Pomeranian / Miniature Spitz – FCI Breed Standard
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE STANDARD REPRODUCED HERE: 05.03.1998.
BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
German Spitz dogs descend from Stone Age peat dogs (“Torfhund”), Canis familiaris palustris Rüthimeyer, and later lake-dwelling Spitz (“Pfahlbau”). They are the oldest dog breed in Central Europe, and many other breeds descend from them. In non-German-speaking countries, the Wolfspitz is known as the Keeshond and the Miniature Spitz as the Pomeranian.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Spitz dogs are attractive because of their beautiful coat, which stands away from the body thanks to the abundant undercoat. The luxuriant mane-like neck ruff and richly coated tail carried proudly over the back are particularly striking. The fox-like head, alert eyes and small, pointed ears set close together give the Spitz its distinctive cheeky expression.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS
The ratio of height at the withers to body length is 1:1.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT
The German Spitz is always attentive, lively and exceptionally devoted to its owner. It is receptive and easy to train. Distrust of strangers and the absence of hunting instinct make it an ideal watchdog for the home or farm. It is neither timid nor aggressive. Resilience to the weather, robustness and longevity are among its most remarkable qualities.
HEAD: CRANIAL REGION
Seen from above, the medium-sized head is widest at the back and tapers in a wedge towards the nose. The stop is moderately to clearly defined, never abrupt.
FACIAL REGION
Nose
Round, small and completely black; dark brown in brown dogs.
Muzzle
Not elongated, and proportionate to the skull. The muzzle-to-skull length ratio is approximately 2:3 in Wolfspitz/Keeshonds, Giant and Medium Spitz, and 2:4 in Miniature and Toy Spitz.
Lips, jaws and teeth
Lips are not exaggerated, fit closely to the jaws and do not form folds at the corners. They are completely black in all colours, except dark brown in brown dogs. Jaws are normally developed, with a complete scissor bite: the upper teeth closely overlap the lower teeth and stand square to the jaws. There are 42 teeth according to the canine dental formula. A few missing premolars are tolerated in Miniature Spitz and Pomeranians. A pincer bite is permissible in all Spitz varieties.
Cheeks
Gently rounded, not prominent.
Eyes
Medium-sized, elongated, slightly oblique and dark. Eyelids are black in all colours, except dark brown in brown dogs.
Ears
Small, high-set and relatively close together; triangular and pointed, always carried upright with firm tips.
NECK
Medium length, broad where it joins the shoulders, slightly arched and without dewlap; covered with thick, dense hair forming a large ruff.
BODY
Topline
Begins at the tips of the upright ears and merges in a gentle curve into the short, straight back. The tail’s abundant flowing coat partly covers the back and rounds off the outline.
Withers / back
The high withers merge imperceptibly into a straight, firm back as short as possible.
Loin
Short-coupled, broad and strong.
Croup
Broad and short, not sloping.
Chest
Deep, well-sprung chest with a well-developed forechest.
Underline
The sternum extends as far backwards as possible; the belly is slightly tucked up.
Tail
High-set and medium length. It turns upwards and curls forwards over the back, straight from its root. It lies firmly over the back and is covered in very dense hair. A double curl at the tip is tolerated.
LIMBS: FOREQUARTERS
General appearance
Straight, with a fairly broad front.
Shoulders
The shoulder blade is long and well laid back. The upper arm is approximately the same length and forms a 90° angle with it. The shoulder is well muscled and firmly connected to the chest.
Elbows
Strong and close-fitting to the chest, turning neither outwards nor inwards.
Forearms
Medium length relative to the body, strong and completely straight, with good feathering behind.
Pasterns
Strong, medium length and inclined at approximately 20° to the vertical.
Front feet
As small as possible, round and compact (“cat feet”), with well-arched toes. Nails and pads are black in all colours, except dark brown in brown dogs.
HINDQUARTERS
General appearance
Very muscular, with abundant hair down to the hocks. Hind legs are straight and parallel.
Upper and lower thighs
Approximately equal in length.
Stifles
Strong and moderately angulated, turning neither inwards nor outwards in movement.
Hocks / rear pasterns
Medium length, very strong and vertical to the ground.
Hind feet
As small as possible, compact with well-arched toes (“cat feet”) and thick pads. Nails and pads should be as dark as possible.
GAIT / MOVEMENT
The German Spitz moves straight ahead with good rear drive, smoothly and springily.
SKIN
Closely fitting without wrinkles.
COAT: HAIR
A double coat: long, straight, stand-off guard hairs and a short, dense, woolly undercoat. The head, ears, front of the forelegs and hind legs, and feet have short, dense, velvety hair. The rest of the body carries a long, abundant coat.
The hair must not be wavy, curly or corded, and there must be no parting along the back. The neck and shoulders have a thick mane. The backs of the forelegs are well feathered; the hindquarters have abundant feathering from croup to hocks. The tail is richly coated.
Miniature Spitz / Pomeranian colours
Black, brown, white, orange, grey-shaded (wolf-grey) and other colours.
Black Spitz
The undercoat and skin must also be black. The outer colour must be glossy black, without white or other markings.
Brown Spitz
Uniform dark brown.
White Spitz
Pure white, especially without yellow traces, which can occur particularly on the ears.
Orange Spitz
An even, medium-intensity orange.
Grey-shaded (wolf-grey) Wolfspitz / Keeshond
Silver-grey with black hair tips. The muzzle and ears are dark. Clearly defined “spectacles” around the eyes consist of a fine black line running from the outer eye corner to the lower ear corner, with distinct markings and shading forming a short expressive eyebrow. The mane and shoulder ring are lighter. No black markings below elbows or knees, except slight pencilling on the toes. The tail tip is black; its underside and the breeches are pale silver-grey.
Other colours
Includes shades such as cream, cream-sable, orange-sable, black-and-tan and parti-colour, always with predominant white. Black, brown, grey or orange patches must be evenly distributed over the body.
SIZE AND WEIGHT
Height at the withers
a) Wolfspitz / Keeshond: 49 cm ±6 cm.
b) Giant Spitz: 46 cm ±4 cm.
c) Medium Spitz: 34 cm ±4 cm.
d) Miniature Spitz: 26 cm ±3 cm.
e) Toy Spitz / Pomeranian: 20 cm ±2 cm. Below 18 cm is undesirable.
Weight
Each German Spitz variety should have a weight proportionate to its size.
FAULTS
Any departure from these characteristics should be considered a fault, assessed in proportion to its degree and extent.
SERIOUS FAULTS
• Structural faults.
• An excessively flat or distinctly apple-shaped head.
• Flesh-coloured nose, eyelids or lips.
• Missing teeth in Wolfspitz/Keeshonds, Giant and Medium Spitz.
• Faulty movement.
• Lack of distinct facial markings in grey-shaded Spitz.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggression or excessive shyness.
• An unclosed fontanelle.
• An overshot or undershot bite.
• Ectropion or entropion.
• Semi-erect ears.
• Clearly defined white patches in non-white Spitz. Any dog showing physical or behavioural abnormalities should be disqualified. Note: males should have two normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.