Content
- Origin of Norrbotten spitz
- Norrbotten spitz characteristics
- norrbotten spitz colors
- norrbotten spitz personality
- norrbotten spitz education
- Norrbotten spitz care
- norrbotten spitz health
- Where to adopt a spitz from norrbotten?
The spitz of norrbotten puppies are a breed originating in Sweden whose main objective was hunting and work. It is a medium-sized breed that need a lot of daily physical activity, being ideal for rural environments. They have a good personality, although training can be complicated without professional help.
Keep reading this breed of dog from PeritoAnimal to know all the norrbotten spitz characteristics, its origin, personality, care, education and health.
Source- Europe
- Sweden
- Group V
- muscular
- provided
- short ears
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- very faithful
- Intelligent
- Active
- Houses
- hiking
- Surveillance
- Sport
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Short
- Hard
Origin of Norrbotten spitz
The spitz dog of norrbotten is a breed from northern Bothnia, Sweden, specifically the Norbotten County, where its name comes from. Its origin dates back to the 17th century. This breed was specifically designed for use in hunting, but also for herding cattle, pulling sleds and carts, as a guard dog on farms and ranches, and even as a companion animal.
The breed almost went extinct during World War I, but as some of these puppies were kept on Swedish ranches, the breed was able to persist and breeding programs for the breed began during the 1950s and 1960s. In the year 1966, the Federation Cinológica Internacional accepted the spitz of norrbotten as a breed and in 1967 the Swedish Kennel Club registered the breed and its new standard. Currently, about 100 dogs are registered each year in Sweden.
Norrbotten spitz characteristics
Norrbotten's spitz are not big dogs, but small-medium size measuring up to 45 cm in height among males and 42 among females. Males weigh between 11 and 15 kg and females between 8 and 12. They are puppies with a body shape that resembles a square, with a slender build and strong forelimbs with straight shoulders. The chest is deep and long and the belly is retracted. The back is short, muscular and strong and the croup is long and wide.
Continuing with the characteristics of the spitz of norrbotten, the head is strong and wedge-shaped, with a flattened skull, a well-marked nasofrontal depression and a somewhat arched forehead. The muzzle is pointed and the ears are straight and set high, small in size and with a moderately rounded tip. The eyes are almond-shaped, large and slanted.
The tail is very furry and curves over its back, touching one side of the thigh.
norrbotten spitz colors
The coat is short, longer on the back of the thighs, nape and under the tail. It is double-layered, with the outer layer being rigid or semi-rigid and the inner soft and dense. The coat color should be white with large wheat spots on both sides of the head and ears. No other colors or patterns are accepted.
norrbotten spitz personality
norrbotten spitz are dogs very loyal, dedicated, hardworking and sensitive. Their ideal environment is rural places where they can develop a moderate to intense activity due to their origin as a hunting dog.
They love running, playing, exercising and being on the move. They are happy dogs that protect your home and your loved ones well. They are very intelligent and vivacious, in addition to being obedient, affectionate, docile and tolerant with people of all ages. However, the excessive loneliness or tranquility will cause them anxiety and can become barkers and destructive.
norrbotten spitz education
Norrbotten spitz are very independent as they are working and hunting dogs, they don't need the decisions of a human to act, so training them can be a challenge. For this reason, if you have no experience in dog training, it is best to hire a professional to establish a work plan. Of course, we do not recommend completely disregarding this process, we advise you to get involved with the handler to be part of the education, because in these cases not only the dog must be educated, but also the human to understand it.
Regardless of whether or not you go to a professional to train the spitz of norrbotten, the most suitable for this dog, and for any animal, is to choose the positive training, which is based on reinforcing good behaviors. We shouldn't punish or fight because that would only make the situation worse.
Norrbotten spitz care
Being a dog that was originally a hunter and working, although nowadays he lives with us in our homes, requires a lot of daily activity and release all your energy, so you need active caregivers with time to devote to your dog. They need rural environments or long walks, lots of games, activities and outings.
To properly care for a norrbotten spitz, your need for exercise must always be met. The rest of the care is common for all dogs:
- dental hygiene to prevent tartar and periodontal diseases, as well as other dental problems.
- Ear canal hygiene to prevent painful ear infections.
- frequent brushing to remove dead hair and accumulated dirt.
- Baths when necessary for hygienic reasons.
- Deworming routine to avoid internal and external parasites which, in turn, can carry other infectious agents that cause other diseases.
- Vaccination routine to prevent the development of common infectious diseases in dogs, always following the specialist's recommendation.
- Balanced diet destined for the canine species and with a sufficient amount to cover their daily energy needs according to their particular conditions (age, metabolism, environmental conditions, physiological state, etc.).
- Environmental enrichment in the house to keep you from getting bored or stressed.
norrbotten spitz health
Norrbotten spitz are very dogs. strong and healthy, with a life expectancy of up to 16 years. However, although they are in good health, they can get sick from any disease that affects the canine species, whether transmitted by vectors, organic diseases or tumoral processes.
Although they do not suffer especially from specific hereditary diseases or congenital defects, in recent years we have found specimens with progressive cerebellar ataxia. This disease consists of a degeneration of the nervous system, specifically the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movements. Puppies are born normal, but after 6 weeks of life, the cerebellar neurons begin to die. This brings as a consequence cerebellar signs in the first years of life, such as head tremors, ataxia, falls, muscle contractions and, in advanced stages, inability to move. Therefore, before crossing two spitz of norrbotten, the DNA of the parents must be analyzed in order to detect this disease and avoid their crosses, which would pass the disease to their offspring. However, from PeritoAnimal, we always recommend sterilization.
Where to adopt a spitz from norrbotten?
If you think you are fit to have a dog of this breed because you have the time and desire for him to have his daily ration of exercise and play, the next step is to ask at shelters and refuges sites about the availability of a dog. If this is not the case, they can search for associations on the Internet responsible for rescuing dogs of this breed or mutts.
Depending on the location, the probability of finding such a dog will be reduced or increased, being more frequent in Europe and practically non-existent in other continents, as in almost all the countries of the Americas. In any case, we recommend not discarding the option of adopting a crossbred dog. When choosing a canine companion, the most important thing is not their breed, but that we can meet all their needs.