German Spitz Picture Gallery

German Spitz Breeders

German Spitz Clubs/Associations

The Full German Spitz Description

Indicative Breed Standard

General Appearance

Compact, short-coupled and well knit with an almost square outline. Firm condition, the profuse coat not disguising any lack of substance.

Characteristics

The German Spitz is intelligent, active and alert. Its buoyancy, independence and devotion to the family are the breed characteristics.

Temperament

Happy, equable disposition, showing confidence, with no sign of nervousness or aggression.

Head and Skull

Medium large, broad and nearly flat skull when viewed from above and narrowing in a wedge shape to the nose. Stop moderately defined; muzzle approximately half length of head. Cheeks clean. Flews tight, no trace of lippiness.

Nose

Black in black, white, black/white parti-colours, black/tan bi-colours. Self colour as compatible with coat colour in other colour varieties. Never parti-colour or pink.

Eyes

Medium size, oval-shaped and obliquely set. Not too wide apart. Always dark with black rims in blacks, whites black/white parti-colours, black/tan bi-colours. As dark as compatible with coat colour in other colour varieties.

Ears

Small, triangular and set rather high. Perfectly erect.

Mouth

A perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Black lips in black, white, black/white in parti-colours, black/tan bi-colours. Colour as compatible with coat colour in other colour varieties.

Neck

Clean, moderately short and well set into the shoulders.

Forequarters

Moderately sloping shoulder; upper arm of sufficient length to ensure elbow is vertically below point of withers. Moderate forechest. Elbows equidistant between ground and withers, turning neither in nor out. Well-boned, straight legs. Pasterns strong and flexible.

Body

Length from point of shoulder to point of buttock equal to height at withers; short, well-developed loin.. Moderate tuck-up. Well ribbed up and rounded. Distance from brisket to ground not less than half the height from ground to withers. Top-line level.

Hindquarters

Moderate angulation with hocks moderately well let down. Neither cow-hocked nor wide behind.

Feet

Small, rounded, cat-like, with well arched toes.

Tail

High set, curled right up from root, lying curled over back.

Gait/Movement

Moving without exageration from any angle. Straight coming and going. Viewed from side, effortless, brisk action, retaining top-line.

Coat

Double coat consisting of a soft woolly undercoat and a long harsh-textured perfectly straight top coat covering the whole of the body. Very abundant around neck and forequarters with a frill of profuse off-standing straight hair extending over the shoulders. Forelimbs well feathered tapering from elbows to pasterns. Hindlimbs feathered to hocks. Ears covered with soft short hair. Hair on the face smooth and short. Tail profusely covered with long spreading hair. This is not a trimmed breed and evidence of trimming and shaping, other than tidying of the feet, anal area and legs below the hocks, unacceptable.

Colour

All colour varieties and markings acceptable. Butterfly pigment not permitted with any colour.

Size

Size Height:
Klein: 23-29 cms (9-11 5ins) Mittel: 30-38 cms (12-15 ins).
Dogs masculine, bitches feminine.