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FCI-Standard N°97
/05.03.1998/ GB
GERMAN SPITZ,
INCLUDING KEESHOND
AND POMERANIAN
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DATE OF
PUBLICATION
OF THE
ORIGINAL
VALID
STANDARD :
05.03.1998.
UTILIZATION
: Watch
and
Companion
Dog.
CLASSIFICATION
F.C.I. :
Group 5
Spitz and
primitive
types.
Section 4
European
Spitz.
Without
working
trial.
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BRIEF HISTORICAL
SUMMARY : German
Spitz are
descendants of the
stone age « Peat
Dogs » (Torfhund) «
Canis familiaris
palustris Rüthimeyer
» and the later Lake
Dweller’s (Pfahlbau)
Spitz; they are the
oldest breed of dog
in Central Europe.
Numerous other
breeds have been
produced from them.
In non-German
speaking countries
Wolfsspitz are known
as Keeshonds and Toy
Spitz as Pomeranians.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE :
Spitz breeds are
captivating on
account of their
beautiful coats,
made to stand off by
plentiful undercoat.
Particularly
impressive is the
strong, mane-like
collar round the
neck (ruff) and the
bushy tail carried
boldly over the
back. The foxy head
with alert eyes and
the small pointed,
closely set ears
give the Spitz his
unique
characteristic,
cheeky appearance.
IMPORTANT
PROPORTIONS :
The ratio of height
at withers to body
length is 1 : 1.
BEHAVIOUR AND
CHARACTER : The
German Spitz is
always attentive,
lively and
exceptionally
devoted to his owner.
He is very teachable
and easy to train.
His distrust to
strangers and lack
of hunting instinct
make him the ideal
watchdog for home
and farm.
He is neither timid
nor aggressive.
Indifference to
weather, robustness
and longevity are
his most outstanding
attributes.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION :
The Spitz’s
medium size head,
seen from above,
appears broadest at
the back and tapers
in wedgeshape to the
tip of the nose.
Stop : Moderate to
marked, never abrupt.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : The
nose is round, small
and pure black, dark
brown in brown
Spitz.
Muzzle : The
muzzle is not
overlong and stands
in pleasing
proportion to the
skull. (In Wolfspitz/Keeshond,
Giant Spitz and
Medium-size Spitz
the ratio length of
the muzzle to length
of the skull is
approximately 2:3,
in Miniature Spitz
and Toy Spitz
approximately 2:4.).
Lips : The
lips are not
exaggerated, close
fitting to the jaws
and do not form any
folds to the corner
of the mouth. They
are completely black
in all colours,
brown in brown
Spitz.
Jaws/Teeth :
The jaws are
normally developed
and show a complete
scissor bite with 42
teeth, corresponding
to the teeth formula
of the dog, i.e. the
upper teeth closely
overlapping the
lower teeth and set
square to the jaws.
In Miniature-and Toy
(Pomeranian) Spitz
the lack of a few
premolars is
tolerated.
Pincer-bite is
permissible in all
varieties of Spitz.
Cheeks :The
cheeks are gently
rounded, not
protruding.
Eyes : The
eyes are of medium
size, longish shape,
slightly slanting
and dark. The
eyelids are black in
all shades of colour,
dark brown in brown
Spitz.
Ears : The
small ears are set
high and relatively
close to each other,
triangular and
pointed; they are
always carried
upright, stiff at
the tips.
NECK : The
medium length neck
is set broadly into
the shoulders,
slightly arched
without throatiness
and covered by a
thick, profuse coat
forming a large ruff.
BODY :
Topline : The
topline starts at
the tips of the
erectly carried
prick-ears and
merges in a gentle
curve with the short,
straight back. The
bushy, sweeping tail,
which partially
covers the back,
rounds off the
silhouette.
Withers/Back:
The high withers
drop imperceptibly
into the shortest
possible, straight,
firm back.
Loin :
Short-coupled, broad
and strong.
Croup : The
croup is broad and
short, not falling
away.
Chest : The
deep chest is well
sprung, the
forechest well
developed.
Lower line :
The brisket reaches
as far back as
possible; the belly
has only a slight
tuck up.
TAIL : The
tail is set on high
and of medium length.
It reaches upwards
and rolls forward
over the back,
straight from the
root. It lies firmly
over the back and is
covered with very
bushy hair. A double
curl at tip of tail
is tolerated.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
General :
Straight, rather
broad front.
Shoulders :
The shoulder-blade
is long and well
laid back. The upper
arm, which is
approximately the
same length, forms
an angle of 90
degrees to the
shoulder-blade. The
shoulder is well
muscled and firmly
connected to the
brisket.
Elbow : The
elbow joint is
strong, close
fitting to the
brisket and turns
neither in nor out.
Forearm : The
forearm is of medium
length in relation
to the body, sturdy
and completely
straight. The back
of the forearm is
well feathered.
Metacarpus (Pastern)
: The strong,
medium length front
pastern stands at an
angle of 20 degrees
from the vertical.
Front feet :
The front feet are
as small as possible,
round and closed, so
called cat feet,
with well arched
toes. Toe-nails and
pads are black in
all shades of colour,
but dark brown in
brown dogs.
HINDQUARTERS :
General : The
hindquarters are
very muscular and
abundantly feathered
to the hocks. The
hind legs stand
straight and
parallel.
Upper and lower
thigh : Upper and
lower thigh are of
about equal length.
Stifle : The
stifle joint is
strong with only
moderate angulation
and is turned
neither in nor out
in movement.
Metatarsal (Hock) :
The hock is of
medium length, very
strong and vertical
to the ground.
Hind feet :
The hind feet are as
small as possible,
tightly closed with
well arched toes, so
called cat feet. The
pads are coarse. The
colour of nails and
pads is as dark as
possible.
GAIT/MOVEMENT :
The German Spitz
moves straight ahead
with good drive,
fluid and springy.
SKIN : The
skin covers the body
tightly without any
wrinkles.
COAT
HAIR : The
German Spitz has a
double coat : Long,
straight, stand off
top coat and short,
thick,
cotton-wool-like
undercoat. Head,
ears, front side of
front and hind legs
and the feet are
covered by short,
thick (velvety) hair.
The rest of the body
has a long rich coat.
Not wavy, curly or
corded, not parted
on the back. Neck
and shoulders are
covered by a thick
mane. The backside
of the front legs is
well feathered, the
hind legs have ample
feathering from
croup to hocks. The
tail is bushy.
COLOUR :
a) Wolfspitz/Keeshound
: Grey shaded.
b) Giant-Spitz :
Black, brown, white.
c) Medium size Spitz
: Black, brown,
white, orange,
grey-shaded, other
colours.
d) Miniature Spitz :
Black, brown, white,
orange, grey-shaded,
other colours.
e) Toy
Spitz/Pomeranian :
Black, brown, white,
orange, grey-shaded,
other colours.
Black Spitz :
In the black Spitz,
the undercoat and
skin must also be
black and the colour
on top must be a
shining black
without any white or
other markings.
Brown Spitz :
The brown Spitz
should be uniformly
dark brown.
White Spitz :
The coat should be
pure white without
any trace of yellow
in particular, which
often occurs,
specially on the
ears.
Orange Spitz :
The orange Spitz
should be evenly
coloured in the
medium colour range.
Grey-shaded Spitz
Keeshond / Keeshond
: Grey-shaded is
a silver grey with
black hair-tips.
Muzzle and ears dark
in colour; round the
eyes well defined «
spectacles » shown
as a delicately
pencilled black line
slanting from outer
corner of eye to
lower corner of ear,
coupled with
distinct markings
and shading forming
expressive short
eyebrow; mane and
ring on shoulder
lighter; fore- and
hindlegs without any
black marking under
the elbows or
stifles, except
slight pencilling on
the toes; black tip
of tail; underside
of tail and trousers
pale silver grey.
Other coloured Spitz
: The term « other
colours » covers all
shades of colour,
such as : cream,
cream-sable,
orange-sable, black
and tan and
particolour (with
white always as main
colour). The black,
brown, grey or
orange patches must
be distributed over
the whole body.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at the
withers : a)
Wolfspitz/Keeshond
49 cm +/- 6 cm
b) Giant Spitz 46 cm
+/- 4 cm
c) Medium size Spitz
34 cm +/- 4 cm
d) Miniature Spitz
26 cm +/- 3 cm
e) Toy
Spitz/Pomeranian 20
cm +/- 2 cm Dogs
under 18 cm
undesirable.
Weight : Each
variety of German
Spitz should have a
weight corresponding
to its size.
FAULTS : Any
departure from the
foregoing points
should be considered
a fault and the
seriousness with
which the fault
should be regarded
should be in exact
proportion to its
degree.
SERIOUS FAULTS :
• Faults in
construction.
• Head too flat;
distinct apple head.
• Flesh-coloured
nose, eyelids and
lips.
• In
Wolfspitz/Keeshond,
Giant Spitz and
Medium size Spitz
missing teeth.
• Faults in
movement.
• In grey-shaded
Spitz missing of
distinct markings of
the face.
ELIMINATING
FAULTS :
• Aggresive or
overly shy
• Gap in fontanel.
• Over-or undershot
bite.
• Ectropion or
entropion.
• Semi-pricked ears.
• Definite white
patches in all not
white Spitz.
Any dog clearly
showing physical or
behavioural
abnormalities shall
be disqualified.
N.B. : Male
animals should have
two apparently
normal testicles
fully descended into
the scrotum.
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