Are you a Bollywood movie buff? If so, I am sure you must be knowing the Indian Spitz dog breed from the movie “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” as Tuffy!
Commonly mistaken as Pomeranian, the Indian Spitz is just as shrewd and alert as their small-sized cousin. Other than sugar, spice, and everything nice, there is resilient and fearless added to this concoction to give you the ultimate family breed.
Indian Spitz is known for its proud walk and the yippee ki-yay expression with its tongue out. Highly intelligent and agile, this breed has a paw-fect blend that makes them “roll of fame” worthy.
The bork of an Indian Spitz is Louder than Beethoven’s symphony. You can find them barking at strangers or other pets as well if, at all they think of them as a threat, that is. If you like quiet breeds, this is not the breed for you.
Being a very good observer, they are very consistent in their efforts and Indian Spitz makes an excellent watchdog. So, if you are a lazy bum like me, this breed is just for you! They can be well-adjusted in a studio apartment, a 1RK, and in a 1 BHK. All you have to do is to take them out for a nice walk whenever you can spare 30mins in a day.
As much as an Indian spitz can adjust in small spaces, that much they love hanging out in large spaces as well. If you have a backyard or a terrace, just leave the leash on and they will go nuts from running one place to another.
Speaking of nuts, the Indian Spitz just loves walnuts and almonds. They just like to munch on all sorts of foods. Whether there is food in their bowls, on the ground, on even in a dustbin they would love to have some of the other munchies.
Well, when I do the same thing I either get hit with a chappal or a stick. You can just keep the trash cans out of their reach in this case.
Did you know?
An Indian Spitz is known to be a highly intelligent breed. They can learn commands within the first 5 to 10 times of repetition.
Note: The motive of DogIsWorld is to promote the revival and adoption of the endangered Indian dog breeds by writing this article. The in-fur-mation on Indian Spitz is very limited and we have tried our best to provide the most accurate details.
Table of Contents
Indian Spitz Pictures
Quick Facts
Average Height: 14 inches to 18 inches
Average Weight: 5kgs to 20kgs
Dog Group: Utility Dogs
KCI Ranking: N/A
At A Glance
Spitz dogs are a small-sized dog breed. The average height of an Indian spitz is 14 inches to 18 inches and the average weight of an Indian spitz is 5kgs to 20kgs. The Indian spitz weight withers between 6kgs to 20kgs for male dogs and 5kgs to 18kgs for female dogs. The height of the Indian spitz swings between 14inches to 16 inches for female dogs and 16 inches to 18 inches for male dogs.
The Indian Spitz lifespan ranges from 10 to 14 years. While many owners have said that their spitz has lived up to 16 years.
Indian Spitz is a companion dog that can thrive in all kinds of apartments. Whether the apartment is small or large they can adjust accordingly. All you need to do is take them out for a walk for half an hour to one hour a day. If you have a large apartment, make sure you can keep them busy in your backyard or a terrace so that they can engage themselves without barking.
For people who have a small-sized apartment, give them chew toys or someone to be by their side so that they are not left alone.
An excellent watchdog, companion, and a utility dog, an Indian Spitz rates high on family friendliness. They are very gentle and loyal towards their family members, including kids. They are paw-tective dogs and Indian Spitz love to be in front of their owners thinking they will protect them.
They have high energy and if you do not train them properly, you can find them chewing on everything and anything.
Indian Spitz is friendly with other pets as long as they are socialized with them at an early age. They do well with most of the pets and are pretty friendly but, sometimes their hunter instincts might just arise. So, do not be shocked if they get you a pigeon or a rat as a present you.
In the case of cats, they can adjust well, as long as the cat is not aggressive.
Indian Spitz bark a lot. Period. They have high barking tendencies with different barks for each meaning. If you want the barking tendencies to be lowered down, you must start their training from a young age itself.
Indian Spitz puppy barks if they sense something unusual, to get attention, hunger, boredom, or if they are not taken out for a walk.
One of the key features of an Indian Spitz is the high adaptability to the Indian climate. They have a long-haired coat that can bear the cold weather and the hot climates, well. However, if the temperature drops below 10-degree Celsius, you will have to provide them with warm clothes.
As much as they love to be in cold weather, they get equally lazy during those periods. Do take them for a nice half an hour walk to heat their body.
The trainability of an Indian Spitz is high because they are just so darn smart! They are not a very energetic breed that would want to be jumpy all the time. Although, beware of their naughtiness and their playful nature.
A proper mental stimulation and a decent walk will just suffice them. They are not a people pleaser and you must other paw-sitive reinforcement techniques to teach them commands.
According to statistics, the Indian spitz will understand a command within 5 to 10 repetitions and they will obey the command 85% of the time.
Although an Indian Spitz has a lot of potentials, you can satisfy their needs with half an hour of walk. They are not meant for intense training and running for a long time. They do love playing, chasing, and fetching, but they are not going to go intense if you are expecting them to.
Even if you leave them in a backyard, they need hooman company most of the time.
Just like the majority of Indian breeds, Indian spitz have low grooming needs. Once or twice a week of brushing is ideal, but the more the merrier. Indian spitz, not only love to be brushed but it also helps the oils regulate around the body.
Since the Indian Spitz has long hair, brushing can remove all the mats and tangles that are present which can make them happier.
Bathing them once or twice in two weeks will suffice. Too much bathing will only get their skin dry.
It is a myth that dogs are 100% hypoallergenic. Hypoallergenic dogs can also carry allergens along with them. Indian spitz might carry allergens with them but regular 5-minute brushing can do the trick.
A little patience can go a long way to control their regular shedding by frequent brushing.
Indian spitz dog price in India varies from 6,000 INR to 15,000 INR.
Being an Indian breed, spitz dog puppies are available on a large amount in the majority of the animal shelters and rescue centers.
We suggest you visit the nearest shelters to see if this purebred is up for adoption.
About Indian Spitz
This little floofball has a tiny body with a large attitude. Indian Spitz is affectionate and highly energetic. Take any object in your hand they are all up and above it thinking it’s for them. As high as their intellect can be, they are not a hooman pleaser, till they develop full trust in them.
Indian Spitz, also called an Indian Pomeranian dog has a very stud body with unique eyes. They have greenish or bluish eyes with white iris which makes them look very expressive. It is one of the most unique features of Indian spitzes which cannot be found in many animals.
Pointy ears that resemble a fox with thick fur that covers the entire face except their muzzle make them look handsome and attractive. This also can mean that they need extra attention when it comes to grooming their ears.
This Indian Pomeranian dog has a poofy tail that curls over the back making it fluffy. The thick white fur on their body steals the thunder of their big head that looks adorable on them with wide paws. This also complements their stance making it look graceful.
These little furballs do not grow more than 18 inches in height. The small-sized Indian spitz has a weight that swings between 5kgs to 20kgs. The male Indian Spitz weighs between 6kgs to 20kgs while the female Indian spitz weighs between 5kgs to 18kgs. Indian Spitz height for a male dog withers between 16 inches to 18 inches while the Indian spitz height for a female dog withers between 14 inches to 16 inches.
Indian Spitz is a very notorious breed and they love to eat. Since their exercise needs are very low, they might end up becoming obese if they are overfed. Their bluish-green eyes will give you the most adorable face when they see you eat but you have to limit yourself and not overfeed them.
Giving them a wholesome meal thrice a day is the perfect way to limit them. Otherwise, you can find them sniffing around the house eating at garbage and other food leftovers. If nothing else, they will do their favorite thing to get their food, which is barking.
Take an Indian Spitz for at least 30 minutes of walk in a day. They are energetic but not meant for intense activities. Instead of a 30 minutes’ walk, you can also play fetch, frisbee catch, and mild jog so that you can give them something new to do every day.
Indian Spitz dog puppies are easy to train if at all you start their training from a young age. They are pretty dependable on their owners to train them. They are not your typical “fetch dog” and if you throw the ball, you cannot expect them to fetch it, at least not immediately. Unlike many spitz breeds, this breed does fetch, but only after it trusts you completely.
If at all you have a family with children, Indian spitz is the breed you can ask for. The gel is very well with families who are known to be extremely loyal. Although, they are wary of strangers and they can bark at them if they find them suspicious.
One of the major drawbacks you can find in an Indian spitz is that they are very vocal. Unless they aren’t trained well, they keep barking and this could be an issue if you live in an apartment.
The other drawback of an Indian spitz is that they do not do well if they are left independently. They can face separation anxiety and sometimes their boredom can cause a menace to your apartment. It is always best to leave someone with them.
Other than that, they have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years and sometimes even up to 16 years.
Did you know?
Indian Spitz come in two sizes; the greater Indian spitz and for those who want to put them in your pocket, a smaller Indian spitz
History
Unlike the other Indian dog breeds we have covered; Indian Spitz is not a very ancient breed. They were introduced in the 19th century by the British. It is thought that the Indian Spitz is descended from the German Spitz.
To get a breed that is suitable for the Indian climate, the British bred the Indian Pariah dog with the German spitz who could cope with the heat but at the same time take in a cold climate as well. That is when the Indian Spitz was bred which had the intelligence as much as a German spitz but the adaptability with the help of an Indian pariah dog.
An Indian spitz is considered one of the smartest dog breed in India with their abilities to read human expressions, making them highly empathetic. This is the perfect dog breed for those dog owners who love to teach new tricks to their pooch.
However, in the late 20th century, due to the import restrictions that were imposed by the Indian government, this breed became extremely popular. Indians couldn’t access the foreign breeds which made them turn to the Indian breeds which benefitted this breed to increase their popularity.
This breed became so popular that it was even used in the Bollywood movie “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” as Tuffy.
Due to their high adaptability to all apartment sizes, they were preferred by the Indians. Especially after the movie, the breed’s popularity hit the roof and you would find this breed in many households.
Unfortunately, nowadays, Indian Spitz has started to lose their importance and they are in a vulnerable state. Indians preferring breeds such as Lhasa Apso or the expensive Samoyed, this breed has lost its importance.
The Kennel Club of India (KCI) has finally recognized this breed but since it is not recognized by other kennel clubs across the globe, the breed does not have much importance, similar to other Indian purebreds.
Did you know?
Madhuri Dixit adopted the 6-year-old Tuffy after the movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun. His name was Redo which belonged to the Assistant Director, Madhukar Sawle.
Parenting and Guide
Walk The Dog
Yeah, even though this is the name of a yoyo trick, you have to walk this dog every day. They do not need an intense exercise regime. A simple walk for 30 minutes in a day would suffice. Also, you can make them play various games like fetch, catch, and mild jogging from a young age which can make them fit and fine.
If the temperature is less than 10-degrees, make sure you go out for a little longer so that their body can warm up. On a similar note, if the temperature is around 35-degrees to 40-degrees, give them plenty of water and keep them hydrated.
Dear Sherlock
You read that right! Indian spitz loves mind games. Their ancestor, German spitz was meant to protect the fields of Germany from rodents and rats. So, they will also be willing to look up for some challenges.
In this way, you can even bond with your breed and understand the various techniques that you can imply that will be fun for both of you.
Say Hello to Our Little Friend
Indian Spitz must be socialized early so that they can be friendly with other pets. Dog parks, dog parties, going down for a walk, etc. will get them used to the various sights, sounds, experiences, and people.
This can even lower their barking tendencies, lower their anxiousness, and make them a “good boi”.
Time and Spitz Waits For No man
When you adopt an Indian Spitz, make sure you have a timetable and a routine that you stick to. Irregular time can be disturbing for both. If your regular walk time is 6 am, make sure you stick to it.
If not, they will most likely wake you and your entire neighborhood by barking. Not only that, there is a chance that your pooch might become aggressive if there is no regime maintained.
Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle!
Our Indian Pomeranian puppies are very curious and they will sneak their way into any small spaces that they find. So, make sure you cover all the unnecessary gaps that are paw-sible for them to dive in.
Ponds and other water bodies are equally hazardous for this breed. They were not meant for swimming and if they end up going, they should immediately be brought out and wiped thoroughly.
Did you know?
Even though the American Kennel Club (AKC) has not registered Indian Spitz, Dog Registry of America (DRA), Inc. has registered them as a purebred.
Personality and Temperament
Smooth Criminal
Indian Spitz is never to be left alone (unless you train them to be so). They will destroy your couch cushions out of boredom and will act as if nothing ever happened. It is always better for someone to be alongside this breed to take care of them.
If trained so, few owners have left their spitz for a day or two with a good amount of food and water to find their house in a paw-fect condition.
Ruff and Tuff
If you have children at home, this breed is just brilliant. They can go around a lot of rough and tumbles before they get annoyed. Although, if your child is a bit aggressive, be a little careful so that they don’t injure each other in the process.
Boredom Dominance Sonorous Meticulous
Do not get the wrong idea, but this is the basic personality of an Indian Spitz.
Boredom is a likely paw-sibility that can occur when you keep the same monotonous regime for your pooch. Different exercise routines other than just a daily walk will make this breed more enthusiastic for everyday activity.
Dominance is what the owner must show their Indian spitz dog. You have to show them that they are part of your pack and you are their leader. This will create a better impression of you on them. Or else, you cannot expect them to obey your commands soon. Establish yourself as the pack leader and make the next step.
Sonorous but screechy is how they will sound if they are not given their requirements. Even if you train them to bark less but if they are not getting their things on time, you can expect them to bark. Or, even if you do not give them much attention, they can bark.
Meticulous regime must be followed for an Indian spitz. Right from food time, to exercise timings, you maintain a timetable and follow it. If not, they might end up chewing on things that are around. So, keep a timetable that you think you can follow and stick to it.
Stranger Things
Although they are very wary of strangers, due to their high intelligence they can pick up on cues very fast. So, do not worry about bringing strangers home if you have an Indian Spitz.
They might not be very strong, but they are extremely good in alerting you and your family if at all they encounter someone suspicious.
Did you know?
An Indian Spitz who was brought up in Chandan Nagar, an area situated on the outer of Kolkata has lived up to 18 years, claiming the longest-lived Indian breed to be known.
Colors and Grooming
Indian Spitz are available in three colors; Black, Brown and White, respectively.
Looking at an Indian Spitz, one might feel the grooming must be intense. It is the complete opposite!
Indian spitz is a low maintenance breed that needs occasional showering. They need to be brushed frequently so that the allergens can be removed and the dog owners wouldn’t face much of an issue. Frequent brushing can stimulate the oil flow in their body and it is like a massage for them.
Regular nail clipping, ear cleaning, and anal cleaning must be followed to keep them hygienic and clean.
Teeth cleaning must be done every day just like you brush yours. This will keep their dental hygiene in check and it can also avoid tooth decay of your Indian Spitz.
Did you know?
All the three colors of an Indian spitz can be obtained in a single litter. You can get a black, brown, and white Indian spitz dog puppy in the same litter, regardless of their parent’s color.
Feeding an Indian Spitz
Being an Indian breed, an Indian spitz is adaptable to all kinds of homemade food. Surprisingly, they can even survive on milk, curd, and rice diet as well. Although, they would love to binge-eat on chicken.
An Indian spitz will love all kinds of food. If you are a pure vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, it doesn’t matter in terms of feeding an Indian spitz. After thorough research, the paw-fect diet plan must include all sorts of nutritious ingredients that will make them healthy and fit.
A diet plan of 50% carbohydrates depending upon the height and weight which includes 4% to 5% fibers, 30% proteins, 10% vitamins, and 10% minerals is proven to be the most effective.
Note: Feeding your pooch Onion and Garlic will act as a poison. So do not include them in your diet. Chili can act as cyanide for your pooch and many dogs have faced immense issues. So be careful before you give anything.
Suggested: Toxic dog foods
A) Puppy (8 weeks to 6 months)
An Indian spitz food intake during their puppyhood must be highly nutritious. They need 3 cups of high-quality, nutritious food, given thrice a day. There are various calcium supplements that veterinarians provide which can be replaced by milk or dairy products in a limited quantity. Do consult them if you can choose this option instead.
There are various ways in which you can provide them a paw-fect nutrition diet to your little pooch. Give them about 64gms of rice (1/2 cup) with 1/3rd a cup of diluted milk and cut fruits. This would be good enough for a meal.
Alternatively, you can also replace diluted milk with 100gms of chicken for an entire day. You can mix the rice with chicken broth, add one teaspoon of coconut oil along with the divided portion of chicken.
If you plan on giving them chapati/roti, make sure you grind/mash them well and mix it with milk or chicken broth which makes a paste. Since they are puppies, they cannot chew on wholesome chapati/roti.
B) Adult (14 months to 5 years)
Now that your pooch has become a “big boi”you can continue feeding them 3 meals a day with 3 cups of high-quality and nutritious food. Since they have grown up, you can give them chapati/roti as well.
You can give them about 10/15 chapati/roti along with green vegetables. If you are giving chicken, cut down the rotis to 10. Giving cut fruits will be an add-on.
The perfect meal would be, giving them 64gms of rice (1/2 cup) with 30gms of “boiled chicken” without any masala and a small number of green vegetables. A teaspoon of coconut oil will be a plus point.
Alternatively, you can also give 1 boiled egg in an entire day, along with the crushed eggshells of a boiled egg.
Suggested: Human food that dogs can eat
C) Senior Dog (9 years and above)
Once Indian spitz has reached the senior dog stage, reduce the number of servings or you can even keep the same servings with reduced quantity.
Since they will not exercise much, make sure you do not overfeed them. When you give your pooch the same diet, look for signs of obesity. If at all you notice these signs, immediately stop it and take them to your vet and shift them to a senior dog diet.
Do not shift their diet suddenly as that can cause gastric issues for your pooch. Do it slowly and with time so that it doesn’t affect their health. You can take up to a week or two in this process.
Health and Vaccination
Having the European genes within them, there have been few reports for certain health issues for an Indian spitz. They are generally a healthy breed and do not have many issues in general. Although, we have to be a little cautious as few of the health issues can be hereditary.
1) Kidney Problems
Similar to that of a human, an Indian spitz’s kidney filters out the wastes through urine and poop and balances the required substances in their blood. The kidneys also help in maintaining the normal concentration of salt and water in their body.
Other than genetics, there are other causes for kidney issues amongst dogs. This could be because of wrong medications given by the vet, tainted food, or swallowing and indigestion of toxic substances.
The signs of kidney problems for an Indian spitz are pretty straightforward. All you have to do is keep your eyes open.
- Sudden change in water intake
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Blood in their stool
- Change in the urine volume
Once you notice any of these symptoms, make sure you immediately take your spitz to a vet. Some preventive measures can be taken but sometimes when things go wrong, there are few treatment methods too:
- Antibiotics are given depending on the severity of the condition.
- Antidotes are available in case of poisoning
- Dialysis is usually done to remove the toxins from the blood
- Diet change
- Fluid therapy
Do make them drink enough water regularly and also make sure they do not chew on something that can cause food poisoning. Regular checkups with your vet are ideal so that anything suspicious can be handled immediately.
2) Seizures
One of the major, life-threatening health problems for a pooch is seizures. Seizures are also called convulsion/fit where there is a disturbance in the brain that is accompanied by uncontrollable muscle activity.
The major cause of seizures and epilepsy are genetics and inherited. Other major concerns that cause seizures are liver diseases, kidney issues, brain tumors, or trauma.
The symptoms are very painful and heart-wrenching to see. The symptoms of epilepsy are:
- Sudden collapsing
- Jerks in their movement
- Loss of consciousness
- Falling and body jerks
- Muscle stiffness
- Foaming in their mouth
Treatments for seizures begin if they have more than once in a month or if it is on a repetitive basis. There are two most common medications used to treat seizures:
- Usage of anticonvulsant medications is the most common way to prevent seizures.
- Phenobarbital and potassium bromide are the two most common medicines used
3) Lower Urinary Tract Diseases
Lower Urinary Tract Diseases (LUTD) is a very rare condition that only 3% to 4% of the dogs get affected by it. The majority of the dogs get affected after they are 5 years of age, that is they would be entering the late adulthood stage. Also, female Indian spitz having diabetes can be affected by LUTD.
The main causes for LUTD are:
- Stones or particles in the Urethra/bladder
- Bladder getting inflated
- Pent up stress
- Other diseases in their prostate
When your Indian spitz is facing this issue, there are few ways in which you detect their symptoms. The symptoms are:
- Blood in their urine
- On and off fever
- Drippy urine due to lack of bladder control
- Appetite change
- Vomiting
- Licking the urinary tract opening
Urinary problems differ according to the gender of any dog, including Indian Spitz. The immediate step is to take your pooch to your vet. The intensity can vary according to the canines, their size, weight, etc. The treatment is as follows:
- Antibiotics are the best way to prevent the disease from further spread
- Various medications and supplements are given, depending on the severity of the disease.
- An increase in water intake is one of the best ways for faster healing
- In the worst-case scenario, surgery can be conducted to remove the tumor, stones out of their system.
Vaccination of Indian spitz must be done with utmost care. Make sure you give them Canine Parvovirus. Canine Distemper must be given 5 times respectively from the age of 6, 8. 10, 12 and finally at 16 weeks. Do inquire with your vet about the Canine Deworming Vaccination plan as it is a must!!
For more information, you can check out this detailed vaccination guide. This will help you to understand everything about vaccination so you can be confident about getting your pooch one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Indian spitz or Indian Pomeranian dog price in India goes from 6000 INR to 15,000 INR based on the region. Although, we would suggest you adopt them from nearby shelters or animal rescue centers. Being an Indian breed, there are a lot of puppies that are rescued and kept there. You would be doing a wonderful job by giving them a home.
#adoptdontshop
The Pomeranian dogs are toy breeds and they are much lighter in weight. Being a toy breed, they are way smaller in height as well. The snout is more conical of a Pomeranian with a much flatter face.
An individual hair can be spotted in an Indian spitz as their hair is lesser dense. A Pomeranian has denser hair which makes it harder to identify their coat. Also, an Indian Spitz has large wolf-like triangular ears as compared to a Pomeranian which is smaller and floppy.
Indian spitz is a small-sized dog breed with an average height of 14 inches to 18 inches. Their weight swings from 5kgs to 20kgs. The male dog has a height of 16 inches to 18 inches while a female dog has a height of 14 inches to 16 inches.
The weight of a male dog ranges from 6kgs to 20kgs and a female dog weighs 5kgs to 18kgs.
Indian Spitz was bred by the British by breeding a German spitz with an Indian Pariah dog. This breed retains the high intelligence of a German Spitz and the adaptability of an Indian Pariah dog. This dog came into existence in the 19th century.
Similar Breeds
Lhasa Apso
Greetings!
This was all about the Indian Spitz! The research on this breed was very limited and there is a lot more we have yet to discover about Indian Spitz.
If anybody owns an Indian Spitz, do let us know in the comments below how your first-hand experience was in handling them. Also, if you do have any queries do let us know and we will provide you with the best solution that we could up with.
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Happy Woofing!
So true, Indian Spitz are so adorable and they do not need training if you just raise them like a kid. One way to make them learn is to let them explore without the leash. They can learn so easily this way. I use leash on my Indian Spitz only when i am going out for a walk.