Indian Spitz
Encyclopedia
The Indian Spitz is a spitz
Spitz
Spitz-type dogs are a type of dog, characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles...

-type dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

 belonging to the Utility Dog group. It is very similar to the German Spitz
German Spitz
German Spitz is used to refer to both a breed of dog and category or type of dog. Several modern breeds have been developed from the German Spitz, and are either registered as separate breeds or as varieties of German Spitz. All the German Spitz type dogs are dogs of the Spitz type of German origin...

 in appearance but is roughly 1.5-2.5 inches shorter at the withers and weighs around 10-15 Lbs less.

The Indian Spitz was one of the most popular dogs in India in the 1980s and the 1990s when India's import rules made it very difficult to import dogs of other breeds. Today, despite being overshadowed by other breeds like Pugs
Pugs
Pugs is a compiler and interpreter for the Perl 6 programming language, started on February 1, 2005 by Audrey Tang.Pugs development is now placed on hiatus, with most Perl 6 implementation efforts now taking place on Rakudo; however, its source repository is still used for storing the official Perl...

 and Lhasa Apso
Lhasa Apso
The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog breed originating in Tibet. It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, who alerted the monks to any intruders who entered...

, they dominate and thrive as one of the most economical and yet pleasant pets.

The Indian Spitz is often called Pomeranian though the two breeds are much different and the Indian Spitz belongs to the Spitz family along with the Elk-Hound, German Spitz
German Spitz
German Spitz is used to refer to both a breed of dog and category or type of dog. Several modern breeds have been developed from the German Spitz, and are either registered as separate breeds or as varieties of German Spitz. All the German Spitz type dogs are dogs of the Spitz type of German origin...

, Samoyed
Samoyed
Samoyed may refer to:* the Samoyedic peoples in Siberia who speak the Samoyedic languages: the Enets, the Nenets, the Nganasans, and the Selkups* the Samoyedic languages they speak* Samoyed , a dog breed...

 and Finnish Spitz
Finnish Spitz
A Finnish Spitz is a breed of dog originating in Finland. The breed was originally bred to hunt all types of game from squirrels and other rodents to bears. It is a "bark pointer", indicating the position of game by barking to attract the hunter's attention...

 to name a few.

Origins

The Indian Spitz was introduced in India by the British who began breeding them from a stock of German Spitzes. Years of breeding produced the ideal dog suited for the plains of India and capable of withstanding India's sultry climate. These spitzes resembled Samoyed
Samoyed
Samoyed may refer to:* the Samoyedic peoples in Siberia who speak the Samoyedic languages: the Enets, the Nenets, the Nganasans, and the Selkups* the Samoyedic languages they speak* Samoyed , a dog breed...

s and German Spitz
German Spitz
German Spitz is used to refer to both a breed of dog and category or type of dog. Several modern breeds have been developed from the German Spitz, and are either registered as separate breeds or as varieties of German Spitz. All the German Spitz type dogs are dogs of the Spitz type of German origin...

es but had less thick coats and were smaller in size- ideal for the conditions.

Specs

Not recognized by any major Kennel Club, The Indian Spitz is identified as a separate Indian Breed by the Kennel Club of India
Kennel Club of India
The Kennel Club of India is a registry of Purebred Dogs in India. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including Annual Dog Shows and Speciality Shows...

. These clubs have been working to establish the Indian Spitz as a separate breed at the other Kennel Clubs across the world.

Generally Indian Spitzes are divided into Smaller Indian Spitz/Lesser Indian Spitz (Roughly between 5-7 Kilograms (11-15 Pounds) in Weight & 22-25 cms at the withers (roughly 83/4-103/4 Inches at the withers) and the Greater Indian Spitz (Roughly between 12-20 Kilograms (28-45 Pounds) in Weight & 35-45 cms (15-18 Inches) at the Withers). The Indian Spitz is generally Milk White but can also be found in solid colours like Black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...

, Dusky Brown and sometimes (very rarely) - a hybrid of black and white (like the Dalmatian
Dalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...

).

Otherwise they resemble in every way the German Spitz
German Spitz
German Spitz is used to refer to both a breed of dog and category or type of dog. Several modern breeds have been developed from the German Spitz, and are either registered as separate breeds or as varieties of German Spitz. All the German Spitz type dogs are dogs of the Spitz type of German origin...

 in appearance- their ears being erect.

Behavior

The Indian Spitz is an extremely bright and active breed of dog. While it is adaptable to living in a small apartment, it can also thrive in a large farmhouse with equal ease. Its diet is also extremely adaptable- and can include anything from Milk, Rice and Yogurt to a diet of Rice and Chicken. This breed is extremely loyal to children and members of its family.

The Indian Spitz is a superb watchdog and strangers will be greeted with yapping shrill barks. With other dog breeds, the Indian Spitz is rarely hostile and is usually very flexible.

Differences between the Pomeranian and Indian Spitz in India

In India many mistakenly refer to the Indian Spitz as Pomeranian. This is a mistake. The differences include:
  • The Pomeranian
    Pomeranian (dog)
    The Pomeranian is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe . Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from the larger Spitz type dogs, specifically the German Spitz...

     is a Toy Breed. It is much lighter than even a Lesser Indian Spitz, both in height and weight (it typically weighs less than 10 pounds and is rarely over 12 inches in height).

  • The Pomeranian has a much flatter face than that of an Indian Spitz, which has a more conical snout.

  • The coat of a Pomeranian is generally denser and much thicker. It is difficult to see individual hairs. However, an Indian Spitz's coat is much less dense and it is easier to see the individual hair follicles.

  • The Pomeranian's ears are generally not as pointed as that of an Indian Spitz.

Ancestry

These dogs are fairly associated with the wolf family as they like to hunt down pigeons and rodents. They often use their ancestry skills to hunt their prey like bending on their knees and slowly moving towards their target. Indian spitz are small in length and height so they are generally linked up with Pomeranian
Pomeranian (dog)
The Pomeranian is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe . Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from the larger Spitz type dogs, specifically the German Spitz...

.

Intelligence

Indian spitz are very intelligent. They can learn many tricks in minutes if taught in a proper way. They are quite clever and can understand human intentions very well. They have often been used in Circusses in India in the 1970s and 1980s.

Roles in the Movies

  • In Hum Aapke Hain Koun in 1994, the role of Tuffy was played by Redo a 6 year old Indian Spitz belonging to the Assistant Director Madhukar Sawle. The Spitz had a vital role in the movie. Actress Madhuri Dixit
    Madhuri Dixit
    Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of...

     later adopted the dog, which died in 2000 at the grand age of 12.

Lifespan

Generally their lifespan is between 10–14 years. Some Indian Spitzes are known to live up to 16 years of age, 1 particular spitz in Chandannagar
Chandannagar
Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar , is a small city and former French colony located north of Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. It is head quarters of a subdivision in Hooghly District. It is one of the 6 municipal corporations in West Bengal. It is a part of the area...

 outside of Kolkatta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

lived upto a grand age of 18 years. They are usually long lived compared to some other breeds.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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