There exists an endless list of Indian breed of dogs that are never noticed or given the love and care they deserve. A breed in that list is the Indian Spitz. All these local breeds deserve a loving home. PawsIndia has been working on a blog series, intending to promote the adoption of local pet breeds, where we bring you information about local pet breeds so that you are educated and aware.
In this third blog of our series on Indian pet breed awareness, we bring you all the information that you need to know about Indian Spitz, right from their origin to their care and grooming.
All about the Indian Spitz that you need to know!
Origin and brief history:
The Indian Spitz dog does not have an ancient history they originated in the 19th century when the Britishers ruling India introduced them in India by breeding them from German Spitzes.
The Indian Spitz dog became popular in the 1980s and the 1990s. After years of frequent research and breeding, they are now used to the Indian climates. The breed became popular in India in the 1980s and 90s because with the new rules and economic regulations in place, it became difficult to import any foreign breeds. The Indian Spitz closely resembled foreign breeds and they were easy to get and relatively affordable.
They are a part of the Spitz breed and are small, alert animals that make for excellent indoor guard dogs. Their appearance is similar to the German Sheperd but they have a smaller bone structure and a lot more fur. They are intelligent active creatures which makes them good learners.
The breed also gained popularity due to a hit Bollywood movie, ‘Hum aapke hai kaun’ starring Salman Khan. Till this day the breed is regarded as the Pomeranian despite the Pomeranian being an entirely different breed found in Poland.
Appearance:
The Indian Spitz dog is regarded as a medium-sized breed that weighs anywhere between 5-7 kg. They are 35-45 cm tall with an average of 40 cm in height.
They are characterized by fluffy hair and pointy ears. They usually have their coat in various colours- milky white, dusky brown, and black. The average age of Indian Spitz is 16 years. They have a thick coat and have a white, green or blue iris.
Remember- They are not Pomeriarians
A lot of people confuse the Indian Spitz puppy with the pomeranian dog, which is entirely false. Despite the similarity in their appearance, they are two completely different breeds.
- The Pomeranian dogs are much lighter than the Indian Spitz and smaller in height.
- The Pomeranian breed has a snout that is a lot more conical than the Indian Spitz.
- The Pomeranian is characterised by thicker coats and less pointy ears.
Characteristics:
The Indian Spitz are a kind, active, intelligent, communicative, and loyal breed of dogs. Are Indian Spitz easy to train? The answer is yes! They are good learners and can quickly learn any tricks you teach them. They are easy to train as they catch on commands rather quickly. They are a highly playful breed and require social interaction.
They cannot stay alone by themselves, so leaving them alone at home may not be such a good idea. They are apartment-friendly and can live in a house in a modest space.
Health and breeding:
Generally, Indian Spitz is a healthy breed and breed once a year. They will live up to 14 years and can have a litter size of 1-5 puppies. The Indian Spitz females have a gestation period of 60-64 days.
The breed does not require heavy exercise and stimulation, they do love sleeping a lot. The Indian Spitz does not stink unless they suffer an infection, have a bad tooth, ear, or skin folds.
Grooming:
The Indian Spitz like to keep themselves clean, but regular brushing of their coats helps keep them in better condition. They do not require very frequent baths unless they make themselves very dirty.
Shedding is a problem for the Indian Spitz, they get a quite thick coat during winters and shed them at the end of the season. If you do not want their hair all over your furniture, you need to regularly comb them yourself or visit the vet.
That aside they require minimal grooming, like regular teeth brushing, and getting their nails clipped. A good new for you would be they enjoy their grooming and will not be a pain for you or your vet.
Exercise:
Like most breeds, the Indian Spitz need walks at least once every day. They usually exhaust themselves by playing around and do not needs any help there. They need to get enough exercise so their curious and playful nature is satisfied.
Unlike large dogs, they are comfortable to live in limited space but no one hates more space! You can raise an Indian Spitz puppy in an apartment without any constraints provided they get enough exercise. Although they do not like to be left alone, leaving them in an apartment for hours at length is not such a good idea.
Behaviour around kids and other animals:
Are Indian Spitz friendly? Yes! One of the best things about the Indian Spitz is that they are tolerant of children and won’t act even if kids irritate or annoy them. They also get along with other dogs and animals.
Despite their hunting nature, you will rarely find them chasing smaller animals, although do not be surprised if they run after a pigeon or two!
Though they are social creatures, and extremely friendly, socialization from an early age is important for good social behaviour.
To summarize:
- If you are someone who lives in a small space, Indian Spitz can be an ideal pet for your house.
- They are a clean breed and require minimal care.
- Indian Spitz is friendly and gets along well with kids and other animals.
- They are easy to train and can be taught tricks quite easily.
- Adopt local breeds, adopt Indian Spitz
PawsIndia urges everyone to adopt local breeds, they are climatized to Indian weathers, easy to maintain, and in dire need of loving homes. Join us in making the lives of Indian breeds better, #adoptlocalbreeds. PawsIndia is here for your all needs pet. Happy Parenting!
