In the FCI, term German Spitz actually represents a group of five very similar Spitz type dogs that originated in Germany – the Wolfspitz, Grossspiz, Mittelspitz, Kleinspitz, and Zwergspitz. These five varieties of dogs have more or less identical personalities, but they differentiate in size, weight, and color of their coats. The Grossspiz, Mittelspitz, and Kleinspitz are oldest of these dog breeds. They are descendants of Spitz type herding dogs brought into Europe by Vikings somewhere around 1450. During the following hundred years, these Nordic dogs have evolved through selective breeding into the first three variants of German Spitz dogs. The Wolfspitz and Zwergspitz are actually descendants of these initial German Spitzes, as well as Volpino Italiano, American Eskimo Dog, and Japanese Spitz. Unfortunately, today these younger breeds are slowly but surely replacing authentic German breeds, whose numbers are constantly dwindling. Continue Reading →
