NEW BREED STANDARD according to the international FCI system - GERMAN SPITZ
(DATED 11/12/2019) FCI Standard N° 097/EN dated 11/12/2019. Translation of the RKF from 02/03/2020. GERMAN Toy Spitz/Pomeranian
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIALLY CURRENT STANDARD: 04.09. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :
Group 5
Spitz and dogs of primitive type. Section 4 European Spitz. No performance test.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Descendants of the Stone Age Peat Dog "Canis familiaris palustris Rüthimeyer" and the more recent Pfahlbauspitz, the German Spitz is the oldest dog breed in Central Europe. Many other breeds have descended from them. For German speakers, the Zwergspitz is known as the Pomeranian/Pomeranian.
GENERAL FORM:
Spitz varieties are attractive due to their fine coat, standing up due to the thick undercoat. Particularly impressive is the rich mane-like ruff around the neck and the fluffy tail that lies confidently on the back. A fox-like head with lively eyes, and small, pointed, close-set ears, give the Spitz a unique, characteristic, perky expression.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
The ratio of the height at the withers to the length of the body is 1:1. The ratio of the length of the muzzle to the length of the skull in the Zwergspitz/Pomeranian is approximately 2:4.
BEHAVIOR AND CHARACTER:
The Zwergspitz/Pomeranian is always attentive, lively and exceptionally devoted to his master. He is very intelligent and easy to train. His sociable and cheerful nature makes him an ideal companion and family dog, as well as a guard dog for home and apartment. He is neither timid nor aggressive. Indifference to weather conditions, endurance and longevity are its most outstanding qualities.
HEAD CRANIAL REGION:
Head of medium size, seen from above, appears broader at the back and tapers in a wedge shape towards the nose. Stop: Moderate to well defined, but not harsh.
FACE PART:
Nose: Round, small and pure black, dark brown in brown Spitz. Muzzle: Not too long and in good proportion to the skull. (approximately 2:4). Lips: Not overly developed, fitting close to the jaws and not wrinkling at the corners of the mouth. With black pigment in all colors, brown in brown Spitz.
Jaws/Teeth:
The jaws are normally developed, with a scissor bite with 42 teeth corresponding to the dental formula of a dog, i.e. The upper teeth closely overlap the lower teeth and are set at right angles to the jaw. Well developed canine teeth closely adjacent to each other. A small number of premolars may be missing in the Zwergspitz/Pomeranian. A direct bite is allowed.
Cheeks: Slightly rounded, not protruding. Eyes: medium-sized, almond-shaped, slightly obliquely set, dark in color. The eyelids are black in all colors, dark brown in brown Spitz. Ears: Small, set high and relatively close together, triangular in shape and pointed; always erect, with hard tips
. NECK:
The neck is of medium length, broadening towards the shoulders, slightly arched, without dewlap, and covered with thick profuse hair forming a rich mane. FRAME:
Topline : In a gentle curve, merges into a short, straight back.
A thick, bushy tail, which partially covers the back, rounds off the silhouette.
Withers: High withers descend smoothly to the back. Back: As short as possible, straight, strong.
Loins : Short, broad and strong. Croup: Broad and short, not sloping. Chest: deep, voluminous,
forbrust is well developed.
Underline and belly: The chest extends as far back as possible, the belly is slightly tucked up.
TAIL:
The tail is set high and of medium length. Immediately from the base, it rises up and is thrown forward onto the back. Lies tightly on the back and is covered with very thick lush hair. A double curl is allowed at the end of the tail.
LIMB:
FOREQUARTERS : General appearance : Straight, fairly broad front with well developed bone.
Shoulder : Shoulder well muscled and close to chest. The shoulder blade is long and directed backwards. An arm of almost the same length forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the scapula
Elbow: The elbow joint is strong, close fitting to the chest and turned neither in nor out.
Forearm: Medium length in relation to the body, strong and completely straight. The back of the forearm is well feathered.
Pasterns: Strong, of medium length and set at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to the vertical. Forefeet: As small as possible, rounded, well-knit, well arched, so-called cat's feet.
The color of nails and pads is as dark as possible.
HIND LIMB:
General Impression: Hindquarters very muscular and covered to the hock joint with luxuriant dense hair. They stand straight and parallel.
Thigh and lower leg: about the same length. Stifle: The stifle joint is strong, moderately angulated, turning neither in nor out when moving. Metatarsus: Medium length, very strong, set vertically to the surface.
Hind feet: As small as possible, rounded, tightly knit, well arched, so-called cat feet. With rough pads. The color of nails and pads is as dark as possible.
MOVEMENTS:
The German Miniature/Pomeranian moves straight, vigorous, free and springy with good drive.
LEATHER:
fits snugly to the body, does not form folds.
COAT COAT WOOL:
The German Zwergspitz/Pomeranian has a double coat: a long, straight, loose guard hair and a short, dense, cotton-like undercoat. The head, ears, front of the fore and hind limbs, and paws are covered with short, thick (velvety) hair. The rest of the body is covered with long, thick hair. The coat is not wavy, not curly or corded, and does not part on the back. The neck and shoulders are covered with thick mane. The hindquarters of the forelegs are well feathered, the hindquarters from the croup to the hock are covered with luxuriant thick hair. The tail is thick and fluffy. The coat should not look noticeably modeled.
COLOR:
German Zwergspitz/Pomeranian: White, black, brown, orange, slate grey, other colors.
White Spitz: Coat must be pure white. A slight creamy tint is tolerated and is common, especially on the ears.
Black Spitz: Black Spitz must have dark undercoat and skin. The color on the surface of the coat should be glossy black without any white or other markings.
Brown Spitz: The Brown Spitz must be of a uniform dark brown color. Orange Spitz: Orange Spitz should be uniformly colored in the medium color range. A lighter shade on the chest, tail and pants is allowed.
Zoned Gray Spitz: Coat is silver gray with black tips. The muzzle and ears are dark; around the eyes well-defined "glasses" in the form of a thin sloping black line running from the outer corner of the eye to the lower corner of the ear, complemented by distinct markings and shades that form short but expressive eyebrows. The mane and shoulders are lighter. The forelegs and hindquarters are silver gray without any black markings below the elbows and knees, except for light shading on the toes. Black tip of the tail. The underside of the tail and pants are light silver grey.
Spitz of other colors:
The term "other colors" covers all shades of color such as: cream, cream sable, orange sable, black and tan, and patchy. Paticolor dogs should always have white as their main color. The colored spots must be of the same color: black or brown, or zoned gray, or orange, or orange-sable, or cream, or cream-sable. Preferably the distribution of spots throughout the body.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at the withers: German Miniature Spitz/Pomeranian: 21 cm ± 3 cm. The German Miniature/Pomeranian must have a weight appropriate to its size.
FLAWS:
Any deviation from the above points should be considered as a fault, and the assessment of the severity of the fault should clearly correspond to the degree of the deviation and its impact on the health and well-being of the dog.
SERIOUS FAULTS:
Anatomical structural defects. Too flat head. Pronounced apple-shaped head. The nose, eyelids and lips are flesh-colored. Disadvantages of the dental system, lack of incisors. Too big and too bright eyes. Bulging eyes. The spitz has a zoned gray color - the absence of characteristic marks on the muzzle. Deficiencies in movement.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
• Aggressiveness or cowardice. • Dogs with obvious physical or behavioral abnormalities. • An unclosed fontanel. • Overshot, undershot, crossbite. • Ectropy or entropy. • Not fully erect ears. • Clear white markings or spots on all non-white Spitz. • Any color not mentioned in the Colors section NOTE (N.B.)
• Males must have two normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs with a typical breed conformation may be used for breeding.