The History of the Japanese Spitz in Poland – How It All Began

For a long time, whenever someone asked me about the history of the Japanese Spitz in Poland, I could not give them a precise answer. The breed remains rare in this country, and its history here is surprisingly short and, until recently, had scarcely been documented. I therefore decided to reconstruct it step by step: I consulted stud books, contacted breeders in Sweden and spoke to people who remember those first dogs. This is what I discovered.

Karolina from the Byakko Kitsune kennel is holding an adult white Japanese Spitz against a backdrop of pink flowers

1998 – The First Japanese Spitz Dogs Arrive in Poland

It all began in 1998, when the first pair of Japanese Spitz dogs arrived in Poland from Sweden. The two puppies came from different, highly regarded kennels and were imported at almost the same time.

Male – Rowleys Martini Bianco

Born: 9 June 1998
Swedish registration number: S38446/98; Polish registration number: PKR.V-5622
Kennel: Rowley’s (Sweden); Breeder: Rose-Marie Emery
Sire: Rowleys Freedom Fighter; Dam: Kontuji’s Delight Flash

Female – Noidens Just White Magic

Born: 27 June 1998
Swedish registration number: S40637/98; Polish registration number: PKR.V-5621
Kennel: Noidens (Sweden); Breeder: Margareta Siljeström
Sire: Ch. Noidens Fair Line; Dam: Bastängens Kickan

Both dogs went to live with Dorota and Andrzej Pudełko of the Warsaw-based Nord-Stern kennel. To verify this information first-hand, I contacted Rose-Marie Emery of Rowley’s, who had bred the male. She told me that she remembered that period very well. The female had been bred by her friend, Margareta Siljeström of Noidens, and the Polish owners most likely collected both puppies during the same weekend. Rose-Marie has been involved with the Japanese Spitz breed continuously since 1983 and is a breed specialist judge, so it would be difficult to find a more reliable first-hand account.

There is, however, one sad aspect to this story: the first pair never produced a litter. Although they marked the beginning of the breed’s presence in Poland, they did not become the foundation of Japanese Spitz breeding in the country. More than twenty years would pass before the first litter was born in Poland.

2019 – The First Japanese Spitz Litter Born in Poland

That moment came on 21 August 2019, when the first-ever litter of Japanese Spitz puppies in Poland was born at the Active Team kennel in Częstochowa – practically on our doorstep.

Marymay Akira, a white Japanese Spitz bitch, in winter amongst trees — Marymay Akira in winter

Portrait of an adult white Japanese Spitz bitch Marymay Akira — Marymay Akira in winter

Dam – Marymay Akira

Born: 11 May 2017
Pedigree number: PKR.V-26433
Breeder: Maryia Rublyova (the Marymay kennel, Ukraine)
Owner: Natalia Maziarz-Hłond (Active Team, Częstochowa)
Titles include: International Champion, Polish Grand Champion, Polish Champion, Polish Junior Champion, Czech Champion, Slovak Champion and Slovenian Champion
Health tests: PL-0 (patellas clear)

Portrait of Donik Style Morning Star From Duke, a white Japanese Spitz — Donik Style Morning Star From Duke

Donik Style Morning Star From Duke, an adult white Japanese Spitz, standing on the grass — Donik Style Morning Star From Duke

Sire – Donik Style Morning Star From Duke

Born: 1 April 2016
Pedigree numbers: RKF 4586099 / LSVK JS 0012/16
Breeder: Viktoriya Schislyaeva (the Donik Stail kennel, Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Owner: Margarita Rybakova (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Titles include: Belarusian Champion, Lithuanian Champion, Estonian Junior Champion and Lithuanian Junior Champion
Health tests: PL-0; eye examination: clear

As Natalia Maziarz-Hłond, the breeder behind Active Team, told me, Akira came to her from the Marymay kennel in Ukraine. They then travelled with Akira to Lithuania for the mating, to Margarita Rybakova, the owner of the stud dog. The litter itself, however, was born in Poland: two female and two male puppies, all given names beginning with the letter N:

🩷 Naomi (Maya) Active Team
🩷 Noa Active Team
💙 Norio (Yuki) Active Team
💙 Nao Active Team

A white Japanese Spitz puppy from the first Polish litter sitting in the grass — Active Team’s announcement of the first Polish litter

A fluffy white Japanese Spitz puppy playing on the grass — Active Team’s announcement of the first Polish litter

It is these four puppies that are now recognised as the first litter of Japanese Spitz dogs born in Poland.

2021 – How Byakko Kitsune Began

And this is where the history of the breed in Poland meets my own. In 2021, we brought Sayuri home from Active Team and founded the Byakko Kitsune kennel.

Karolina is holding a young white female Japanese Spitz (Sayuri) in her arms — Kari and little Sayuri

Karolina and Mario, founders of the Byakko Kitsune kennel, with a white Japanese Spitz named Sayuri — Kari and little Sayuri

To me, this is far more than a date on the calendar. Sayuri comes from the same kennel in which Poland’s first litter was born, which means that Byakko Kitsune has been connected to this brief but remarkable history from the very beginning. The history of the Japanese Spitz in Poland is still being written, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to continue it – now with my own dogs and litters, and with the people who have come to love this breed just as much as I do.

Why I Am Telling This Story

The Japanese Spitz remains rare in Poland, and its history could easily be forgotten. I am documenting it – with precise dates, pedigrees and the names of the people who shaped that history – because I believe responsible breeding begins with understanding where our dogs come from and remembering those who made their presence here possible.

Everything described above reflects the current state of my knowledge. If you have any documents or recollections that could add to or correct this account, please get in touch – I would be delighted to add another chapter to this story.

And if you would like to get to know my dogs better and learn more about this remarkable breed, explore the other articles on our blog.

Sources

This article was made possible by the kindness of those who shared their knowledge and memorabilia with me:

Rose-Marie Emery (the Rowley’s kennel, Sweden) – the breeder of the first male Japanese Spitz imported into Poland; she provided first-hand confirmation of the circumstances in which both dogs arrived in Poland in 1998.
Natalia Maziarz-Hłond (the Active Team kennel) – the breeder behind Poland’s first Japanese Spitz litter; she shared photographs of the puppies born in 2019 and recounted the litter’s history.
Ewa Szeliga-Szeremeta – an international FCI judge with the Polish Kennel Club (ZKwP), Sopot Branch, authorised to judge all breeds in FCI Groups 5, 7 and 8, as well as the Rhodesian Ridgeback and breeds not recognised by the FCI. As the Japanese Spitz belongs to Group 5, this verification fell squarely within her field of expertise. At my request, she reviewed the archives and confirmed the pedigree details of the first pair from 1998, including their pedigree numbers and the owners’ full names, as well as those of the parents of the first Japanese Spitz litter born in Poland in 2019, including their pedigree numbers and titles.
International pedigree database (spitz.su) – additional confirmation of the pedigree details of the dogs from 2019.

I reconstructed the story of our kennel, Byakko Kitsune, and its place in the history of the breed in Poland from my own recollections.