outdoors in chilly weather.

As an outgoing breed, the Japanese Spitz enjoys interactive games, trips to the dog park, and the chance to be social. Many take well to dog sports such as rally, agility, flyball, and musical canine freestyle, which suit their natural desire to perform and give their mind a workout.

The Japanese Spitz is intelligent and eager to please, which makes it highly trainable. These dogs respond well to positive reinforcement and reward-based methods, and for them the top reward is time with their humans, so interactive training like competitive obedience works especially well. Without guidance they will still learn things, just not always what you had in mind.

Early socialization and puppy training classes help these dogs grow into well-behaved, confident adults. Group classes that introduce them to unfamiliar people and animals are a good option for this naturally outgoing breed. A well-socialized Japanese Spitz is friendly and happy to meet new people and other pets; a poorly socialized one may be more reserved and nervous.

Introduced and socialized young, the Japanese Spitz is great with children and other pets, even cats, which makes it a strong family dog. Because they crave companionship, long stretches alone can lead to problem behaviors and separation anxiety, and they may bark for attention or when excited. Building confidence through training, and working with a trainer on the barking, helps keep these tendencies in check.