The German Spitz has been around since 1450. The Spitz breed is probably descended from dogs brought to Germany, Holland or Scandinavia by the Vikings who plundered and purged the cities during the Renaissance era. The German Spitz is one of the oldest breeds of dogs in Central Europe. The German Spitz was brought to America and over time, was introduced as the American Eskimo Dog because of the widespread anti-German feeling during World War II.
There are five different types of the German Spitz: the Keeshond (considered a separate breed), the Giant Spitz, the Standard Spitz, the Toy Spitz and the Dwarf/Midget Spitz also known as the Pomeranian (considered a separate breed). The German Spitz has a weather resistant, double coat. The long outercoat is course and the dense undercoat is downy. The hair on the outercoat stands away from the body. The Giant Spitz coat is usually solid colored including black, white or brown. The Standard can be solid as well and also include orange or wolf gray. Toys are all solid colors. The wedge-shaped head has a definite stop. The triangular ears stand erect and the slanted eyes are chestnut in color. The black lips have a scissor-like bite. They also have a fox-like smile. They have round, compact feet with arched toes. Their plumed tail is medium in length and curls over the back.
