German Spitz
German Spitz is one of the oldest dog breeds in Europe. A German native, it has been in existence for over 6,000 years. In general, German Spitzs are classified into three depending on their size. These are Grosspitz (large), mittelspitz (medium) and Kleinspitz (small).
Physical Characteristics
The giant spitz weighs around 40 pounds and has a height of around 17 inches. The medium one's weight and height ranges from 24-40 pounds and 12-15 inches respectively while the small one has a weight range of 18-21 pounds and a height that ranges from 10-12 inches. Their heads are wedge-shaped and ears pointy. They have keen, oval and dark eyes with a puffy and rough coat. They can be brown, black orange or grey.
Characteristics
They are very lively dogs with a great sense of humour who love playing around with their human companions and fellow dogs. If well trained, they easily participate in all the fun games at home. Their outgoing nature is such that when they are left for a long period in an isolated place, they become depressed. However, they can be suspicious and even shy before strangers. They are also busy dogs who hate having nothing to do. When bored, they bark unnecessarily. It is, therefore, important that you keep them busy all day.
They are best kept by city dwellers, active singles or families. They are known to develop intense loyalty and attachment to the families that keep them. With this loyalty and their playful nature, they can be great companions to adults as well as kids. In fact, they are highly recommended as pets for kids.
Even though for much of their history they have been used as herding and guard dogs, the German Spitz is most suited as a watchdog. Whenever there is a stranger they bark excessively until they are told to stop by the owner. Their loyalty sense of humour and playfulness also makes them great companion dogs.
Training
German Spitzs are very intelligent dogs who learn new things fast and easily. Unfortunately, they are not easy to train. They often demand a lot of love and attention from their human families. When this attention is absent or not enough, they become stubborn and very difficult to train. However, when you show them the love and attention they crave for, they do anything to please the owner. This should be done with care because when they realize you are meek and always submit to their demands, they become stubborn as well.
The first step in their training is, therefore, winning their loyalty and confidence. Often, they respond very poorly when coerced to do things. That is why positive reinforcement is the best training method for them. Once you motivate them to do the things you want done, there is no limit to what you can teach them.
Care
German Spitzs are sturdy dogs with very few genetic health issues. With good care many of them can live out their whole lifetimes without ever having any health problem.
Just like humans, they need a balanced diet. 6 fatty acids and omega 3 are particularly important in their diet as they keep them healthy and disease-free.
For grooming, brush them three to four times a week to prevent matting. However, they hate grooming. It is, therefore important for the owner to train them so that they can be patient when being groomed.
The German Spitz can survive without formal exercises as long as there is enough time and space to play around. However, when jogging or having long walks, you can take them with you. Whichever pace you will walk or jog, they will match it.
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