Finnish Spitz Dog Health Issues, Grooming and Living Conditions

Health Issues. Thanks to the careful and responsible breeding of the Finnish Spitz they suffer from very few health problems and are generally a fairly robust dog. On rare occasions though they can suffer from luxating patella, which is when the knee cap slips out of position, epilepsy and hereditary cataracts. They can also suffer from hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Their average life expectancy is around 12 to 15 years.

Grooming. The Finnish Spitz has an almost self-cleaning coat and only requires brushing around once a week. However, they do shed seasonally for a few weeks twice a year, during this time they will need to be brushed daily to remove all the excess coat. This process of removing the old coat will help the new coat to grow out in a better condition, also excess undercoat can cause skin conditions.

Living Conditions. The Finnish Spitz prefers a cooler climate and can be relatively inactive indoors. They can do well in an apartment but do need daily walks and plenty of attention. They are well suited to family life and get on well with children and other pets. It's important to train them well and to make sure that the dog knows it is not the one in charge, or they can become dominant and even aggressive. They are loyal to their family and, due to their breeding, bark when they have found game, they make excellent watch dogs alerting the family to trouble, however they do not make good guard dogs.

Pomeranian Dog Breed Profile

Description: The Pomeranian is a small Spitz dog weighing between 3 and 7 pounds, and measuring 7 to 12 inches at the withers. The Pomeranian has a long, fluffy coat that can be found in many color varieties such as orange, cream, black, red, spotted, and white. This dog carries its plume-like tail flat on its back. Pomeranians have a short, pointed muzzle, and small, upright pointed ears. This is a confident and active toy dog. The Pomeranian has a delicate body structure. The Pomeranian is also known as the Dwarf Spitz, Pom, or Loulou.

History: Ancient Spitz herding dogs led to the toy dog we know today as the Pomeranian. Originally utilized as sled dogs in Lapland, these Spitz dogs were brought to Pomerania, now part of Poland and Germany, in the 16th century. This early progenitor was considerably larger than today's dog and weighed 30 pounds or more. Mozart and Marie Antoinette kept Pomeranians, but it was Queen Victoria of England who was responsibly for breeding the dogs down to a smaller size. These small Pomeranians became very popular and the breed was officially recognized in 1900.

Temperament: The Pomeranian is a merry and lively dog. It is even-tempered and makes an excellent companion. Pomeranians are very affectionate and attached to their human family. This is an intelligent, trainable dog that also serves as a good watchdog. They do tend to bark quite a bit, though, so should be taught to be more restrained from the start. Since the Pomeranian is such a tiny dog, it is not a good choice as a pet for small children. There is generally no problem with older children or adults.

Health Issues: A major health problem with Pomeranians concerns the breed's high propensity for tooth decay. This can lead to heart or kidney ailments. It is best to feed Poms dry dog food and provide chews that help clean the teeth. Although they do not usually suffer from hip dysplasia, Pomeranians can experience problems with their knee caps, which can shift out of place, causing the affected leg to become stiff. The Pomeranian can develop eye conditions such as cataracts or entropion. The trachea can sometimes collapse, which is a serious condition. The Pomeranian can live for 16 years or more.

Grooming: Since the Pomeranian has a very thick double coat and sheds heavily, it is important to brush the dog daily. The fur can easily become matted otherwise. It is best to use a dry shampoo on the Pomeranian to preserve the dog's coat oils. The owner should clean the ears and eyes every day to help prevent infections. While a daily brushing of the teeth can help prevent decay, a veterinarian should clean the teeth on a regular basis.

Living Conditions: The Pomeranian makes an excellent companion for indoor living. The dog will play and exercise itself in an apartment or house, but the Pom will enjoy and occasional walk or play session outside. While these dogs are not clingy, they definitely enjoy being around their family. They must be kept inside, and are not suitable for outdoor living.

What Exactly the Term Hybrid or Designer Dog Means

Hybrid dogs and designer dogs are becoming very popular. However what do these terms really mean. If you are buying a dog or have a dog, how do you know if you have an "official" hybrid or designer pup? Let's take a look.

Have the terms hybrid dog or designer dog just a new way of saying that a dog is not a purebred and is a mix of several breeds or perhaps a pup that is so mixed that no one is sure of the background? Well, when used correctly, the answer is no.

Many people, including breeders, will use the terms hybrid or designer incorrectly. So let's take a look at what these mean and how they should be used.

These terms technique only apply to a dog that is the result of 2 purebred parents. For example, a Maltipoo is a designer dog that has one parent that is a toy Poodle and the other parent is Maltese. This is called a first generation dog.

If that Maltipoo is breed with another Maltipoo or is breed with a Maltese, Poodle or any other dog, the litter that is produced with not be hybrid dogs.

The goal of breeding designers is to someday have them accepted as purebreds. In fact, all breeds that you know of today began in this way. For example, the Pomeranian which is a toy breed originated from large, ancient Spitz sled dogs. They were pure white in color and while they had a lot of similarities in appearance, they were much larger.

Over time, the Spitz dogs were bred with much smaller dogs; the result after countless purpose, controlled breedings and several hundreds years is the Pom as we know them today.

When a pup is the result of 2 different purebreds, this is called a 1st generation dog. If one's goal is to someday have that hybrid accepted as a purebred, then the dog would not be allowed to breed. The parents, however, would keep having litters. The dam is usually safe when mating 2 heats in a row and then having a rest or having a tie every other heat. In most cases, if she is in excellent health, she should be retired by age 6 or 7 and then spayed.

Some people are against the idea of all of this, because it takes away strength from the bloodlines of the purebreds that are being used for this purpose. Those that are in favor of this do point out that this is how all different breeds were created, beginning from the time that dogs descended from the wild wolf.

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American Eskimo Dogs

I know that you find American Eskimo dog so irresistibly cute with all those fluffy hairs and stuffs. And he can be a real charmer too, American Eskimo dogs are naturally very friendly, playful and devoted, which no doubt you'll find a very pleasing trait for an incredibly cute dog. But, do you know all there is to know about American Eskimo dogs?

American Eskimo dogs originate from arctic regions, accounting much for its fluffy fur. A member of the Spitz dog family, American Eskimo dogs resembles in temperament much like Siberian husky and the malamute in its playfulness nature but possesses more intelligence and thus high train ability than its arctic cousins. American Eskimo dogs are also very friendly, pack oriented that is devoted to every family member and suspicious to strangers. For that they make excellent family guard dogs, barking to announce strangers but won't attack.

These traits make American Eskimo dogs highly suited as companion dogs. Their friendly temperament compounded with their high train ability factor makes them highly prized dogs as family pets. And because they are exceedingly cute, and provides a reason for taking care of (the hair requires substantial brushing) they are top notch choices for first time owners, even children, providing companionship or functioning as therapy dogs.

American Eskimo dogs, like most dogs of the polar region require a degree of exercise or playing, especially when pups where they tend to be so playful with exhaustible energy. And the transition from pups to full grown dogs tend to be slow, so the burden of constant outdoor activities tend to be a burden for some. But this aspect could be a beneficial factor, giving an individual reason enough to sport on their runners and sweats.

The amount of hair on American Eskimo dogs can be a problem. It requires cleaning for one. Though normally American Eskimo dogs are adapted to colder climates thus having a lesser pronation to "doggy sweat" smell, they will still stink enough with dirt easily adhering to their coats. The fur underneath their eyes can stain too, with tear stain if not clean regularly. The routine to keep a clean American Eskimo dogs is therefore a shampoo once a week interspersed with coat brushing.

With regards to tick and fleas, the amount of hair on American Eskimo dogs can be a problem too. Their long hair means a bigger habitable environment for fleas, so an anti flea shampoo should be routinely used aside from regular shampoos the dog may use.

Lastly, with white fluffy hair, red lapping tongue, a few other dogs can be as cute as an American Eskimo dog at play. And playing is what they like best. So make sure if you're bringing home an American Eskimo dog, you're ready to spend some quality park time with him.

The Miniature American Eskimo Dog

The Miniature American Eskimo dog has a beautiful appearance with its thick white coat. This dog also has a dense and soft undercoat, which is common in Spitz breeds. Their coat is easy to take care of but they shed a lot. These dogs have wedge shaped heads and triangular shaped ears. Some of these dogs have blue eyes but most have brown. The Miniature American Eskimo dog is approximately 12 to 15 inches in height. They weigh somewhere between 25 and 35 lbs.

Another name for the Miniature American Eskimo dog is an Eskie. These dogs came to the United States during the 19th century with German immigrants. They may be descendents of the German Spitz, white Keeshonden, or large white Pomeranians, which also were brought to America. Eventually the American Spitz was called the American Eskimo Dog. During the 1930's and 1940's the American Spitz dogs were trained to use in the circus and were excellent performers.

The Miniature American Eskimo dog is very vigorous and loves to be entertained. They get along good with considerate and well-behaved children. This is a very intelligent and obedient type of dog that can be easily taught tricks. These dogs make a good family dog because they love companionship and plenty of attention. If you don't want an active dog that barks a lot than this dog may not be for you. The Miniature American Eskimo dog is a great watchdog because of their barking and alertness. Even though they make a good watchdog, they will not attack anyone unless they're aggravated.

Since the Miniature American Eskimo dog is very intelligent, you need to stimulate them with activities and socializing. Without stimulation and interesting things for them to do, they can become bored or have problems with their behavior which could result in destructive chewing. They also need to be around people often so they don't become fearful of strangers. It's best to start socializing your dog between 7 weeks and 6 months. It's also important that they are taught socialize during adolescence, which starts between 6 and 9 months and ends between 1 and 3.

This breed of dog usually lives to be around 14 years of age but some have lived longer. Some health problems these dogs may get are hip dysplasia, luxating patella, deafness, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts and urinary tract stones. They may also develop allergies such as flea allergies, which could cause acute moist dermatitis. Some other health concerns are diabetes, epilepsy, and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

The Miniature American Eskimo dog can live in cold or hot climate. These dogs have extremely dry skin and shouldn't be bathed too often. Once every two or three months is fine unless they get extremely dirty or have an odor. Usually brushing their coats is all that's needed between baths. They are a very clean type of dog and groom themselves regularly. Before you buy this type of dog, remember they're constantly on the go and shed a great deal.

These types of dogs may not like some kinds of food. Try feeding them a few times a day with small meals. The food should be of good quality to benefit their health. Fresh food such as chicken or turkey is a good choice. It's best to buy Miniature American Eskimo dogs from a breeder that's experienced and can tell you everything you need to know about their care.

Finish Spitz Dog Description, History and Temperament

The Finnish Spitz is recognizable for its bright red fur, they have a double coat with the undercoat being a lighter colour than the longer and courser outer coat. They have an almost fox-like face with pricked up ears, a narrow snout, and dark eyes. They are square in appearance, a deep set chest and profuse amount of fur on their tail which is carried curled up over their back. They have rounded catlike paws and their dew claws are often removed. They are generally between 15-19 inches in height with females weighing between 20-27lbs and the males between 27-33lbs.

History. The Finish Spitz is the national dog of Finland, they are thought to have originated around 2000 years ago when they were brought, by a group of people living in central Russia, into Finland. Due to the area where they lived, which was secluded, the breed managed to stay almost pure throughout the years and developed to the hunters needs. They were first introduced to the UK in the 1920's and to this day they have remained relatively popular not only as working dogs but also as family pets. The Finnish Spitz was used to hunt small game and would alert the hunter with a distinctive bark, it's even been known for these little dogs to chase bears.

Temperament. The Finnish Spitz is an affectionate and inquisitive companion, who loves nothing better than to be part of the family. They can be lively and playful and do not fully mature until between 3 and 4 years of age. They need to be socialized well, from a young age, or they can develop the habit of being aloof with strangers.

Pomeranians - The Right Dog Breed For You?

Are you considering getting a Pomeranian but not sure if it's the right breed for you? There are many good qualities of Pomeranians but there are also some bad ones that people should know before bringing one of these dogs home.

Pomeranians originated from Germany. It is said that they originated from large Spitz dogs. These Spitz dogs came from the Arctic Circle, where they pulled sleds. When Pomeranians were originally introduced into Britain, the breed standard was thirty pounds. Now, the breed standard is seven pounds. It is said that Queen Victoria loved this breed and had many of her own.

Some of the most common colors are red, white, orange and black. A Pomeranian is a very small, compact dog. This makes them well suited to live in any home, even apartments as they do not require a lot of exercise. They are great companions for the elderly and get along well with other pets. Pomeranians love to be around people; they seem to think they should always be the center of attention! They are very affectionate as well as faithful to their owners. Being petted and pampered is one of the Pomeranian's favorite things, but they also enjoy playing. They are very active, lively, playful and very intelligent.

One of the downsides of owning a Pomeranian is that they are very fragile, as are most toy breeds. They can get hurt very easily, because they are so tiny. If you have one of these dogs, you will have to constantly supervise it. They must be either kept indoors, or in a securely fenced-in yard. If they are not completely under your control, they can easily become injured.

Pomeranians are not recommended for families with small children. Many Poms won't put up with any nonsense. They can become overwhelmed from all the loud noises and fast movements that children make which can be very stressful for some dogs. Another aspect of Pomeranians that many people do not enjoy is barking. They will bark at anything new or unfamiliar. To make it worse, their bark is very high pitched and can really become annoying. The barking can be stopped though, if you are consistent.

One of the things that people love the most about this dog is their beautiful long coat. However, if you own one this will require you to regularly brush and comb the hair. If the dog is not regularly groomed, its hair will become matted. Also, Pomeranians are extremely heavy shedders. You will have to vacuum the house very frequently but brushing the undercoat will reduce shedding.

Pomeranians are very independent and can be extremely stubborn. You must be very consistent to show that that you are the boss. If they are not taught as a puppy that the owner is boss, they can become very defiant. Overall, if you are very consistent in training your dog, Pomeranians make great pets. They are extremely intelligent and learn tricks very easily. They are fun to be around because they are so lively and playful. Poms are very loyal to their owners and absolutely love to be the center of attention.