History of the Japanese Spitz

The Japanese Spitz has been recognized as a breed for more than 60 years.  It did not reach the West until the beginning of the 70s.  The first European areas to accept the breed was Scandinavian countries and Great Britain. Until 1985 it remained unknown and ignored by most nations, such as France, Germany, Italy and Austria. Later the Japanese Spitz spread rapidly despite the relatively few specimens, gained more and more followers as soon as its excellent qualities were discovered and appreciated.

The Japanese Spitz has been a real discovery because of its handsome appearance like that of a small-sized snow-white arctic dog.  The Japanese Spitz is complemented by some very particular temperamental characteristics.  It is often improperly called “mini –Samoyed”. 

In fact, this dog is endowed with a marked sense of property and territory, as well as a strong personality lacking in submissiveness.  It is naturally inclined to assume the role of a true protagonist in the family right from puppy hood. Behaviour towards man reflects a sense of mutual friendship rather than instinctive submission. This has created new situations of co-habitation even for long-experienced fanciers.

It is a common occurrence that people who have had a Japanese Spitz as a pet are no longer able to find satisfaction with any other breed.

(Piasentin, 1997)

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The exact breed crossing is not known however It is believed that possibly Dog breeders in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s created the Japanese Spitz by crossbreeding a number of other Spitz breeds to develop the Japanese Spitz. Breeders began with white German Spitz dogs, originally brought over from northeastern China to Japan.

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