Spitz - small shaggy dogs with a cheerful cheerful disposition and active temperament. Small dimensions and a pretty appearance make them incredibly popular among citizens who want to get a pet. In today's publication, we will talk about how Spitz look and how many years live.
A bit of history
This is one of the oldest European breeds. According to reports, it came from peat dogs that existed in the Stone Age. A little later, it spread throughout Europe and seriously interested breeders of that time. Despite the fact that today it is very difficult to say exactly how many years Spitz live on our planet, experts were able to establish how different branches of this breed of dogs were formed.
So, Keeskhond were bred in Germany and the Netherlands. Initially, they were considered dogs for the poor and were a working breed for a relatively long time. Their miniature brothers - Pomeranian - lived at the court of the English king and were favorites of the nobility.
Existing varieties
Since how many years Spitz live, directly depends on their size, before buying a puppy you need to decide who exactly you want to see next to you - a large keeshonda or miniature orange. According to international classification, these dogs are combined into one breed. But between them there are several significant differences regarding the size, nature and manner of behavior.
The largest are Keeshond or Wolfspitz. They grow to 43-55 cm at the withers and weigh 43-55 kg. These dogs retain their well-defined working qualities and are suitable for agility or other sports.
The second largest are the spokes. These animals grow up to 42-50 cm at the withers with a mass of 18-22 kg. Once they were widely distributed in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany. Today they are the rarest and most expensive of all existing varieties.
In the 19th century, the so-called middles were bred. These dogs, growing to 32-34 cm at the withers and weighing 8-12 kg, need regular loads and require systematic care for a thick, elongated awn, under which hides soft, almost plush downs.
Also, one cannot fail to mention the existence of small German and Pomeranian Spitz. These decorative varieties are relatively small and very reminiscent of plush toys. The height of the Kleinspitz is 23-29 cm at the withers with a weight of 4-9 kg. The growth of oranges does not exceed 22 cm, and the mass varies between 1.4-3.2 kg.
Description
Those who want to know how many years old German Spitz live, it will be interesting that the appearance of these dogs belonging to the fifth group of FCI breeds, as close as possible to the appearance of their ancient ancestors. On a small head, tapering to the muzzle with a not too pronounced stop and tight-fitting lips, there are elongated eyes surrounded by dry eyelids, and triangular pointed ears.
Under the almost square body with deep chest, a tucked up belly, a slightly curved neck and a strong top line, there are straight, muscular limbs with good angles and paws gathered in a lump. A high withers smoothly flows into an even short back, a short lower back, and an inclined, wide croup, ending with the base of a swirling, heavily pubescent tail. The entire body of such a dog is covered with double wool, consisting of a hard spine and a dense cotton pad. As for the color, it can be almost anything. But black, gray, brown, cream, white and red individuals are especially popular.
Behavioral Features
Experienced dog breeders know: how many years Spitz live, how much they delight their owners. Indeed, in addition to a pretty appearance, these doggies are endowed with a wonderful character. They are extremely smart, cheerful and courageous. Despite, frankly speaking, small sizes, Spitz are always ready to defend their owners and fearlessly rush towards danger.
These crumbs quickly become attached to their owners and do not tolerate forced separation. Long loneliness can cause stress and will greatly affect how many years the Spitz lives at home. Therefore, those who want to extend the age of their shaggy pet should try not to part with it for a long time.
Training
Since Spitz is characterized by disobedience and moodiness, it is necessary to engage in their education from a very early age. During training, you can not scream at the dog, much less beat it. Having shown a little patience, in a few months you will receive a well-bred dog who can perform simple tricks.
How many years Spitz live (Pomeranian, small, medium or large) directly depends on whether they know the basic commands. Unquestioning obedience to the owner can protect the baby from the many dangers awaiting him on the city streets. It is also important to teach your pet to walk on a leash and not pick up anything from the ground.
Feeding and maintenance
Spitz is an unpretentious dog that can absorb both industrial and natural food. In the first case, the choice of owners should focus on quality products from leading manufacturers, which do not include wheat, corn and artificial additives.
It is important to remember for those who want to give their ward natural food: how many years Spitz and dogs of other breeds live depend on the quality of the food they consume. Therefore, the basis of the diet should be low-fat raw meat like beef, lamb or poultry. A couple of times a week it can be replaced with saltwater fish and offal. In addition, it is advisable to supplement the dog’s menu with rice, buckwheat, vegetables, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt and yogurt.
Representatives of this breed are suitable for living in urban apartments. They do not take up much space and do not require special care. The only difficulty that Spitz owners will have to deal with is to regularly comb out their furry fur coat. You need to bathe such dogs as they become dirty and using special shampoos. In addition, they need to regularly clean their ears and trim their overgrown claws.
Addiction to disease
Representatives of this breed are distinguished by fairly good health. Their middle age is about 12-16 years. But in reality, this figure depends on several different factors, among which the size of the animal plays an important role. Those who are interested in how many years Pomeranian mini-spitz live have to remember that these crumbs are very fragile and tender. And their age is slightly shorter than that of larger brothers.
Representatives of this breed love to eat. Therefore, they often develop obesity, leading to problems with internal organs. The special structure of the head and larynx often provokes coughing and increased tearing. Since German Spitz has rather fragile bones, they are easily injured and have a tendency to subluxation of the knee joint. To prevent this from happening, owners need to not allow their pets to jump from great heights.
In addition to the aforementioned breed ailments, Spitz can be sick with parainfluenza, leptospirosis, adenovirus, rabies, parvo and coronavirus enteritis. But these health problems are easily prevented with annual vaccinations. Before planned vaccination, it is important to treat the animal from external and internal parasites.