German Spitz (Klein)
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The German Spitz Klein is a member of the German Spitz breed. They are usually classed as a toy or utility breed.
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[edit] Appearance
The Spitz Klein has triangular ears and a small, foxy face that is less fluffy than the rest of the body, although the fur is still very thick. The fur around the neck is extra thick, giving them a lion-like appearance. Their body has a fuzzy, woolly base underneath the straight, smooth upper coat, though that too has a tendency to become crimped when wet. Their tails will usually curl up over their backs and sit flat. They come in a wide variety of colour, including Wolf sable, blue, cream, brown, orange, black, white, particolors of black/brown and white, and also black and tan bicolors, though gold and black dogs tend to predominate.
Height:
9 inches (23 cm) min, 11 inches (29 cm) max (bitch and dog)
Weight:
11 lb (5 kg) min, 18 lb (8 kg) max (bitch and dog)
[edit] History
The German Spitz is descended from the Nordic Samoyed and Lapphund[citation needed], which were most likely brought over to Germany with the Vikings during the Middle Ages[citation needed], making spitzers an ancient breed. They were then spread all over Europe and were bred to other shepherding breeds. They were originally used as herding and guard dogs, but have been used mostly as companions for the last few centuries.
Due to the fact that Germany did not exist in its current form until 1871, and was made up of small kingdoms, princedoms and dukedoms, different countries developed different spitzers, though all of them came under the heading 'Mistbeller', meaning 'Dung-hill Barker', because of their inclination to stand on dung-hills and bark - a tendency that still remains in them today.
[edit] Health
This breed has few inherent health problems, though can be prone to Patellar luxation, due to its small size, especially if they are overweight.
[edit] See also
- German Spitz
- American Eskimo Dog
- Wolfspitz (Keeshond)
- Zwergspitz (also known as Pomeranian)
- Japanese Spitz
