Japanese Spitz puppy in its new home – what you need to know before you collect it
Even before your puppy arrives, I know you have a thousand questions. When should you collect your puppy? What should you prepare? How will you get through the first night? Over the years of running the Byakko Kitsune kennel, I have answered these questions hundreds of times – in individual conversations, in our group chat and in messages sent at two in the morning. That is why I decided to bring everything together in one place.
This article is not a collection of general advice taken from the internet. It is based on my experience as an FCI breeder and on what I have observed while supporting the many families who have welcomed Japanese Spitz puppies from Byakko Kitsune into their homes.
When is a Japanese Spitz puppy ready for its new home?
Regulations state that a puppy may leave the breeder once it is seven weeks old. But “may” is not the same as “should”.
In my kennel, I do not allow puppies to leave before they are nine weeks old. Exceptions are extremely rare and are made only when circumstances genuinely require it and the new owners have a compelling reason. Most puppies leave for their new homes at nine weeks of age, and this timing is deliberate. At around eight weeks, puppies enter their first period of heightened sensitivity to new stimuli, commonly described in canine literature as the first fear period. During this time, a puppy may react more cautiously to unfamiliar places, people or sounds. Waiting one more week allows many puppies to become more confident, making it easier for them to settle into their new homes.
Until approximately eight or nine weeks of age, the mother is the puppy’s greatest authority and source of security. Time spent with littermates teaches boundaries, communication with other dogs and appropriate play. These are lessons that cannot be fully recreated later.
Every puppy leaves our kennel with a starter pack and a complete set of documents: a puppy registration certificate, a health booklet recording worming treatments at three, five and seven weeks of age and two vaccinations, as well as a sales agreement. I also include a tablet for the puppy’s next worming treatment, so that the new owner has it readily available. New owners also receive our Happy Puppy Guide – a compendium of practical knowledge for the puppy’s first weeks in its new home, designed to help families navigate the beginning of their life together calmly and confidently.
Microchipping and Safe Animal. Every puppy from Byakko Kitsune is microchipped at six weeks of age and registered by me with the international Safe Animal database. If your dog ever goes missing, my contact details as the breeder can be retrieved from the database. You can also add your own details as the dog’s owner, and families who take home one of our puppies receive a discount for this service.
The first few hours – peace and quiet is the greatest gift
When you collect a puppy, its entire world is turned upside down. The scent of its mother and nest, the warmth of its littermates and the familiar sounds of the kennel all disappear. Everything is new and unfamiliar.
This is not the time for a big family gathering.
The first few hours should be quiet. Limit the number of people present. Do not invite the neighbours over “just for a moment”, and do not play loud music. Allow the puppy to explore at its own pace – it will want to sniff every corner and lick every surface. This is how it gathers information about its new surroundings.
Every Byakko Kitsune starter pack contains an item carrying the scent of the puppy’s mother and the kennel. Place it in the puppy’s bed straight away. In a completely unfamiliar place, this familiar scent becomes its only “anchor of safety” – and it really can make an enormous difference during those first few days.
The First Nights – the Most Difficult Test for a New Owner
I receive many messages from new owners, and one question comes up particularly often: “Is it normal for my puppy to whine or seem sad?”
Yes. That's completely normal.
A Japanese Spitz puppy may whine or cry during its first few nights, particularly if it is isolated from people. Spitz dogs are sometimes described as dogs that literally “want to be human”, because their need for human contact is exceptionally strong. After being separated from its mother and littermates, the puppy loses everything it has ever known, and you become its new source of security. That is precisely why it wants to remain as close to you as possible.
The most important rule for the first few nights: do not leave your puppy to cry alone.
You may have heard the advice: “Do not respond, or you will spoil the puppy.” During those first nights, that is bad advice. The crying is not cunning or a strategy. It is stress – sometimes even panic – experienced by a young animal that has been left alone for the first time in its life. By responding calmly, you soothe the puppy and help it develop a sense of security. Fear cannot be “reinforced” or “rewarded” in the same way as a deliberate behaviour, just as comforting a crying baby at night does not spoil the child. A confident adult dog demanding attention is an entirely different situation, and it is not what a newly arrived puppy is experiencing.
Plan the first few nights so that the puppy can remain close to you. The simplest solution is to place its bed or crate beside your own bed, where it can see, hear and smell you. When the puppy cries, a calm voice or a hand lowered beside it is often enough to provide reassurance. Prepare for the night in advance: place an item carrying the kennel’s scent in the puppy’s bed and keep a bowl of fresh water nearby.
A few words about crates, because this subject can arouse strong emotions. A crate can be an excellent tool, but only when it serves as the dog’s safe retreat rather than a prison. Never shut a puppy in a crate as punishment, and never use it simply to isolate the dog from the family. A Japanese Spitz is happiest when involved in everyday family life. During the first few days, concentrate on creating positive associations: place treats inside, serve meals in the crate and allow the puppy to enter and leave freely. The aim is for the dog to choose when to go inside and to feel safe there, not simply to be confined.
Whether you allow the puppy into your bed is a decision for you to make in your own home, and you can certainly establish that the dog will eventually sleep in its own bed. Just remember two things. Firstly, making one exception does not “programme” a dog for life. As the puppy becomes more confident, you can gradually move it to its intended sleeping place. Secondly, the first few nights are not the time to enforce distance at the expense of the puppy’s sense of security. Providing closeness now is an investment in a calm and trusting dog later.
Socialisation window – the most important period in a puppy's life
This is probably the most important thing you need to understand about a Japanese Spitz puppy.
During the first weeks of life, a puppy learns particularly easily and lastingly that the world is a safe place. Between approximately three and fourteen weeks of age, its brain is especially receptive to associations and experiences. Your part of this work begins when the puppy arrives in your home at around nine weeks old. This valuable period should not be wasted, but it is important to understand what socialisation really means, because many myths surround the subject.
Firstly, this is not a rigid deadline after which the opportunity suddenly disappears. Socialisation does not end at twelve weeks. It continues throughout adolescence, and dogs keep learning and changing throughout their lives. A single mistake during this period does not condemn a dog to lifelong problems, and many things can still be improved later, although doing so may become more difficult with time. The aim is therefore to make good use of this particularly receptive period, not to live in fear that one mistake will ruin everything.
Secondly, and most importantly, socialisation is not a list of experiences to “tick off”. The aim is not to expose the puppy to as many people, dogs and places as possible. Every new experience should be positive and proceed at the puppy’s own pace. One overwhelming or frightening experience may do more harm than ten calm encounters do good. Always allow the puppy to observe something unfamiliar from a safe distance, withdraw when it has had enough and avoid forcing interaction. Your responsibility is to protect the puppy’s comfort zone, even when that means telling a stranger, “Please do not stroke the puppy just now.”
With this in mind, it is worth ensuring the puppy gradually and positively gets used to:
- Different people: men with beards, children, older people, people wearing hats and people pushing prams
- Sounds: road traffic, the bustle of a town or city, a vacuum cleaner and a television
- Other animals: calm and healthy dogs, cats
- New environments: shops, car parks, lifts and stairwells
Each time, observe what the puppy enjoys and what causes concern, and adjust the intensity and number of new experiences according to its reactions rather than according to a checklist.
This creates a familiar dilemma. A puppy usually completes its initial course of vaccinations at around twelve weeks of age, yet until then it should avoid contact with unfamiliar dogs and potentially contaminated ground. So how can you continue socialisation safely?
Carry the puppy outside in your arms. Sit together in a café. Travel on public transport. Let the puppy observe the world from a safe distance without touching ground that may be contaminated with pathogens. Invite friends to your home and arrange meetings with calm, healthy and fully vaccinated dogs belonging to people you know, ideally on private, enclosed property. Remember that the puppy’s comfort still matters while it is being carried: the purpose is to allow observation from a safe distance. If the puppy becomes frightened, increase that distance rather than forcing the experience.
When the dog has completed the full course of vaccinations, you can consider a puppy school run by an experienced instructor. This is a safe environment to learn how to interact with peers, provided the group is small, well-selected and well-managed.
One important point concerns picking a puppy up, because a persistent myth surrounds this subject. Lifting a frightened puppy does not teach it that “an unfamiliar dog is a threat” or automatically cause future reactivity. What matters is the puppy’s emotional state and the behaviour of the other dog, not simply whether the puppy is being held. If the puppy is calm and the approaching dog is familiar and well behaved, allow them to greet one another on the ground. If the puppy is frightened or the other dog is unfamiliar or intrusive, however, increasing the distance or picking the puppy up is entirely appropriate and can protect it from a negative experience. Reactivity is more likely to develop when the owner’s tension is transferred to the dog, when the puppy is forced into direct interaction or when pushy dogs are repeatedly allowed to overwhelm it.
Puppy nutrition – the first weeks
For the first two weeks, continue feeding the same food that the puppy received in the kennel. Changing its diet during an already stressful period may cause digestive problems. If you later decide to introduce a different food, do so very gradually by mixing the old and new foods over several weeks.
Every Byakko Kitsune puppy receives a supply of Raw Paleo Puppy food in its starter pack – the same food it has been eating in the kennel – to use during its first weeks in the new home.
Small Spitz puppies have a fast metabolism and a small stomach. Until twelve weeks of age, I feed them five measured meals a day.
Fresh water must be available around the clock.
Many people ask me about BARF. I support a raw diet, but on one condition: you must do it sensibly or with the support of an animal nutritionist. A poorly balanced BARF diet does more harm than a good complete food. A puppy is in the middle of intensive growth – this is not the time for nutritional experiments without proper knowledge.
Hygiene from day one
Before your puppy arrives, there is one important thing you should understand: an adult Japanese Spitz that was not accustomed to grooming as a puppy can be extremely difficult for both a vet and a groomer to handle.
Begin by gradually accustoming the puppy to being touched. During a calm moment each day, handle its paws, look inside its ears, lift its lips and touch the areas around its tail and abdomen. Reward every calm response with a small treat or gentle praise. A few minutes a day is enough, and this investment will benefit the dog throughout its life.
Brushing – the Japanese Spitz has a dense undercoat that can mat very quickly if neglected. Begin by brushing the puppy two or three times a week with a soft slicker brush. One important rule is never to brush the coat completely dry, as this can damage the hair and create static. Use an antistatic conditioning spray. Pay particular attention to the areas behind the ears, where the tail rests against the back and around the “trousers” on the hind legs, as mats form particularly easily in these places.
Claws – most Japanese Spitz have black claws, which makes it more difficult to see where the sensitive quick begins. Initially, trim only the very tips, working millimetre by millimetre. Check and trim the claws approximately every two weeks.
Eyes – Spitz dogs tend to have narrow tear ducts, which causes characteristic rust-coloured staining on white coats. Wipe around the eyes daily with a damp cotton pad or a special gel. It's a routine, not a problem.
Bathing – less often than you might expect. The Japanese Spitz coat has Teflon-like properties: it repels dirt, and dried mud can usually be brushed away. Bathe the puppy only when it genuinely needs it. After every bath, dry the undercoat thoroughly with a hairdryer. Moisture trapped close to the skin can quickly cause irritation and matting.
What New Owners Do Not Expect
In my experience, two things surprise new Japanese Spitz owners more often than anything else, and it is worth understanding them in advance.
A puppy may sleep for up to eighteen hours a day. This is entirely normal and necessary. Sleep allows the growing body to recover and the developing brain to process and consolidate everything the puppy learns while awake. A sleep-deprived puppy struggles to settle and finds everyday experiences more difficult to manage.
Here is a real example. One owner interpreted my advice to “take the puppy out to toilet as often as possible” as meaning “take the puppy for walks as often as possible”. She walked the puppy extensively and then spent several days wondering why it had become lethargic. This was a classic case of exhaustion and overstimulation, not illness. A puppy is rather like a baby: its day consists mainly of eating, brief periods of play, calmly discovering the world and a great deal of sleep. There is an important distinction here. Calmly discovering the world, as described in the section on socialisation, is not the same as taking a long and strenuous walk. At this age, socialisation should be brief, calm and observational – often while the puppy is being carried or for only a few minutes at a time – rather than a lengthy hike. A quiet visit to the grass for the puppy to relieve itself is not a stimulating walk either.
There is also a purely physical reason. The puppy is still growing; its joints and bones are not yet ready to cope with heavy loads, so too much exercise could harm them.
In short, allow the puppy to sleep for as long as it needs and introduce new experiences in measured amounts. As explained earlier, socialisation is essential, but it must remain moderate and appropriate for the puppy’s age. Treat toilet outings as brief, calm breaks rather than as physical training.
Set boundaries around biting. Japanese Spitz puppies have needle-sharp teeth and a strong urge to use their mouths during play. This is normal puppy behaviour, just as chewing and barking are normal, but it still requires clear boundaries.
Before discussing how to respond to biting, it is important to understand that it is often caused by overstimulation. We may unintentionally wind a puppy up through overly intense play until it can no longer regulate its excitement and turns into a little “piranha”. The first step is therefore not to react mechanically to every bite, but to reduce the puppy’s arousal. Consider whether the play has become too intense and whether the puppy may be overtired. Like an overtired child, an overtired puppy bites more, not less.
The second step is to provide appropriate things to chew. A puppy needs to use its teeth, particularly while teething, so make sure that suitable chews and toys, such as dried beef ears, are always available. When the puppy begins directing its teeth towards your hand, redirect it to a toy before it becomes too excited. This is far more effective than simply trying to stop the behaviour without offering an alternative.
Only then should you address the individual bite. When the puppy’s teeth touch your skin, stop the game. Play is rewarding, so ending it communicates a clear rule: teeth on skin mean that play stops. You may say a brief “no”, but observe how the puppy responds. Do not shout or squeal. For some puppies, a high-pitched sound resembles a squeaky toy and increases their excitement. Calmly say “no”, stand up without showing emotion and pause the game for a moment. This brief interruption does not mean ignoring the puppy’s needs. It simply removes access to play and is entirely different from leaving a distressed puppy to cry alone at night.
Consistency from the very first day is essential. One owner of a puppy from my kennel allowed it to mouth her hands for several weeks without setting boundaries. By the time she contacted me, her hands were covered in wounds. The earlier and more calmly you establish those boundaries, the more gently and quickly the puppy will understand them.
My Support – Because Collecting Your Puppy Is Not the End of Our Relationship
When you bring your new family member home, you also receive access to our “Liski z Byakko Kitsune” group. It is a private community for the owners of every puppy bred by us. More experienced owners support those who have only just welcomed their puppies because they have already been through the same stages themselves. We share knowledge, photographs, questions and stories from everyday life, and I remain actively involved in the group.
Byakko Camp – Meeting in Person
This group inspired an idea of which I am particularly proud. In 2026, we are organising the first Byakko Camp: a three-day trip for the owners of our puppies and their dogs. The dogs share the same place of birth, while their families have been brought together by the same passion.
These three days will be devoted to peaceful walks, learning together, exchanging experiences and simply enjoying one another’s company at the dogs’ own pace. There will be no rushing or crowds, and every dog’s personal space will be respected – exactly as we like it at Byakko. Littermates will have an opportunity to meet again, while newer owners will learn from families who have already shared several years of life with their dogs.
We want Byakko Camp to become an annual tradition. This is only the first edition, but I believe there will be many more.
I feel an enormous responsibility for every dog that leaves Byakko Kitsune – and for every person who becomes that dog’s family. The group and Byakko Camp are my way of ensuring that this responsibility does not end on the day a puppy is collected.
If you are looking for accessories for your new companion, our shop offers walking sets, snuffle mats and orthopaedic dog beds, all handmade from premium materials. You will find them in the Byakko Kitsune shop. We design every product with a dog’s comfort in mind because they are created by people who live with dogs every day.
If you would like to learn more about the breed, explore the other articles in our comprehensive Japanese Spitz guide.