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.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last Updated - September 1995
