BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:

German Spitz, descended from the Stone Age peat dog *Canis familiaris palustris Rütimeyer* and later lake-dwelling dogs, are the oldest breed in Central Europe, and many other breeds are descended from them. In non-German-speaking countries, Pomeranians are also known as Dwarf Spitz.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Spitz breeds are prized for their beautiful, fluffy coat, thick with a dense undercoat. The neck, adorned with a magnificent ruff resembling a mane, and the bushy tail carried proudly over the back are particularly striking. The head, with its lively, fox-like eyes and small, pointed, close-set ears, gives the Spitz its characteristic cheeky expression.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The ratio between the height at the withers and the body length of the dog is 1:1. The ratio between the length of the muzzle and the length of the skull is 2:4.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: The Pomeranian is always attentive, lively, and extraordinarily devoted to its owner. It is very receptive and easy to train. Its pleasant and cheerful nature makes it an ideal companion and family dog, as well as a watchdog for both houses and apartments. It is neither timid nor aggressive. Weather resistance, robustness, and longevity are other qualities that distinguish it.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION: Of medium size, the Spitz's head, viewed from above, is widest in its posterior part and tapers to a wedge shape towards the tip of the nose.

Stop : Moderately to well marked, never abrupt.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose : Small and round, it is pure black in color; however, brown in all brown Spitz.

Muzzle : It is not too long, nor coarse nor pointed and is well proportioned in relation to the skull (proportion approx. 2:4).

Lips : The lips do not overlap. They are taut and do not form folds at the corners. Their pigmentation is black, although brown in all brown Spitz.

Jaws/Teeth : With normal development, the jaws have a complete scissor bite with 42 teeth according to the canine dental formula. The upper incisors closely overlap the lower incisors, with the teeth set squarely in the jaws. The powerful canines fit together perfectly. In Pomeranians, a moderate absence of premolars is acceptable. A level bite is tolerated.

Cheeks : The cheeks are delicately rounded without being prominent.

EYES: Of medium size, slightly almond-shaped and set somewhat obliquely, the eyes are dark in color, dark brown in all brown Spitz.

EARS : The Spitz's small ears are set high, relatively close together, triangular and pointed; they are always carried erect with a very stiff tip.

NECK : Of medium length, the neck, broad at the base between the shoulders, has a slightly arched nape. Without a dewlap, it is covered with a mane-like ruff.

BODY :

Topline : It continues after a gentle curve along the short, horizontal back. The bushy tail, folded over the back and partially covering it, completes the silhouette.

Withers : The top of the withers decreases imperceptibly.

Back : As short as possible, straight, firm.

Kidney : Short, wide and powerful.

Croup : The croup is wide, short and not sloping.

Chest : The chest is deep and well-rounded; the sternal region is well-developed.

Underline and belly : The rib cage is extended as far back as possible; the belly is only moderately raised.

TAIL :

Set high and of medium length, the very bushy tail is erect from its base, curled forward and tucked firmly over the back. A double curl at the tip of the tail is acceptable.

FOREGOING MEMBERS:

Overview : They are straight and the front is rather wide with a powerful frame.

Shoulder : The shoulder is well-muscled and firmly attached to the rib cage. The shoulder blade is long and slopes backward.

Arm : Of a length approximately identical to that of the shoulder blade, it forms an angle of approximately 90° with the latter.

Elbow : The elbow joint is strong, close to the thorax and turned neither inwards nor outwards.

Forearm : Of medium length, vigorous in comparison to the trunk, perfectly straight, its posterior surface is well furnished with fringes.

Metacarpus : The metacarpus, solid and of medium length, forms an angle of approximately 20° with the forearm relative to the vertical.

Front feet : The front feet are as small as possible, round, with tightly closed and well-arched toes, known as cat feet. The color of the nails and pads is as dark as possible.

HIND LIMBS:

Overview : The hind legs are very muscular and have abundant breeches down to the hock. The hind legs are straight and parallel.

Thigh and leg : The thigh and leg are approximately the same length.

Stifle (knee) : The stifle joint is only moderately angled; it is solid and, in movement, does not deviate either inwards or outwards.

Tarsus/Hock : Of medium length, the metatarsus, very robust, is perpendicular to the ground.

Hind feet : The hind feet are as small as possible, round, with tightly closed, arched toes, known as cat feet; the pads are tough. The color of the nails and pads is as dark as possible.

GAIT:

Thanks to a good impulse, the movement of German Spitz dwarfs/Pomeranians is fluid and elastic.

SKIN :

The skin, firmly attached to the body, forms no folds.

DRESS :

Coat quality : German Spitz/Pomeranian dogs have a double coat: a long, straight, and stand-off outer coat and a firm, short, thick, and woolly undercoat. The head, ears, front of the forelegs and hind legs, and feet have short, dense (velvety) hair; the rest of the body has long, abundant hair. Neither wavy, curly, nor shaggy, it does not form a part down the back. The neck and shoulders are covered with a profuse mane. The backs of the forelegs are well-feathered, the hind legs have abundant feathering from the croup to the hock, and the tail is bushy. The shaping of the coat is not visible.

Coat color : German Spitz dwarf/Pomeranian : White, black, brown, orange, shaded grey, other color.

White Spitz : The coat must be pure white, yellowish hues often visible on the ears are tolerated.

Black Spitz : For the black Spitz coat, the undercoat and skin must also be dark in color. On the surface, the color is a glossy black without any white markings or spots, or any other color.

Brown Spitz : The coat of the brown Spitz should be dark brown, evenly distributed and uniform.

Orange Spitz : The coat of the Orange Spitz should be evenly distributed and uniform in a medium shade. White markings (not spots!) on the chest, feet, and tip of the tail are acceptable.

Wolf-gray (shaded gray) Spitz : Wolf-gray is a charcoal silver-gray (with black tips on the hairs). The muzzle and ears are dark. Around the eyes, there is a distinct "spectacle" marking, formed by a delicately drawn black line running diagonally from the outer corner of the eye to the lower attachment point of the ear, combined with sharp hatching and shaded gradations to create short, expressive eyebrows. The mane and shoulder area are lighter. The fore and hind legs are silver-gray with no black markings below the elbows and knees, except for slight streaking on the toes. The tip of the tail is black. The underside of the tail and the breeches are light silver-gray.

Spitz of other colors : Under the heading "other colors" are coats of all other shades: cream, cream-sable, orange-sable, black and tan, and parti-color. Parti-colored dogs must have a white base coat, and the black, brown, gray, or orange markings must be distributed all over the body.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

Height at the withers :

German Pomeranian/Dwarf Spitz : 21 cm ± 3 cm

Each size variety of the German Spitz dwarf/Pomeranian should have a weight corresponding to its size.

DEFECTS:

Any deviation from the above should be considered a fault which will be penalized according to its severity and its consequences on the health and well-being of the dog.

SERIOUS DEFECTS:

• Construction defects.

• Head too flat.

• Head with pronounced apple shape.

• Nose, eyelids and lips of flesh color (ladre).

• Defective teeth, absence of teeth.

• Eyes that are too large or too light.

• Prominent eyes.

• Absence of the characteristic facial pattern in grey wolf Spitz.

• Defective gait.

DEFECTS LEADING TO EXCLUSION :

• Aggressive dog or fearful dog.

• Any dog ​​clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities.

• Persistence of the fontanelle.

• Overbite or underbite, crossbite.

• Entropion or ectropion.

• Ears partially erect

• Small, clearly visible white spots or marks (example: "Socks")

• Colour variants that are not in the list.

NB. :

• Males must have two normal-looking testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

• Only healthy dogs capable of performing the functions for which they were selected, and whose morphology is typical of the breed, may be used for breeding.

Source; FCI: https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/097g05-fr.pdf