Spitz is a charming dog. In addition to excellent appearance, nature awarded these doggies with quick wit, devotion and mobility.
Did you know that there are 4 varieties of German Spitz? These include grosspitz or large spitz, middle spitz or middle spitz, kleinspitz or small spitz, wolf spitz.
In this article we will talk in detail about the German middler.
Origin
Where did this variety come from? It is believed that large-sized Spitz are peasant dogs. They have been known since the XIV century. Small representatives of the breed were valued by the nobility. These dogs were accompanied by persons of "blue blood", while the large Spitz were guard and hunting dogs.
In order not to get confused in subspecies, in the XVIII century, breeding work began. As a result of this, four directions in the breed were determined, among which is the German middle spitz (middle spitz).
Breed standard
The final description of the middler was given in the 20th century. Intermediate - at the beginning of the XIX century. We will rely on the FCI breed standard:
Height and weight. The dog reaches 35 centimeters at the withers. It can weigh up to 12 kilograms.
The head of a German rounder is round.
Ears are short, widely set, pointed at the tips.
Sloping forehead, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is pronounced.
The muzzle narrows to the nose.
The eyes are medium sized, rounded, dark brown .;
The nose is black.
The body is strong, square.
Very dense coat.
Front and hind legs are short.
High tail set. The tail is folded into a ring and lies on its back;
According to the description of the German middle Spitz, these dogs have a regular, scissor bite.
Life span
Thinking about acquiring a dog, the owner wonders what the life expectancy of the chosen breed is.
The life span of an average German Spitz reaches 15 years, but generally varies from 12 to 15 years. There are also centenarians among these plush dogs that have passed the 17-year mark.
Character
Do you want to have a very mobile and highly intelligent friend who does not require any special care and who does not need a lot of space in the apartment? Then choose a middle spitz.
They are awesome. Just a cold leather nose, poking around in every place in the apartment, what a price! There is no limit to the curiosity of Spitz. Therefore, you will have to carefully monitor that there are no objects nearby that could harm a small dog.
What to do with a spitz dog? Buy some hard balls, and when you leave home, leave them to your pet. Let him have fun. But, given the agile nature of the dog, it is not a fact that the toys will not bore him.
The best entertainment for representatives of the breed is communication with the owner. These dogs are extremely dedicated and contact. Where the owner, there and Spitz. The owner sat down on the sofa, and the pet was already right there, wagging its tail and ringlet, it looked faithfully into the eyes. If your beloved owner allowed me to climb onto the sofa and sit next to him, the Spitz will last for several minutes. He will immediately begin to climb to his knees and with all his appearance talk about how he wants to play.
These dogs get along very well with older children. A very small child can hurt a pet. And Spitz is a proud creature. He will snap at the offender. This breed is not recommended for families with very young children. But for a student such a friend will be perfect. You can walk, play and play pranks together.
Spitz love long and agile walks. And this despite their size. The dog is able to tirelessly bring the ball, requiring the game again and again. Do not mind to run. And if the owner is active, then the dog will gladly keep him company.
With strangers restrained. It will bark loudly, announcing that an alien is approaching the door. He carefully gets acquainted with the guests and only after that decides whether to let himself be stroked or not. Too annoying guest who wants to sip a small dog, at once put in place. This sly fox face has sharp teeth.
Likes to move in the arms of the owner. You should not accustom the average German Spitz to such walks. These dogs are smart, they quickly "probe" the owner, find his weakness and sit on his neck.
Training
We talked about the character of the middle German Spitz above. And they found out that the dog is smart enough. Only pride does not allow him to obey. Mittelspitz are stubborn creatures. To get obedience from your pet, you have to work hard.
These dogs do not accept violence against themselves. Want to get your pet's location? Then act only through a treat or game. For any action required by the conductor (trainer), the dog is encouraged. If the pet does wrong, do not scream, and even more so do not beat him. Clearly explain that the dog is wrong. This is done through the no command. Then bring back to the action you want to achieve. And only after the Spitz dog has done this, they praise her and treat her with something delicious.
The dog quickly realizes what they want from her. Stops in training can be due to the stubbornness of the pet, but not because of its underdevelopment.
Animal content
Maintaining an average German Spitz does not require any special effort. Like any other dog, representatives of this breed require:
Let's start with a couch or a house. It is advisable to purchase a cage (box) for small dogs. She will not take up much space in the apartment, but the pet will feel more confident in the closed "house" than on a simple couch.
If you are inclined to this option, choose cells with a retractable plastic bottom. It is easy to clean. More like a couch? Take one that is easy to wash.
We will talk about the nutrition of the middle German Spitz a little lower. Now we will focus on walks and training.
Physical training means active games. You can play with a ball or puller. The main thing is that the dog had the opportunity to throw out energy and run.
An active walk is an intensive walk. When the owner slowly walks along the street, and the pet wearily trails after him, what is the use of such a walk for a dog? He needs to move briskly.
Timely care means daily examination of the ears, eyes and teeth. If the owner has noticed any disturbing deviations, it is worth contacting a veterinarian.
The dog's teeth are cleaned regularly. You can use both special toothpastes for dogs, and the natural "paste". Apples slightly sour will perfectly cope with the role of tooth powder. And for the prevention of tartar, it will not be superfluous to give the dog carrots.
How to care for the long and thick coat of a pet? One of the features of the care of a middle German Spitz is regular combing. Pet hair has this property: falling out, it does not settle on the floor or on the carpet, but remains on the animal. That's why you need to comb out the Spitz twice a week at least. And during molting - daily.
Nutrition
How to feed a pet? There are two options: dry food or natural food.
Some owners feed the pet both. It is unacceptable. The fact is that some enzymes are needed for food processing, and completely different for natural food processing. And together they can not stand out in the body.
If the food of an average German Spitz consists of natural food, then the owner should know what the pet can and what is forbidden.
Boneless lean meats, boiled boneless fish, seafood, cereals, vegetables, some fruits, eggs, cottage cheese, kefir, dog biscuits, offal are allowed.
You should refrain from giving dogs food from the table, smoked meats, pickled foods or too salty foods, sweets, milk, potatoes, pasta, stews, fried foods, spices and sauces.
If the owner prefers to give dry food, then when choosing it, you should pay attention to the composition. Do not take cheap feed that you can buy at any store. They have a very meager composition. There is no meat there: some additives and cheap cereals. Spitz needs super-premium food. Or feed-holistic.
Some brands have special feeds produced specifically for this breed. Try to feed like that. But if the owner saw that the dog had an allergy, the pet does not go to the toilet well after the feed, he has watery eyes or lethargy, immediately stop giving this brand food.
Vitamins to the average German Spitz are needed. It could be an 8: 1 vitamin complex, for example. Dogs eat them with pleasure. How to give - indicated on the package. It all depends on the weight of the dog and its age.
Veterinary Services
The average German Spitz is a pretty healthy dog. Nevertheless, he needs to be vaccinated as early as puppyhood. And then update these vaccinations every year.
It is necessary to vaccinate an animal in a veterinary clinic. They will put a mark on vaccination in the veterinary passport.
In addition to the mandatory annual vaccinations, it is necessary to conduct a routine examination by a doctor. Do it once a quarter or more often. If the pet has noticed signs of malaise, do not postpone visiting a specialist.
Puppy cost and where to buy?
How much does a German Spitz puppy (average) cost? The cost depends on several factors. The higher the breed, the higher the price. A pet with good blood, but without a pedigree, can be purchased for 20 thousand or more. If you want to get an exhibition dog, then its cost starts from 40 thousand rubles.
Buy an animal in a kennel that specializes in breeding. This is a guarantee that your future pet is vaccinated, healthy and has no mental problems. In addition, you can always turn to the breeder for help on a particular issue.
Summarize
In the article we talked about the average German spitz. We highlight the main aspects:
Representatives of the breed are suitable for an active family without small children.
Very mobile dogs. They need active walks and physical activity.
Insanely loyal to the owner.
Spitz has good health, but a veterinarian needs to be checked every quarter.
It gets along well with primary school children.
He doesn’t really like other pets. It is better to take one pet per family.
Conclusion
Now the reader knows about the features of the average German Spitz. And also what kind of breed it is, how to care for it, what are its requirements for maintenance and nutrition. As it turned out, the representatives of the breed are very smart, but stubborn. They do not require any special care.