German Spitz

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

Progenitors of several European breeds and oldest breed of dogs in central Europe, the German Spitz themselves descended from stone age "Peat Dogs" (Torfhund), "Canis familiaris palustris R�thimeyer" and the later Lake Dweller's (Pfahlbau) Spitz. The term Spitz apply to both breed of dog and type of dog. In non-German speaking countries, the larger descendents of German Spitz (WolfSpitz) are called Keeshonds and smaller descendents (Toy Spitz) are called Pomeranians. The term German Spitz, when used for a type of dog, covers all the Spitz type dog of German origin. The Grossespitz, Mittelspitz, and Kleinspitz breeds of German Spitz type are also called the German Spitz in English.

The German Spitz type dogs are characterized by their beautiful coats as well as foxy heads. The German Spitz have a broad and wedge shaped head with a proportionally moderate muzzle. Pure black nose is round and it can be brown in brown coat Spitz. Medium size eyes are longish, slightly slanting and dark in colour. Pricked, triangular shaped ears are set high and close to each other. Medium length neck is slightly arched and covered with ruff. Back is short and straight with broad and strong loin. The chest is well developed with well sprung ribs. Medium length tail is set high and is carried upwards and rolls forward over the back. The skin is tight all over the body and is covered with long, straight, standoff top coat and short, thick, cotton-wolf-like undercoat. This double coat comes in different colours for different size Spitz ranging from grey for Keeshonds to black, brown, white and many other colours for other size Spitz.

This breed is NOT recognized by AKC.

Color

There are different colours for different size and types of Spitz. WolfSpitz/Keeshonds come in grey, giant Spitz in black, brown and white, and medium, miniature and toy Spitz come in black, brown, white, orange, grey-shaded and other colours.

Coat

The German Spitz dog have a double coat that has straight, standoff top coat and short, thick and cotton-wool-like undercoat. Head, ears, front side of front and hind legs are covered by short and velvety hair while the rest of the body is covered by long rich coat. Neck and shoulders are covered by a thick mane.

Personality

The German Spitz are lively, outgoing, sensitive and curious dogs. They are very loyal and devoted to their master and family and suspicious of strangers. This makes them excellent watch dogs with their innate alert nature. These dogs form a strong bond with their family and owner and makes for a very loyal companion. Eager and willing to please, this intelligent breed loves human attention and appreciation. They are very trainable and can learn simple tricks. This dog can get along well with children in the family but needs early age training and socialization. This breed needs an experienced owner who can demonstrate true packleader qualities or these dogs will become feisty, willful and hard to handle. With proper training and socialization, the German Spitz make a lovely companion and excellent watch dogs.

Care

Grooming is important to keep the coat from matting. Regular brushing will help keep the coat healthy and mat-free.

Training

This breed can be easily trained provided the trainer displays himself as this dog's true packleader. The German Spitz like to please the owners and for this reason, they will respond to a true packleader.

Activity

Daily walks are a must for this dog. It is a great jogging or walking companion, happy to whatever amount of exercise it gets.