German Spitz
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German Spitz Dog Breed South Africa

Breed: German Spitz

Alphabetically: G

Country of Origin: Germany

Color: Black, White, Black & Tan, Cream, Brown, Orange

Life Expectancy: 12 – 15 years

Height: Mittel: 30 – 38 cm, Keeshond: 43 – 46 cm

Weight: Mittel: 7 – 11 kg, Keeshond: 14 – 18 kg

Litter Size: 2 to 6 puppies

Hypoallergenic: No

The German Spitz is directly descended from the profusely coated Nordic herding dogs, such as the Samoyed and the Lapphund. It was said to have arrived in Europe with Viking plunderers. German literature refers to the Spitz as early as 1450. The Giant and Toy German Spitz has always been used as a companion dogs, while the more common Standard Spitz was once used as a resourceful farm worker. The Toy German Spitz was imported to England from Pomerania, Germany, over 100 years ago and adopted the pseudonym Pomeranian. It was a favorite of Queen Victoria and was occasionally called the Victorian Pom.

The Giant Spitz coat colors are solid white, brown or black. The compact, triangular ears are close together and high set. The hair on the head is short compared to the rest of the body, but it is still very thick. The feet are very small with hair in between the toes. The eyes appear to be proportionally large. The tail is curled on top of the back and lies against the side of the body.

Temperament: Devoted, Lively, Trainable, Attentive, Robust

Health Problems: Generally a healthy breed with few genetic health problems.