Japanese Spitz vs Samoyed
Side by side
Japanese Spitz
Samoyed
Adult weight
4.5–11 kg (9.9–25 lb) (estimated: the AKC (FSS) breed page's 10-25 lb, the only published weight for the breed)
Males 20–29 kg (45–65 lb); females 16–23 kg (35–50 lb) (breed club figure)1
Height
Males 30–38 cm; females 30–34 cm2
Males 53.3–59.7 cm; females 48.3–53.3 cm (breed club figure)1
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Daily brushing
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Plenty
Class
Companion
Family
Which suits you
Size
The Samoyed is far larger: about 22 kg (49 lb) as an adult, against 7.9 kg (17 lb) for the Japanese Spitz.
Grooming
The Japanese Spitz needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Samoyed needs a brush once a week.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Samoyed, and a moderate amount with the Japanese Spitz.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Japanese Spitz: keen to work with you; Samoyed: cooperative, with its own ideas) and on loyalty (Japanese Spitz: sticks close to its people; Samoyed: bonded to its family).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Japanese Spitz
Spitz & primitive · Small
In temperament it is lively, bright and affectionate with its household, playful, and quick to notice anything unusual, though often reserved with strangers.
Samoyed
Spitz & primitive · Medium
In temperament the Samoyed is friendly, gentle and sociable. It tends to greet strangers with interest rather than suspicion, so it makes a poor guard dog.
Breed traits
Day to day
Japanese Spitz
Samoyed
Activity
Differs
A good daily walk and play
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs steady training
With people
Japanese Spitz
Samoyed
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Japanese Spitz
Samoyed
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Samoyed grows to the heavier adult, about 23 kg against the Japanese Spitz's 7.9 kg. The Japanese Spitz's weight is not a published figure.
Japanese Spitz
Samoyed
More comparisons
Compare the Japanese Spitz with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Samoyed breed page. ↑
- 2
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 7Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 8American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 9
Parts of this page were written by AI ·