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The only difference that I can think of is that he has been getting out of his crate more often and playing all around the house instead of just the kitchen now. Should I be looking at cutting the time he spends out? He tends to bark alot when he is in his crate which is where he sleeps and always has been which just a week ago it has been a problem with barking. I also noticed that when I'm in the same room and eating now he would tend to bark, I don't respond and ignore his barks during this period, also tried water squirts but nothing seems to stop him. I'm trying to think of ways to improve the crate so it isn't something he keeps barking about staying in. The main reason I keep him in there is to sleep which is pretty much the only time unless im out as well because leaving him alone I know he will start toileting in the kitchen as oppose to outside. It is a problem with the neighbors as it is loud and I know they will start to complain soon enough.

Hi everyone My 11month old Japanese spitz has a big problem with barking, funny enough right after he was de-sexed. This was a small problem before this but now it was been reoccurring a lot more often for the past week. He would bark when someone leaves the room, any sound or sight of a stranger, any sound/footsteps outside his area thinking someone will leave, when other dogs in the area bark but the worse is when it is like 5am and would randomly bark. I have read a lot about this issue but still no progress, I have tried water squirting him and firmly saying quiet, rewarding him when he is quiet by verbal and touching appraisal and also when he is just being quiet randomly. If there is noone in the room and he starts to bark, I ignore him completely where 10minutes later he would stop. When I do see him and leave him, I don't say or look at him at all, not giving any attention that is. I have taken him out before he sleeps for some mental stimulus and also throughout the day so he isn't so bored by himself. When I'm in the room with him, I have used sprayed water and saying quiet, it sometimes feel he is challenging the water with the barking. He does eventually stop but I'm not sure if its because of the water or he just stops after awhile. Also I have tried leaving him completely when he starts to bark at all and then coming back in when he does calm down and quiet. I know its been a week now, unless it takes a lot more than that, I feel i need to call some professional help, unless there is something I'm doing wrong and any further tips would be much appreciated. Thank you

Anyone have any suggestions, the problem is still occuring with him suddenly barking and also crying when we leave him alone. thanks

Hi everyone I've noticed my pup is eating alot of grass and was wandering if he has been eating it cause of missing nutrients he needs from it. So I'm also wandering what veggies would be appropriate to give for a japanese spitz dog? I have heard that some veggies that cause the white coat of his to have biscuit marks and he already has them so wandering what good veggies to give without causing affect to his coat? Thanks so much

Hi, need some suggestions with a new problem that has been reoccurring for the few previous nights. This would happen all sudden in the night like, 4am, he sleeps around 10pm-12. Well he could suddenly wake up and bark a lot, loud and sometimes growling. The thing is, I really have no clue on what it is that is disturbing him. He sleeps in the kitchen in his crate and there really isn't any distractions nor has anything changed. Although I do know we have this mice problem, but I believe it is dead now, which would be the only explanation. He would bark like 10-20times out loud waking up the whole family in the process. Also I do take him out before he sleeps and he is able to hold it in like he has been for the previous months. I did take him out the other night when it happened and he only pee'ed a little. I'm unsure whether it is a good idea to see to him, and let him be although he does bark for a long time and I hate to have the whole family waking up. What I've tried is going in when he quiet downs a little and try and teach him to be quiet? (unsure about teachin him to stop barking so some tips would be great) What could be the reason he is waking up so suddenly? Nightmares? What can I do to prevent this from further nights? Thanks

I was just wandering, how is everyones experience with lamb flaps? My pup takes around 20minutes to eat it all, seems to cut it down slowly but seems to swallow some pieces when they are small (i think). Just new to this raw meat and only concern is choking or bones that may hurt him. Is there a time frame i should be giving him to eat them? well any raw meat? Just worried about bacteria as well that may form while eating it?

He would usually be in the kitchen in his crate, sometimes around the room depending on if anyone is cooking or not. Playing fetch is usually outside, but I do let him roam to other parts of the house after he has done the deed. Is it normal for pups to be crying when we leave them alone? Its not exactly all the time, but I'd say so far 3/4 of the times. Everytime I wouldn't make any fuss when im leaving the room and to be silent as I can. He would usually cry when I leave him in the kitchen going to my room. Sometimes when I leave with the door still open he would cry, and when he starts to cry I would close the door.

Thanks for all the replies so far I just gave him some chicken wings today, the thing that worries me alot is when he breaks it up into smaller bones and then there are sharps ends which could cut himself while eating. It doesn't seem like he will choke but being cut either in the mouth or throat. Should I be worried with this? But good news today, he finally ate all his food and left the wing last to eat, kinda different cause he would usually eat the good stuff first. I also bought some lamb flaps, I don't suppose they would be the same as the chicken wings? they look really big(cut into smaller places) and good which ill give tomorrow. Also I have the kong and love using it which has been great. I do regularly check his ribs and it has been normal, not thin nor fat. I also limit his feeding time to 15mins and take away his food then, but it just worries me sometimes he just wouldn't even eat half. I leave him alone to eat all the time as well so there isn't really distractions, sometimes i check on him and see he just lies on the ground. What kind of raw bone should I give to him for chewing to clean? I'm unsure thats all with the names, I have given marrows in the past so other good alternatives will be great.

Hi everyone I have a japanese spitz who is 7months old now. Just wanted some clarification whether giving chicken necks to my pup will be good or not for dinner. I asked my vet is she told me she wouldnt advise to give it at all since the small bones can damage his throat or cause choking. Although I've read elsewhere it should be fine. Any ideas? Its just that i want him to eat some meaty things instead of just the wet food and kibble i give. Or should I get the chicken necks but crush them myself? What other meat produce should i give to my pup that is good for his diet and natural for him? I was thinking mince, do I need to cook it b4 i give it to him to eat? And in regards for food that he can chew n clean with, any suggestions? He is a very heavy chewer and most toys I've given him have been broken and thrown away now. Some other random questions Whenever I give my pup his food for dinner, it takes awhile for him to eat, like 20minutes or so, the thing is when I'm next to him or holding the plate then he would eat faster and finish his food. I've made him eat alone and took his food away after 15minutes and that was it, but I'm worried i will be underfeeding him as he will only eat around half of what he is suppose to eat. Any suggestions to make him eat without me being there? I'm also trying to make this not a habit but i only do it once or twice a week when he doesnt eat any at all. Also why is it do i need to boil eggs to give to eat? Thanks

The main reason I do try check on him whenever I can, it doesn't really mean every 2n half hrs just randomly, is to take him out to toilet. He isn't toilet trained and I take him out whenever he wakes up, finishes eating and finished playing. Although im unsure what is appropriate for the amount of time to spend with him to make he isn't so attached to me. I was worried I wasn't spending enough time, I usually leave him in his crate/pen and thus why i do see him to let him out whenever i can.

It's usually when i leave the room to another one, well the same also goes for when leaving home alone. Its a Japanese spitz sorry. Nothing has chanced for the last 2weeks as well. Mental stimulus, I'd say every 2hrs for 30minutes playing fetch etc. I'd like to spend as much time possible with him as I can, so i try to get at least 30minutes every 2-3hrs. The only thing i can think that may have changed was because since its raining, he doesnt go outside as much now. Other than that i wouldnt know anything else. Thanks for the tip, i'll be following it. As said it may be the smaller amount of time spent outside, which i try to make up with running around the house instead. He is also in perfect health last, nothing out of the usual. Its just that he didn't really cry like this previsouly even though its the same thing that has been going on. Unless I maybe spending more time with him and he is getting too attached? Thanks for all the replies so far

Hi everyone My 7month japanese spitz just vomitted. I was sitting there rubbing his stomach area and neck, then all of a sudden he just vomited. The thing that concerns me is that it looked like blood but smelt more like food. I'm thinking he may have some allegic reaction to the treats I give him which is the natures gift beef liver treats since it also had the same colour of it. Although I have been giving this for quite awhile and previously had a problem with him gnawling his feet and scatching his neck making, which the vet thought it was some food allergy. But we couldn't really pinpoint what was causing it and I just wanted to know how would I know if he has this food allergy? I'm really worried it maybe blood and just hoping it was either because I was rubbing his stomach and caused it (has never happened before though..) or a food allergy to the long time(3months or so) treat. Before this he was just in his pen sleeping, so there wasn't any hard workout previously. He's stool and pissing routine has been normal throughout and been feeding him the same thing which is the advance kibble and wet food. I've attached a picture of what it looked like, well dabbed in tissue and also felt this jelly like substance in it. Any thoughts? I just hope its not serious though.

Hi all My pup who is almost 6months old has just started to cry every time we leave him now. This hasn't happened for a long time since I got him and I thought I taught him that crying doesn't gain my family's attention. We still do the same, ignoring his cries and treat him when he doesn't, other than that i don't know what else to do. But only recently he will bark out really loud now and cry for the past 2 weeks now. Any tips? I know he isn't crying because he needs to go toilet or anything as well since he I knew he already done the deed. I can only think that he is crying since he wants to play although I do spend a lot of time with him already. Thanks for any suggestions

Hi everyone , just a quick update I took him to the vet and the vet said it doesn't seem to be anything serious as it isn't something regular. She mentioned to me about buying this spray on for him for his paws that will stop him from doing so but said it wasn't necessary since it did cost $100 or so. From what i can gather, because it she said I noticed he was also scratching his neck area then biting his paws, that it could be a food allergy. Or even the grass he walks on to do the deed, also boredom and being nervous. I asked the vet to check his ears for any mites, feet for any fleas and everything seems 100% for him which is great news. I barely notice him gnawing his feet anymore, and now I think its just him being bored cause it is only when he is in his crate that it happens. I have been feeding him the same type of food since I first got him, although it maybe the new treats I have been buying for him. About the cleaning of my tiles, I use steam to clean it. Thanks for all the help.

Sorry for the late reply since i've been busy. I am planning on taking him to see a vet this week and thank everyone for all the replies so far. The bottom of his paw doesnt seem to look itchy or sore.. just the red stains. Although i think he hates me handling his paws, he does let me look but after awhile its like.. give it back to me! I regularly check for fleas and apply advocate every month consistently. His feet smells just like his breath and saliva.. It's all his paws, front n back although I think it more towards the back feet. He mainly walks inside my house so is exposed to walking on tiles and floorboards, other than that some grass time for his tiolet time. Food wise, i just feed him advance puppy food and some wet food from optimum or advance. The only washing thing he is exposed to is just the shampoo we wash him with like every month, and i guess the washing detergent for his food. He sleeps in his crate since he has destroyed all the beds we give him. Thanks again with all the replies, ill let you all know what the vet says.

Hi everyone, I have a japanese spitz almost 6months old. I've noticed that he bites his own feet/paw and that i can see on his coat there are red marks, almost as if there is blood. I'm worried that he is biting himself too hard and hurting himself. I wanted to know if this is normal behavoiur and ways of stopping him from doing so. I can only presume its when he is locked up in his pen to sleep, I do leave toys for him to play with as well. Thank you

Thanks for the replies so far. I wanted to know if i should be keeping the collar on him as I have yet to keep any collars on him. I have heard it may flatten his hair if kept on too much or even the chance of choking himself, but i wanted to know how i'm suppose to have any kind of identification plates for him? Would it be easier if i kept the collar on him to leash train him as well? What do other japanese spitz or long haired dog owners do? Thanks

Hi everyone I have a japanese spitz pup that I have been trying to lead train for the past month. Currently I am using the gentle leader easy walk and what I have noticed is that it is difficult to put it on my pup but also the main problem is when i do train him, the lead gets caught between his legs or he starts to chew on the lead. Also I don't think there has been much progress with my lead training lately as he is still pulling ahead but I think it's cause its getting annoying for him since it either gets caught between his legs and much more easy for him to chew on the lead when it isnt caught. I'm thinking of switching over to the sporn harnesses to stop those problems and wanted to know if it is recommended to. I'm worried it may irritate his body as i train him or even cause problems with pulling his hair since it is recommended for short hair dogs? Any other recommendations for a japanese spitz for harnesses? What i have been trying to do so far is making him learn to heel and stop pulling, I have been using clicker training as well where i could click n reward him when he either stops pulling and is walking beside me or gets beside me. I was wandering what other tips i could use to help my pup learn to kneel so I can start taking him out into the world instead of the driveway I have that he only uses when training. Thank you

Hi everyone My 22week yr old japanese spitz pup has just started to bark randomly at night for the first time. We have been ignoring his barking that usually just goes on for 15minutes or so, on and off that is and I'm worried I won't be able to tell the difference if its really some intruder or not. Also I'm unsure what could the reason be for the barking, I would think its just because he just woke up suddenly or some bugs. What can I do about this barking because it usually happens at like 12am then 3am at night? Also in regards to lead training, just today he was trying to bite me as I was taking off the leash from his neck, then he would get all hypo afterwards, is this because I might be pulling his hair as in doing so? What can i do about him biting me? I do make a loud yelp noise and ignore him etc but it has happened twice. Thanks for the help

My pup is a japanese spitz. In regards to the lead training, I had the impression I needed to be sure my pup will follow my lead, that is he won't be pulling or going ahead of me and also for him to kneel beside me in case of anything dangerous that may come before I can take him out of the property. He is already restricted to part of the property so I take him out with the lead to the other part of the property he never can get to. Thanks for all the replies about the morning meals, i'll give the ideas a try tomorrow and see how he goes.

Well the weather has been going on and off in NSW with rain and sunny some days. Also another change is how we stopped feeding him in the afternoon now but has been like that for a week now. Other than that I haven't seen any other changes. In the evening, I feed him kibble and wet food usually. He is teething at the moment, I wasn't sure if this would affect his eating patterns since he can eat later on. But it seems with the left over kibble thats left, I use it to treat him for the tricks he does and he will happily eat it.

Hi everyone This problem has been going on for the past 3 days, my puppy in the morning is really slowly eating his breakfast which just includes kibble and puppy milk. Like it would take him a hr to just finish a quarter of what he usually eats. Although at night when I feed him, he seems to chow it all down. Could this mean he just isn't hungry in the mornings? I only just started to increase the amount he is eating to a cup a day and he is 20weeks old now. He's stool seems to be normal by the looks of it as well. Just other random queries as well, when it comes to lead training, he always barely moves and just stands still. What good ways are there to make him move as I move? I've tried to give him treats but he just keeps staying still and when I do start to pull he just pulls back as well. Also I've noticed my neighbors have been poisoning their trees and I'm worried that the dead leaves that fall down over my place or even the branches will poison my pup? Any ideas if that does? Thanks you

Hi thanks for the reply I was wandering if it was a good idea to put some pepper inside the bed mixed with the stuffing inside to stop him from chewing it. I heard you need to put some water near him if doing so but was wandering why?

Hi everyone, another toilet training threat which I can't seem to pile up ideas from other threads. My pup is now 15weeks old and still not fully toilet trained which I am still working on and I would love some tips to help so. My main curious question is, I have this area where we play with the pup all grass where I try to make him do the deed around the corner since it is he's play area. But its only half the time he would do it in that area and I do reward him a lot when he does it right although he still continues to do it somewhere else. Does everyone make him do it in an area designated in the yard? Or should I let him do it anywhere in the yard? Also some more tips to make him do it in the right area? He isn't leashed trained yet but i do try to stand around there to make him come to me and do it there. I also tried spraying vinegar or some uraine off on areas he isnt suppose to do so. Now the main problem. I have a deck out the back of my place which stands 1m off the ground and this is where my pup stays in his own pen that surrounds his crate. I've made a ramp which he happily uses to get out in the yard for him to play or do the deed. So when it is time for him to do the deed, I let him out of the pen right out to the area he needs to but the main problem is when i'm not there where he will just do it in his pen area. I can leave the gate open for him to access the yard and do it outside but at this stage where he isn't doing it at the right area, I didn't think it would be alright to do so until he can do it properly? Although I'm getting worried he will find it good to do the deed on the deck now. How should I go about training him to stop doing it in the pen area and in the right area outside? Also I do take him out after he eats/sleeps until he does so and in the middle of the night. Also I've noticed sometimes after eating, he wont do any poo until at least a hr later, what could be the cause of that? Also is it good idea to use a metal leash to train my pup that includes the metal collar? Thanks for the help.

Hmm never heard of it, where can I find the fabric though? Or should i simply invest in that snooza product? Thanks