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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into American Eskimo Dog. () |
| German Spitz | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Alternative names | ||
| Deutscher Spitz | ||
| Country of origin | ||
| Germany | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 5 Section 4 #97 | Stds |
| AKC: | FSS | Stds |
| The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration. | ||
| ANKC: | Group 7 (Non Sporting) | Stds |
| KC (UK): | Utility | KleinMittel Stds] |
| NZKC: | Non-Sporting | KleinMittel Stds] |
The German Spitz is a dog breed or group of dog breeds of the Spitz type.
Contents |
Types
There are five different types of German Spitz:
- Keeshond
- Grossespitz/Großspitz ("Great Spitz", or "Giant Spitz")
- Mittelspitz ("Middle(Medium/Standard) Spitz")
- Kleinspitz ("Small Spitz")
- Pomeranian
The Australian and British kennel clubs recognize only the Klein and Mittel varieties of German Spitz (and in those countries the Grossespitz is not recognized) and consider the Pomeranian (Zwergspitz) and Keeshond (Wolfspitz) as separate breeds. In many countries the Miniature (Klein) Spitz is also confused with the Pomeranian (Zwerg). Some kennel clubs allow varieties to be interbred, others do not, so the size issues can cause some confusion.
- See also
Appearance
German Spitz are similar in appearance but vary in color. The Giant Spitz can only be black, white, or brown but the Standard, Small and Dwarf can have various color combinations as well.[1]. All German Spitzen have a wolf/fox-like head, double coat, highset triangular ears and a tail that is curled over the back. Although the Kleinspitz and the Pomeranian look alike, they are not the same dog.
History
German Spitz are descendants of the ancient spitzen found in the Stone Age and they are the oldest breed of dog in Central Europe. [2] The German Spitz was later brought with to America, and over time was instead introduced there as the American Eskimo Dog breed, which was renamed due to the widespread anti-German prejudice during World War I, and because of this some people regard them as a closely related, yet semi-separate breed.
