Today, Spitz is very popular among dog owners. Their cute appearance and variety give everyone the opportunity to choose a dog for themselves.
There are two types of Spitz (Pomeranian and German) that most dog lovers mistakenly consider to be one breed. There is an opinion that Pomeranian is the same as German, only smaller. However, in fact, these breeds have differences.
Factor differences
Many believe that the division of Spitz into German and Pomeranian is based on their size. However, in addition to this, their exterior is significantly different.
In order to be able to distinguish between these two breeds, you need to know how the Pomeranian differs from German in the following ways:
- origin;
- title;
- the size;
- head shape;
- wool coat;
- color;
- tail;
- front legs;
- number of teeth.
Based on the knowledge of these differences, one can easily determine which of the Pomeranian Spitz and which of the German.
The history of the origin of the German Spitz
The roots of the German Spitz pedigree go back to the Stone Age. The formation of this breed took place against the backdrop of natural conditions that influenced the fact that strong and intelligent individuals have survived to this day. Dog breeding experts believe that the ancestors of the German Spitz were a pile Spitz and a peat dog.
The ancient history of this breed of dogs has become the reason that at present it is the ancestor of many decorative breeds. Despite this, initially German Spitz were almost twice as large as their modern representatives.
It is known that earlier this breed was working and served as a guard. Later, German Spitz interested in the appearance of the family of German monarchs, which became the reason for their great popularity - each representative of the nobility considered it his duty to get a dog of this breed. Thus, German Spitz very quickly won a place in the European royal courts.
In addition to the fact that they spread throughout Europe, work began on the reduction of their size. Thanks to selection in the 18th century, bred small spitzs began to act as pets. Large individuals, as before, continued to be used for hunting.
The origin of the Pomeranian
During the reign of Queen Victoria, German Spitz were imported into England. They were brought from Pomerania, which at that time was the historical region of Germany. Proceeding from this, Spitz began to be called Pomeranian. Dog breeders at the Royal Court of England continued to engage in breeding work on this breed, which resulted in the breeding of a dog that differs from the German Spitz in small size, appearance and beautiful coat.
In the 20th century, a Pomeranian was brought to America. In the United States , breeding work continued on crossing it with different breeds, as a result miniature pets, known today as the Pomeranian, were bred. That is why the United States is considered the birthplace of this dog. After the work of American breeders, significant differences appeared between the German and Pomeranian spitz.
At present, the breed bred in Europe belongs to the German, and in the USA to the Pomeranian type of Spitz.
Thus, the first difference between these breeds was their origin, since the formation of the German Spitz was due to natural selection, and breeders brought the Pomeranians.
Breed name
As mentioned above, Pomeranian owes its name to the German region - Pomerania. In the USA their name was reduced to a simple pomeranian, they are also called in Canada and England. According to the FCI system, the Spitz was given names according to their size. In the Russian Federation, dog handlers gave the names of the breeds Russian-language analogues:
- grosspitz is called large;
- mittelspitz - medium;
- kleinspitz - small;
- miniature spitz - miniature;
- keeshonda - wolf or wolf spitz.
In the RFK, the Pomeranian is not recognized as an independent breed and is classified as a miniature species. Nevertheless, since FCI is an official international organization, its standards are followed throughout the world and consider Pomeranian as a separate breed.
Dimensions
When looking at the representatives of these two breeds, it becomes obvious how the Pomeranian is different from the German, and above all, this is the size.
German Spitz can grow up to 55 cm and weigh about 30 kg. Oranges, in turn, grow no higher than 22 cm at the withers. According to the American standard, Pomeranian is allowed to be up to 28 cm tall. It weighs no more than 3.5 kg.
Thus, we can conclude that the height and weight of the Pomeranian and German are different. Such differences make it easier for dog lovers to recognize these breeds.
After familiarizing yourself with the description of the breed in the photo, the differences between the Pomeranian and the German Spitz are clearly noticeable.
Color features
The Pomeranian has no clear standards regarding color. Acceptable are 9 colors: red, orange, blue, white, blue and tan, cream, two-tone, chocolate, black and tan.
The color standard of German Spitz depends on their height. The wolf spitz corresponds exclusively to the zonal-gray color of the coat. Grosspitz has a more diverse color: white, brown or black. Medium, small and miniature breeds can have white, orange, brown, cream and zoning-gray hair.
In cases of spotted color, the Spitz must be based on white. Black, brown, orange or gray spots should be mainly on the body. In dogs with an orange color, the color of the coat should be uniform and be in the middle of the color scheme.
Individuals with black undercoat and integumentary hair should also be black. The presence of white marks or some other color is not allowed. Spitzs of brown color, as well as orange, should have a uniform color throughout the topic. White Spitz on the wool should not be yellow, their color should be snow-white. Often, yellowness in them can occur on the ears, which is a violation of the international standard. The coat in zoned gray dogs has a silver gray color with a black tailbone.
The difference between the German and Pomeranian spitz in color is insignificant. The reason for this is their common roots. Therefore, you should not be guided when choosing a dog for color differences in the description of the breeds of German and Pomeranian.
Below in the photo, the color of the German and orange can be seen.
Head
In the description of the breeds of the German and Pomeranian spitz, the difference is also present in the size of the dog's head. If it is difficult to distinguish a German from an orange by growth and color, then the differences in the structure of the heads of representatives of these breeds are obvious.
Pomeranian type dogs have small, sharp and fairly wide set ears. Their muzzle is short with a clear transition to the forehead. Outwardly, they remotely resemble little cubs. The woolen coat on the head of oranges looks like a hat in its shape. Thick hair is also present in the cheek area.
German Spitz does not have such a cap, and a smooth muzzle covers a narrow muzzle (similar to a fox). The Germans' forehead line is smooth, gradually turning to the muzzle. The sharp-pointed ears are set close together.
Tail
Pomeranian also differs from German in its tail and its set. The orange has a magnificent tail. It is straight or semicircular and thrown to the back of the dog.
The tail of the German Spitz is located above the back and twists into a ring (possibly in two rings).
In the photo, the differences between the German Spitz and the Pomeranian tail are clearly visible.
Wool
The wool of representatives of these breeds has its own characteristics. In particular, the structure is different, which can be easily determined by running a hand over it.
Representatives of the Pomeranian type of Spitz have a double coat. The remaining hair in it is completely absent or very few. The structure of the wool resembles springs. The undercoat of these dogs is long and soft, requiring special care. To the touch, it resembles a ball of cotton wool. It must be trimmed regularly, thereby giving a certain shape. In addition, oranges need frequent bathing.
The Germans, as well as the Oranges, the coat consists of the outer hair and undercoat. Nevertheless, the remaining hair is straight and longer, due to which it adheres to the body of the dog. Its ability to secrete a secret helps in cleaning the coat. Their undercoat is short and wavy, so they do not need such careful care as oranges.
It can be clearly seen in the photo how the Pomeranian spitz differs from the German one in the wool coat.
Paw set
Another difference between the orange and the German is the setting of the front paws. In specimens belonging to the German breed, the metacarpals of the forelimbs are located at an angle of 20 degrees to the surface on which the dog stands. Their American relatives put their front paws exclusively perpendicular to the surface than Pomeranian and differs from German.
Teeth
In addition to all of the above, German and Pomeranian spitz differ in the number of teeth. Germans are characterized by the presence of a complete set of teeth, their number is 42. In Pomeranian dogs, the standards allow the absence of some premolars.
Further on the photo you can see how Pomeranian and German Spitz differ, if you pay attention to the teeth.
It is impossible to answer unequivocally which breed is better: Pomeranian or German. The reason for this is their common history of origin. Since they have common stages of development, internally they are absolutely no different. Their differences are solely in appearance.