meet the... Japanese Spitz

Head

• General Appearance: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is the widest between the ears, being as wide (from one side to the other measured in front of the ears) as it is long (from occiput to stop). In profile or from the front, it appears slightly arched. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles.
• Expression: The expression is intelligent, keen, cheerful, and lively.
• Stop: The stop is definite.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio can range from 1:1 to 2:3, being equal in proportions, or with the topskull being just longer than the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is either parallel or slightly convergent
• Muzzle: Equal to or shorter than the top skull. The muzzle is full, deep, and broad, yet well-tapered towards a rounded end. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance. The upper and lower jaws are strong and well-developed, never appearing snipy or weak.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks may be flat or exhibit some slight padding. Cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors.
• Eyes: The eyes are moderately large in size, set well apart, and very dark in color. They may be almond or oval in shape with tight-fitting eye rims that are pigmented black. The eyes are set obliquely. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Dogs should not be penalized for tear stains unless tear stains are indicative of an underlying problem.
• Ears: The ears are proportionate to the head, triangular in shape, forward facing, and firmly erect. They are set high and fairly close. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Compact, solid, and good substance. The body is never racy, refined, long, or cobby. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderate length to allow for proud head carriage, strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
• Chest: Long, well-sprung, well-laid back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Topline: Level from prominent withers to tail. The back is broad, well-muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, flat, and level. The topline is never swayed or roached.
• Croup: Flat and level with the back or gently sloped.
• Underline: A slight tuck-up starting from behind the ribs may be present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
• Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried over the back when moving or alert. The tail is of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
• Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
• Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle and bone, and parallel to one another.
  Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
• Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
• Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, sturdy, good bone, and well-muscled.
  Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
  Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
• Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
• Stifle Joint: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
• Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: Long, straight outer coat, free of any wave, with thick, dense, short undercoat. A thicker main and neck ruff is present. The front of the legs is covered with shorter, smooth hair, the back sides of the legs and rump are well-feathered with trousers, and the tail is richly plumed. It’s important to note that there is no preference in coat length, and coat length may vary from dog to dog, so long as the coat doesn’t appear sparse or overly abundant.
• Coat Color or Pattern: Solid white.

Movement

Movement is energetic, agile, effortless, and efficient. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament

The Japanese Spitz breed’s endearing temperament makes them one of the most popular Spitz breeds. They are intelligent, keen, watchful, alert, and devoted to their family. They will sound an alarm bark at the sight or sound of any strange person. They are also capable of learning many tasks, tricks, and disciplines, including agility, obedience, and search and rescue. Adult individuals may become reserved or indifferent toward people outside of the family, but this should not be considered a fault. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.

Faults

All dogs should be in proper, healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.