MyDogBreeds
Both Spitz and Siberian Husky are originated from Russia. Spitz may grow 10 cm / 4 inches higher than Siberian Husky. Spitz may weigh 13 kg / 29 pounds more than Siberian Husky. Both Spitz and Siberian Husky has almost same life span. Spitz may have more litter size than Siberian Husky. Both Spitz and Siberian Husky requires Moderate maintenance.
A spitz is not a breed of dog, but rather a “group or family” of dogs that has its roots in Germany. Within this family there are a variety of breeds that were bred for very specific purposes by people in many different parts of the world. The spitz family can be toy dog size up to vey large. Examples run from the Pomeranian to the Canadian Eskimo Dog.
The Spitz family dogs share the look of thick, long fur and pointed muzzles, ears and curly tail. Despite their German name, they are thought to originally be of East Asia or Artic descent. Most of today’s spitz are from Siberia’s Artic region, first described in 1788 and in English in 1792. Spitz have been bred for three types of jobs depending upon where they were developed. These jobs included pulling, herding and hunting.
There are very powerful and large Spitz breeds that pull or hunt large game. Examples of these breeds are the Swedish Elkhound, the Akita Inu, the Norwegian Elkhound and the Karelian Bear Dog. The smaller sized breeds like the Samoyed hunted small mammals and birds, while the Finnish Lapphund, Lapponian Herder, and Swedish Lapphund herded, hunted and pulled small sleds.
The three largest spitz also pulled sleds throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. In most places the Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Alakan Malamute and the Greenland dog were used in sled racing and fur trapping while in Canada and Alaska the Siberian Husky was used for the same things.
Recently there have been genetic tests that show a large number of dogs that are considered Spitz type so share many strong ancestral ties and DNA similarities with wild wolves. It is now believed that a lot of these breeds were intentionally mated with wolves and some were accidental. Both domestic and wild dogs are included in this history.
Most spitz are made for cold weather, even today’s lapdogs, like the Pomeranian, do not do well in hot climates.
Siberian Huskies are very close to Chukchi people.Chukchi is a tribe in Siberian nomads and huskies are beleived to be originated with them. DNA tests on huskies prove that they are the oldest among the dog breeds and they used them to travel fast. Also children used to sleep with them as they provide body heat to them. Siberian Huskies also like to be very close to the children. In 1908 at the gold rush, huskies were imported to Alaska and used as sled dogs. In Alaska they were used for dog sled race until today.
Siberian Huskies were exported from Siberia and they continued their journey in North America. American kennel club recognized them in 1930 and the Siberian club of america has been founded in 1938.
Most of the spitz breeds share a “look” that includes erect ears, stocky heavy, usually double coats, a pointed muzzle, thick, fluffy ruffs and a heavy curled tail carried high over the body. Build for northern climates they are insulated by a undercoat that is waterproof and dense and a less dense topcoat. Their ears are small to prevent frostbite and their paws have thick fur to protect them in the frigid, icy terrain.
Many still have wolf-like looks and tendencies. Some are very difficult to train to be companions – the Akita, Chow and especially the Karelian Bear Dog – fall into this category. Many mixed breed dogs are also considered members of the Spitz family. These dogs are easy to recognize as spitz because of these physical characteristics
Siberian Huskies are said to be one of the beautiful dog breeds in the world. They are well known for their thick coat and blue coloured eyes. Siberian Huskies are really challenging for new dog owners. It is preferred to give them a fenced yard and the fence should be sunk well to the ground to prevent them from escaping, as they always try to escape. They are medium sized working dogs having high energy level. Initially huskies were developed as sled dogs.
They are affectionate and intelligent breed. Also they are independent in nature. They are kid friendly dogs and also are friendly with everyone including strangers. Siberian Huskies will be a good companion when given proper training and care. They are low shedders but it depends on the climate it lives. Normally they dont shed in cold climate but in warmer climate they will do. They shed heavily twice in a year for a three week strech. Normally Siberian Huskies do not suit well for apartment living. They are not watchdogs as they will bark very rarely but it enjoys to howl.
1.Children friendliness excellent with almost all the breeds. Be careful of size. Smaller breeds may not be as friendly and larger may knock down small children.
Siberian Huskies are very much affectionate with children. But it is necessary to train both parties to behave with each other. It is recommended to have an adult supervision for younger children.
They are very good diggers and so they should be watched if they are in garden. They tolerate well in cold weather and mostly huskies can be seen in the area of snow falling. They are very good in pulling sledges.
They adapt well in cold weather. It is advised to give them a well fenced yard. They do not like apartment living. Also they do not like to be alone and if kept alone for long time they will disturb your house and make it dirty.
It is a little harder to characterize the health issues of a family of dogs than it is a .will overheat in hot climates due to their double coats. Here are some propensities of dogs in the Spitz family.
• Thrombopathia bleeding disorder with the risk of a hemorrhage, platets don’t clot.
• Larger breeds are affected by Elbow and Hip dysplasia that can cause arthritis and lameness.
Siberian husky suffers with minor health problems such as hypothyroidism, Progressive retinal atrophy and cataract. They are also prone to lose pigment in nose and muzzle. Some health problems occur due to bad breeding practices and some due to environmental problems where the puppy is brought up. They have also chances to get skin disease such as allergies.
When they are in the age of 2 to 5 years, they are having chances to hairloss due to Alopecia X. This condition mainly causes due to hair clipping in Siberians. They will be healthy but the hair will not grow in affected areas. Siberians are double coated and when the situation prevails the topcoat will fall off first and the undercoat follows it. The hair will fall off in both side of the dog in same area. Spaying or neutering will reduce such problems as it causes because of sex hormones.
1Feeding the puppy The Spitz family has high energy needs but in a slow-release so they need protein more than grain. Puppies should be fed 3-4x a day in small meals. Don’t overfeed them.
2.Feeding the adult – The Spitz type dog stores their energy to use in extended periods when working or playing. They will become obese if overfed or if they don’t get enough exercise. Feed 2-3X a day in small or medium sized meals, even the larger breeds because of their storage of calories.
4. Games and Exercises – Having been bred for endurance and stamina most Spritz breed need plenty of exercise, lots of space and lots of play. They love to run, jog, or play games. They are outdoors types who love to hike, and run or walk for long times over long distances. They are great in cold, wet weather but not so good in the heat. How much exercise they need depends on the size and history of the specific breeds. Most love to play with other dogs, so dog parks and dog day care can both be good choices for most of them. Agility, barnhunt, field trials, pulling games are all good choices.
In one method of feeding the Husky puppies, the food will be given always available, but this method is not recommended as it has some problems. This method is followed by large breeders because of lack of time to spend on individuals. Another method is to keep meal for 3 times a day. At about 12 to 16 weeks of age the meals can be reduced to two times a day. In this method the meal given should not be there after 15 minutes even if puppy did not ate. The important training for Husky puppies while eating is they should not growl when the food is taken by its master.
Many Siberian experts don't like commercial dog food as they are sure that because of such foods dog may get problems like itching, dandruff, loose stools and hot spots. According to experts the good food for them are home cooked food from turkey, real chicken, beef and fish. Fruits and fresh vegetables are also very good for them. It is advised by dog owners to add only low salt or even without salt in their food. Also sugar is not good for them as it will bring some problems like hairfall and itching.
Siberian huskies can be easily groomed. Their eyes should be checked in puppyhood as they get chances to get eye problems and hereditary eye diseases. It is advised to make siberians to bath once in a year and they must be brushed once in a week. While brushing, the ears should be inspected and its teeth should be brushed. It is good to trim the long hairs in their feet and also nails should be trimmed slightly and very carefully as they have blood vessels there.
To give training and exercises to Siberian Huskies, the home should be prepared for them and it is better to make a fenced yard to prevent escapes. They have very high chances to escape and so the fence should be minimum 6 feet high and base should be strong as it should not break it or dig under to escape. Since they are active from their puppyhood they must be given lots of exercise. They should be socialized in their early stages as to get good behaviour and manners.