Pommania Pomeranains

Characteristics
Sound, vivacious and dainty.

Temperament
Extrovert, lively and intelligent.

Head and Skull
Head and nose foxy in outline, skull slightly flat, large in proportion to muzzle which finishes finely and free from lippiness. Nose black in white, orange and shaded sable dogs; brown in chocolate-tipped sable dogs, but in other colours may be self-coloured, never parti-coloured or flesh.

Eyes
Medium size, slightly oval, not full, or set too wide apart; bright, dark and showing great intelligence. In white, orange, shaded sable and cream dogs, rims black.

Ears
Small, not set too wide apart, nor too low down, but carried perfectly erect.

Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Rather short and well set into shoulders.

Forequarters
Shoulders clean and well laid back. Fine-boned legs, perfectly straight, of medium length in due proportion to size of dog.

Body
Back short, body compact, well ribbed up, barrel well rounded. Chest fairly deep, not too wide but in proportion to size of dog.

Hindquarters
Fine-boned, legs neither cow-hocked nor wide behind; medium angulation.

Feet
Small, compact and cat-like.

Tail
Characteristic of breed, high set, turned over back and carried flat and straight, profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading hair.

Gait/Movement
Free moving, brisk and buoyant.

Coat
Two coats, an undercoat and an outer coat. Former soft, fluffy; the latter long, perfectly straight, harsh in texture and covering whole of body; very abundant round neck and fore part of shoulders and chest; forming frill, extending over shoulders. Forequarters well feathered, thighs and hindlegs well feathered to hocks.

Colour
All colours permissible, but free from black or white shadings. Whole colours are: white, black, brown, light or dark, blue as pale as possible. Orange which should be self-coloured and bright as possible. Beaver. Cream dogs have black noses and black eye rims. Whites must be quite free from lemon or any other colour. A few white hairs, in any of the self-coloured dogs permissible but undesirable. Dogs (other than white) with white or tan markings highly undesirable and not considered whole coloured specimens. In parti-coloured dogs, colours evenly distributed on body in patches; a dog with white or tan feet or chest not a parti-coloured dog. Shaded sables should be shaded throughout with three or more colours, the hair to be as uniformly shaded as possible, and with no patches of self-colour. In mixed classes, where whole coloured and parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together, the preference should, if in all other points they are equal, be given to the whole coloured specimens.

Size
Ideal weight: dogs: 1.8-2 kgs (4-41/2 lbs); bitches: 2-2.5 kgs (41/2-51/2 lbs).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - March 1994

Skeletal

1. Coccygeal vertebra 2. Sacrum 3. Lumbar vertebra 4. Thoracic vertebra 5. Cervical vertebra 6. Skull 7. Scapula 8. Shoulder joint 9. Humerus 10. Elbow joint 11. Radius 12. Carpus 13. Metacarpals 14. Ulna 15. Ribs 16. Femur 17. Metatarsals 18. Tarsus 19. Fibula 20. Tibia 21. Stifle 22. Pelvis

General Appearance
The Pomeranian is a compact, short-backed, active toy dog. He has a soft, dense undercoat with a profuse harsh-textured outer coat. His heavily plumed tail is set high and lies flat on his back. He is alert in character, exhibits intelligence in expression, is buoyant in deportment, and is inquisitive by nature. The Pomeranian is cocky, commanding, and animated as he gaits. He is sound in composition and action.

Size, Proportion, Substance
The average size of the Pomeranian is from 3 to 7 pounds, with the ideal weight for the show specimen being 4 to 6 pounds. Any dog over or under the limits is objectionable. However, overall quality is to be favored over size. The distance from the point of shoulder to the point of buttocks is slightly shorter than from the highest point of the withers to the ground. the distance from the brisket to the ground is half the height at the withers. He is medium-boned, and the length of his legs is in proportion to a well-balanced frame. When examined, he feels sturdy.

Head
The head is in balance with the body. The muzzle is rather short, straight, fine, free of lippiness and never snipey. His expression is alert and may be referred to as fox-like. The skull is closed. The top of the skull is slightly rounded, but not domed. When viewed from the front and side, one sees small ears which are mounted high and carried erect. To form a wedge, visualize a line from the tip of the nose ascending through the center of the eyes and the tip of the ears. The eyes are dark, bright, medium in size and almond-shaped. They are set well into the skull on either side of a well-pronounced stop. The pigmentation is black on the nose and eye rims except self-colored in brown, beaver, and blue dogs. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. One tooth out of alignment is acceptable. Major Faults: Round, domed skull; under-shot mouth; overshot mouth.

Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is short with its base set well into the shoulders to allow the head to be carried high. The back is short with a level topline. The body is compact and well-ribbed with brisket reaching the elbow. The plumed tail is one of the characteristics of the breed, and lies flat and straight on the back.

Forequarters
The Pomeranian has sufficient layback of shoulders to carry the neck and head proud and high. The shoulders and legs are moderately muscled. The length of the shoulder blade and upper arm are equal. The forelegs are straight and parallel to each other. Height from elbows to withers approximately equals height from ground to elbow. The pasterns are straight and strong. The feet are well-arched, compact, and turn neither in nor out. He stands well up on his toes. Dewclaws may be removed. Major Faults: Down in pasterns.

Hindquarters
The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. The buttocks are well behind the set of the tail. The thighs are moderately muscled with stifles that are moderately bent and clearly defined. The hocks are perpendicular to the ground and the legs are straight and parallel to each other. The feet are well-arched, compact, and turn neither in nor out. He stands well up on his toes. Dewclaws, if any on the hind legs may be removed. Major Faults: Cowhocks or lack of soundness in hind legs or stifles.

Gait
The Pomeranian's gait is smooth, free, balanced and vigorous. He has good reach in his forequarters and strong drive with his hindquarters. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. To achieve balance, his legs converge slightly inward toward a center line beneath his body. The rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. The topline remains level, and his overall balance and outline are maintained.

Coat
A Pomeranian is noted for its double coat. The undercoat is soft and dense. The outer-coat is long, straight, glistening and harsh in texture. A thick undercoat will hold up and permit the guard hair to stand off from the Pomeranian's body. The coat is abundant from the neck and fore part of shoulders and chest, forming a frill which extends over the shoulders and chest. The head and leg coat is tightly packed and shorter in length than that of the body. The forequarters are well-feathered and thighs and hind legs well feathered to the hock. The tail is profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading straight hair. Trimming for neatness and a clean outline is permissible. Major Faults: Soft, flat or open coat.

Color
All colors, patterns, and variations there-of are allowed and must be judged on an equal basis. Patterns: Black and Tan - tan or rust sharply defined, appearing above each eye and on muzzle, throat, and forechest, on all legs and feet and below the tail. The richer the tan the more desirable; Brindle - the base color is gold, red, or orange-brindled with strong black cross stripes; Parti-color - is white with any other color distributed in patches with a white blaze preferred on the head. Classifications: The Open Classes at specialty shows may be divided by color as follows: Open Red, Orange, Cream, and Sable; Open Black, Brown, and Blue; Open Any Other Color, Pattern, or Variation.

Temperament
The Pomeranian is an extrovert, exhibiting great intelligence and a vivacious spirit, making him a great companion dog as well as a competitive show dog.

Even though a Toy dog, the Pomeranian must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation.

Approved December 9, 1996
Effective January 31, 1997

FCI-Standard No 97 / 05.03.1998 GB

German Spitz including Keeshond and Pomeranian
TRANSLATION: C.Seidler

ORIGIN: Germany

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 05-03.1998.

UTILIZATlON: Watch and Companion Dog

CLASSIFICATlON F.C.I. : Group 5 Spitz and primitive types - Section4 European Spitz. Without working trial

BRIEF HlSTORICAL SUMMARY : German Spitz are descendants of. the stone age << Peat Dogs >> (Torfhund) << Canis familiaris palustris Rüthimeyer >> and the later Lake Dweller's (Pfahlbau) Spitz; they are the oldest breed of dog in Central Europe. Numerous other breeds have been produced from them- In non German speaking countries Wolfsspitz are known as Keeshonds and Toy Spitz as Pomeranians.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Spitz breeds are captivating on account of their beautiful coats, made to stand off by plentiful undercoat. Particularly impressive is the strong , mane-like collar round the neck (ruff) and the bushy tail carried boldly over the back. The foxy head with alert eyes and the small pointed, closely set ears give the Spitz his unique characteristic, cheeky appearance.

Important proportions: The ratio of height at withers to body length is 1:1.

BEHAVIOUR AND CHARACTER: The German Spitz is always attentive, lively and exceptionally devoted to his owner. He is very teachable and easy to train. His distrust to stangers and lack of hunting instinct make him the ideal watchdog for home and farm. He is neither timid nor aggressive. Indifference to weather, robustness and longevity are his most outstanding attributes.

HEAD

Cranial Region: The Spitz's medium sized head, seen from above, appears broadest at the back and tapers in wedgeshape to the tip of the nose.

Stop: Moderate to marked, never abrupt.

Facial region:

Nose: The nose is round, small and pure black, dark brown in brown spitz.

Muzzle: The muzzle is not overlong and stands in pleasingproportion to the skull.

(In Wolfsspitz/Keeshond, Giant Spitz and Medium-size Spitz the ratio length of the skull is approximately 2:3, in Miniature Spitz and Toyspitz approximately 2:4.)

Lips: The Lips are not exaggerated, close fitting to the jaws and do not form any folds to the corner of the mouth. They are completly black in all colours, brown in brown Spitz.

Jaws/Teeth: The jaws are normally developed and show a complete scissor bite with 42 teeth, corresponding to the teeth formula of the dog, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Pincer-bite is permissible in all varieties of Spitz.

Cheeks: The cheeks are genly rounded, not protruding.

Eyes: The eyes are of medium size, longish shape, slightly slanting and dark. The eyelids are black in all shades of colour, dark brown in brown Spitz.

Ears: The small ears are set high and relatively close to each other, triangular and pointed; they are always carried upright, stiff at the tips.

Neck: The medium length neck is set broadly into the shoulders, slightly arched without throatiness and covered by a thick, profuse coat forming a large ruff.

BODY

Topline: The topline starts at the tips of the erectly carried prick-ears and merges in a gentle curve with the short, straight back. The bushy, sweeping tail, which partially covers the back, rounds off the silhouette.

Withers/Back: The hight withers drop imperceptibly into the shortest possible, straight, firm back.

Loin: Short-coupled, broad and strong.

Croup: The croup is broad and short, not falling away.

Chest: The deep chest is well sprung, the forechest well developed.

Lower line: The brisket reaches as far back as possible; the belly has only a slight tuck up.

Tail: The tail is set on high and of medium length. It reaches upwards and rolls forward over the back, straight from the root. It lies firmly over the back and is covered with very bushy hair. A double curl at tip of tail is tolerated.

Limbs

Forequarters:

General: Straight, rather broad front.

Shoulders: The shoulder-blade is long and well laid back. The upper arm, which is approximately the same length, forms an angle of 90 degrees to the shoulder-blade. The shoulder is well muscled and firmly connected to the brisket.

Elbow: The elbow joint is strong, close fitting to the brisket and turns neither in nor out.

Forearm: The forearm is of medium length in relation to the body, sturdy and completely straight. The back of the forearm is well feathered.

Metacarpus(Pastern): The strong, medium length front pastern stands at an angle of 20 degrees from the vertical.

Front feet: The front feet are as small as possible, round and closed, so called cat feet, with well arched toes. Toe-nails and pats are black in all shades of colour, but dark brown in brown dogs.

Hindquarters

General: The hindquaters are very muscular and abundantly feathered to the hocks. The hind legs stand straight and parallel.

Upper and lower tight: Upper and lower tight are of about equal length.

Stifle: The stifle joint is strong with only moderate angulation and is turned neither in nor out in movement.

Metatarsal (Hock): The hock is of medium length, very strong and vertical to the ground.

Hind feet: The hind feet are as small as possible, tightly closed with well arched toes, so called cat feet. The pads are coarse. The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

Gait/Movement: The German Spitz moves straight ahead with good drive, fluid and springy.

Skin: The skin covers the body tightly without any wrinkles.

COAT

Hair: The German Spitz has a double coat: Long straight, stand off top coat and short, thick, cotton-wool-like undercoat. Head, ears, front side of front and hind legs are covered by short, thick (velvety) hair. The rest of the body has a long rich coat. Not wavy, curly or corded, not parted on the back. Neck and shoulders are covered by a thick mane. The backsie of the front legs is well featherd, the hind legs have ample feathering from croup to hocks. The tail is bushy.

Colour:

Wolfsspitz/Keeshond: Grey shaded.
Giant Spitz: Black,brown, white.
Medium size Spitz: Black, brown, white, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.
Miniature Spitz: Black, brown, white, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.
Toy Spitz/Pomeranian: Black, brown, white, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.
Black Spitz: In the black Spitz the undercoat and skin must also be black and the colour on top must be a shining black without any white or other markings.
Brown Spitz: The brown Spitz should be uniformly dark brown.

White Spitz: The coat should be pure white without any trace of yellow in particular, which often occurs, specially on the ears.

Orange Spitz: The orange Spitz should be evenly colourd in the medium colour range.

Grey-shaded Spitz Wolfsspitz/Keeshond: Grey-shaded is a silver grey with black hair-tips. Muzzle and ears dark in colour, round the eyes well defined <<spectacles>> shown as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct markings and shading forming expressive short eyebrow; mane and ring on shoulder lighter; fore-and hindlegs without any black marking under the elbows or stifles, except slight pencilling on the toes; black tip of tail; underside of tail and trousers pale silver grey.

Other coloured Spitz: The term <<other colours>> covers all shades of colour, such as: cream, cream sable, orange-sable, black and tan and particolour (with white always as main colour). The black, brown, grey or orange patches must be distributed over the whole body.

SIZE

Height at the withers:

Wolfsspitz/Keeshond 49cm +/- 6cm
Giant Spitz 46cm +/- 4cm
Medium size Spitz 34cm +/- 4cm
Miniature Spitz 26cm +/- 3cm
Toy Spitz/Pomeranian 20cm +/- 2cm
Dogs under 18 cm undesirable
Weight: Each variety of German Spitz should have a weight corresponding to its size

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to ist degree.

Major faults:

Faults in constuction
Head to flat; distinct apple head
Flesh-coloured nose, eyelids and lips
In Wofsspitz/Keeshond, Giant Spitz and Medium size Spitz missing teeth.
Faults in movement
In grey-shaded Spitz missing of distinct markings of the face

Eliminating faults:

Gap in fontanel
Over-or undershot bite
Ectropion or entropion
Semi-pricked ears
Definite white patches in all not white Spitz
N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicals fully descended into the scrotum.

Comments

It is important to note that the above Standard, with exception to the items colors and sizes, is the Standard for all the Varieties of German Spitz; from the Pomeranian ( German Spitz - Little and Nain) till the Keeshond ( Wolfspitz).
So, the differences in type and proportions are not so well defined as the American and British Standards, but, besides of that, the pomeranian and the german spitzen ( nain and little) are the same breed. ( When a pomeranian came from UK or USA to a FCI ruled Country he is registered and compete as a German Spitz).That is not the case in UK where you have the German Spitz ( little and medium) as differents breeds than the pomeranians, with different standards and no intercrosses.