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Medium-sized and compact, the German Spitz (Mittel) has the attractive foxy face and curled tail typical of spitz breeds. They have an abundant long coat, particularly around the neck where it forms a frill of profuse hair. Hair on the face is short and smooth, pricked ears are covered with soft short hair and the limbs are well feathered. Tail should be profusely covered in long, spreading hair.
The German Spitz Mittel breed can be prone to:
- Patellar luxation
- Multifocal retinal dysplasia¹ which is an inherited eye condition that can seriously affect a dog's vision.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
None but there are several recommended schemes that the Kennel Club recommends which can be found here.
¹A. Clop et al, 'Identification of positively selected sites in the goat kappa casein (CSN3) gene', 2010, Animal Genetics
Active and alert, the German Spitz Mittel is a happy, confident dog with an even temper and should show no signs of aggression or nervousness. They adore human company and love to be included in any family activity. They do not enjoy being left alone and do not make a good companion for people who will regularly leave them. Whilst small, they are intelligent and should be kept entertained and content with training and exercise. A bored German Spitz is liable to be a very noisy and irritable house-mate!
| Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
| Exercise needs: | 4/5 |
| Easy to train: | 2/5 |
| Tolerates being alone: | 3/5 |
| Likes other pets: | 3/5 |
| Energy level: | 5/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
| Shedding: | 4/5 |
Descending from larger Nordic herding dogs such as the Samoyed, which were taken to Germany and Holland by the Vikings during the Middle Ages, the German Spitz Mittel is, not surprisingly, the middle sized of the five recognised German Spitz types.
By the 1700’s the German Spitz became a fashionable pet of British society, and were used to produce the smaller Pomeranian (and then later to improve the increasingly tiny Pomeranian then struggling due to its very small size).
There are five sizes of German Spitz types recognised by the FCI, the Wolfspitz (Keeshond), the Giant Spitz, the German Spitz Mittel, the German Spitz Klein and the Pomeranian.
Due to the very close ancestry between the Mittel and the Klein, whilst breeding between the two is no longer permitted, occasionally a Mittel litter will produce a Klein pup, and vice versa.
If you like a small and intensely adorable, and yet also adorably intense, clever little breed who is capable of the same training and sports as many of the bigger breeds, you may like the German Spitz (Mittel). You’ll need some experience of training small spitz types, and be fit and active enough to work with a small dog that is low to the ground. They will require frequent grooming to prevent uncomfortable matting and tangling and to stay cool.
An hour and a half per day, split into two walks will suffice for the German Spitz, as long as there is company, training, games and other entertainment on hand for the majority of the day. This is a multi-purpose companion breed happy to sit on their owner’s knee while still alert to danger and be fun company always up for a game or an outing. Due to the thick coat, exercise should be in the coolest parts of the day in summer.
The German Spitz Mittel will fit into most homes, but a secure garden is important. Space to groom, and to dry off a wet dog should be considered, as their coat does require some care and can hold a surprising amount of water and mud (although they will often avoid the latter). Because of their tendency to alert to suspicious activity, a quiet home will do better than a busy one, and whilst they can fit into an inner-city environment, this may be stressful and overwhelming for them if busy and noisy.
Your dog's diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed him at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of his particular food.
As a general rule, a thorough brushing several times a week will ensure the coat stays clean and knot-free. Particular attention should be paid to the ears and elbows where knots can occur more quickly. Males tend to shed once a year and bitches twice a year: this is when most of the hair will be shed but in a warm household, they can shed almost constantly.
Early socialisation and habituation is necessary to build confidence. Using positive reinforcement and motivation, the enthusiastic German Spitz can be taught a range of fun tricks and useful behaviours, and this should definitely be done to keep their active and clever minds occupied. Capable of achieving respectable results in competition at agility and obedience if you want to put in the work, they will enjoy time spent with their owners, no matter what the occupation.
A fun family dog if all the family can be involved in training and exercise. Very small children find it hard to differentiate between ‘small dog’ and ‘stuffed toy’ and as the German Spitz as a puppy is very small and incredibly cute, it may be better to wait until children are older. The German Spitz is very much a companion dog and not well equipped to spend long periods alone, which may well rule out full time working families.
While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.
