The spitz dog category encompasses many popular dog breeds most people are familiar with. It’s quite fascinating discovering more about spitz dogs, their physical features and their history!
What is a Spitz Dog?
Spitz dogs are simply a category of dog breeds which share some distinct characteristics. Most spitz-like dogs share small pointy ears, almond shaped eyes, a dense, thick coat and a fluffy tail that is often curled over the back.
Spitz dogs are often described as having a strong wolf-like appearance. Dogs under the spitz category originate from East Asia and several Arctic regions and are believed to be very ancient. According to the American Kennel Club, spitz-type dogs in Europe were associated with the hunter and gatherers of the first stone age, dating back about 6000 years!
Spitz dogs were selectively bred for mostly accomplishing three tasks: hauling sleds, hunting large game like moose and brown bears or small game like birds and small mammals, and herding animals like the caribou and reindeer.
Spitz-type dogs therefore have a long history of living and working alongside humans. However, some breeds have been been bred away from working uses and were purposely designed to be companions or lap dogs.
A Closer Look
If we take a closer look at the characteristics of spitz dogs we will see how their bodies were purposely crafted to live in a cold environment. Even the facial features were crafted with harsh cold weather in mind.
Frostbite is a real problem in the Arctic and large ears would be prone to freezing in subzero temperatures. For a good reason the spitzs’ ears are small and pointy and lined up with fur to help prevent heat loss.
The eyes of dogs living in Arctic regions are often almond shaped and set obliquely. Why is that? This is an advantage as one can imagine how round, protruding eyes would be more prone to injury, observes Debbie Lynch, a columnist for the AKC Gazette.
Most spitz dogs have a wedge-shaped head with a definite stop. According to David Cavill, an English judge specializing in arctic breeds, the rise of the stop over the nasal sinus has a functional purpose in arctic breeds: allowing space for the air to warm as the dog breathes in the colder climates.
The double coat is obviously one of the main features that keep spitz-type dogs warm. The double coat in spitz dogs is composed by an outer, top coat made out of thick coarse fur and an inner coat made of fuzzy, insulating down. To protect the paws from sharp ice, the paws are heavily furred. And the tail? It conveniently curls up when spitz dogs are sleeping curled up in a ball so to help conserve heat.
What Dog Breeds are Spitz?
There are several dog breeds found in the spitz category. Sometimes, spitz dogs are divided in sub-types depending on their ancestry. For example, the German spitz sub-group includes Spitz type dogs of German origin, while Asian spitz sub-group includes spitz of Asian origin such as the Chow Chow and the Akita Inu.
Here are a few spitz dog breeds : Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, Akita, Shiba Inu, Keeshond, Chow Chow, Pomeranian, Samoyed, Norwegian lundehund, Greenland dog, Alaskan klee klai, American Eskimo dogs, Karelian bear dog, Finnish spitz, Finish lapphund, Eurasier, Hokkaido, Korean jindo, Japanese spitz and Schipperke. The Pomeranian is considered the smallest of all spitz dogs.
Owning Spitz Dogs
Interesting in opening your heart and home to a spitz dog? Then you need to know some important spitz dog facts. While every spitz dog is blessed with his own unique personality and characteristics, here are some general facts about spitz dog ownership and what to expect.
While some spitz-type dogs are social by nature, some others require more training and careful socialization when they are puppies and throughout their lives. Because many spitz-type dogs were selectively bred to run long distances, they are naturally equipped with stamina and endurance. This means that they thrive when provided lots of space to roam around and daily exercise and mental stimulation so to stay fit and happy. Many spitz-type dogs can make wonderful running partners.
And what about grooming? Their double coat requires regular grooming as spitz dogs tend to shed quite a lot and may be prone to matting.
As with any new doggy additions, it’s important to conduct thorough research. It’s easy to fall in love with the looks of spitz dogs without keeping into consideration their needs. Lots of spitz-type dogs end up being relinquished to rescues and shelters because of superficial choices.
Photo Credits
- Wikimedia, Německý špic vlčí Zuza Punkt Widzenia, Public Domain
Did you know? The presence of such lines is so important that the American Kennel Club considers the absence of “spectacles” a very serious fault!
While keeshond lost their jobs on the barges long ago, they have still retained their strong watch dog instincts and are always on duty, sounding the alarm for anything they believe is unusual. Being sensitive, keeshond may be reactive towards loud noises and may not cope well in families where there is lots of tension or shouting.
Located at the bottom of Rover’s legs, we play an important role in bearing weight. You might find it interesting learning that dogs tend to carry the majority of their weight in their front legs.
While we help ear weight and absorb shock, we can only do so much. As mentioned, we are prone to injury, something that is quite common in performance dogs, such as dogs engaged in the sport of agility.
When we talk about epimeletic behaviors, we are basically discussing the natural tendency of providing care to others. Nurturing, care giving behaviors therefore fall under this category.
When we talk about allelomimetic behaviors, we are discussing about behaviors that puppies exhibit as they go through social stages of development. Once their ear and eyes open and puppies becomes more mobile, they will start discovering more about the world around them.
To better understand dog to dog greeting behaviors it’s important to know a bit more about pheromones. When dogs meet and greet one another, a whole lot goes on a chemical level. Several pheromone glands are distributed throughout the dog’s body and are concentrated on certain body parts, as seen in the picture.
This is one of the most common ways dogs are forced to interact with other dogs when they’re on leash, basically, head-on. This is generally not a preferred method to meet as seen in the tense dogs in the picture on the right.
Another area of interest is the groin area. In male dogs, there are also pheromones that are secreted here from the preputial area and urinary tract area. The presence of pheromones from the urinary tract explains why dogs are fixated with urine marking and sniffing other dog’s pee.
This is one of the most common ways dogs greet one another, and the one that people are most accustomed to. In a natural setting, unlike dogs meeting head-on as dogs are often forced to do when on leash, dogs arch their bodies in a curve and investigate one another in a head-to-tail, ano-genital greeting.
“My Dog is Crazy!”
“My Dog is Willful!”
“My Dog is Vengeful!”
What is the normal color of dog urine? The normal color of dog urine is transparent yellow. The color of your dog’s urine derives from a pigmented substance that is known as “plasma urochrome.” This substance is excreted by the dog’s kidneys and is produced at a constant rate; however, its concentration may vary based on how much a dog drinks.
When a dog presents with orange urine, this can be concerning. In this case, the color may not be due to the normal presence of plasma urochrome, but instead the abnormal presence of bilirubin, a substance that is excreted by the liver.
At times, a dog’s urine may assume a pinkish tint or perhaps the presence of red blood in the dog’s urine (hematuria) may be seen. There may be several causes for this. Affected dogs may be suffering from an inflammation of the bladder, a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, crystals in the urine or kidney problems.
Brown urine that somewhat resembles the color of tea may be caused by several factors. Dogs with brown urine may be very dehydrated, but in this case, the urine turns back to normal once the dog drinks more or, in case of severe dehydration, when the dog is given intravenous fluids by the vet.
Cloudy urine is another problematic type of urine that requires investigation by a vet. The cloudy appearance is often caused by the presence of pus, crystals, bacteria. Cloudy urine in dogs is most likely suggestive of urinary tract infection, bladder stones or perhaps a prostate infection, especially in male intact dogs.
While odd, abnormal urine colors of dog urine may be concerning, a lack of color may be equally concerning such as when the dog’s urine presents as clear, almost water-like. Another warning sign is urine that lacks an odor, that is clear and produced in large quantities and that the dog has a hard time holding.
A setter dog is basically a gun dog with a history of hunting birds such as quail, grouse and pheasant.
Did you know? When setters catch the scent of a bird, they will wag their tails rhythmically. This tells the hunter that they have managed to track down game.
The English setter is the oldest type of setter, perhaps dating back to the 14th century. As the other setters, the English setter was selectively bred to locate quarry on the moors and then set util the birds were dispatched. Edward Laverack played a major role in breeding these dogs and coined the term “belton” to depict the roan and 
Gordon setters come from Scotland and were used there at least from the 1600s. This breed’s name derives from the Fourth Duke of Gordon who cared for many of these dogs at Gordon Castle. Gordon setters are the heaviest and slowest of the setters, and this trait became most pronounced when the breed first entered the show ring. Robert Chapman though worked on making this breed less ponderous. This breed though still remains slower than the other flashy setters.
So what on earth is exactly a dog’s topknot? In simple terms, a dog’s top knot is a type of pony tail on the top of the dog’s head that is often held in place with a flashy bow or barrette.
Perhaps the hardest part of making a topknot is keeping a dog still! If your dog breed is one that requires frequent grooming, training a dog to stay may come helpful.
Hello, it’s me, your dog’s amygdala talking! Actually, as with many other parts of your dog’s body we come in pairs. For those word nerds out there, the plural of amygdala is amygdalae, and the word “amygdala” derives from the ancient Greek word “amygdale” meaning “almond.”
When you think of us, think about the word “threat.” It’s is thanks to us that your dog is intimidated by threats and reacts accordingly in a fearful manner. You may think, why should I be thankful that my dog has fear?
Our goal is to ultimately keep your dog safe; however, sometimes things may get out of hand. If we happen to regularly overreact, we create fertile grounds for an anxiety disorder to set in.
