Standard of Points of the Spitz, or Keeshond
Translation by Alice Gatacre author of The Keeshond published 1938
Established by the “Verein für deutsche Spitze” and adopted by the “Nederlandsche Keeshonden Club” in 1924
General Appearance: A short, compact body; alert demeanour, fox-like head; small pointed ears; tightly curled and bushy tail; coat full and loose; a dense ruff, not unlike a lion’s mane; a short, thick coat on head, ears, and feet.
Head: the head should be of medium size; see from above, the back of the head is widest, getting gradually narrower towards the nose in the form of a wedge; from the side view, the top of the head should show a good stop. The muzzle should not be too long, but proportioned to the skull. The bridge of the nose should be round; a “ram’s nose” is an asset; nose black, small, and round. A brown Spitz/Keesdog should have a dark brown nose.
Lips not overlapping, but clean cut. Colour of lips and eyelids black in white and in gray Spitz/Keesdogs; lips and eyelids in brown Spitz/Keesdogs, dark brown.
Ears small, set close together, triangular and pointed, placed high and carried erect.
Eyes of medium size, always dark, almond shaped, and oblique.
Neck and Body: Neck moderately long. Back as short as possible and absolutely straight, but sloping slightly downwards from the shoulders to the hindquarters. The body should be well ribbed, the barrel well rounded, the belly slightly drawn up, and the chest deep.
Tail: Tail moderately long, set on high; rising straight up and bending over back, curving to left or to right, and curled tightly on the back.
Legs: Medium in length, proportioned to body, sturdy and very straight, hocks only slightly bent.
Feet: Small, round, and cat-footed.
Coat: Short on head, ears, feet, and inside fore-and hind-legs; thick and long on the rest of the body; on neck and shoulders loose and standing out at right angles to the body, without being curled or woolly; the coat should not from a parting on the back; coat, rather long round the neck and on the tail; fore-legs should be feathered from elbow to knee; on hind-legs the feather should stop just above the hocks; below the hock the legs should have a short coat.
Colour: a) Gray Keeshond or Wolfspitz – Wolf-gray, that is to say, silver gray, with black tips to long hair, lighter on muzzle round eyes, belly, feet, and tail.
b) Large (Größ) Black Spitz/Keeshond - Undercoat and skin dark, colour of outer coat blue-black, without white or any other coloured patches.
c) Large white Spitz/Keeshond Pure white, without any yellow markings.
d) Other coloured and Parti- coloured Spitz/Keeshond – By ‘other coloured dogs’ are understood dogs of any other colour not included under ‘gray’, ‘black,’ ‘white,’ or parti-coloured’ dogs. By ‘parti-coloured’ dogs are meant white dogs with distinct black or brown patches; not, however, whole-coloured dogs, with white ‘socks’ or white markings on chest and elsewhere.
Size: The gray Wolfspitz/ Keeshond, whether dog or bitch, should measure at least 18 inches at the shoulder, the larger the better, but size should not prejudice type.The black or the white Spitz/Keeshond, whether dog or bitch, should measure at least 16 inches at the shoulder.
Faults: A stumpy, coarse, or turned up nose.
A flat skull (like an Alsatians) or “apple-headedness.”
Very large, protruding eyes.
Thick overlapping lips.
Long, soft, or drop ears.
The tail not lying close to the body, but carried high above back, sticking out sideways, or drooping.
A curly coat, or parting on back.
Dew claws on hind-legs.
Flesh coloured nose, eyelids, and lips.
Light- coloured eyes.
In gray Wolfspitz/Keeshonden, a strikingly dark mask is undesirable.
Black markings on fore-legs, so-called “thumbmarks,” and black or white markings on body or legs.
Scale of Points – Total = 100
General Appearance ……………………. 25
Coat, including quality and thickness...... 20
Head, including ears ……………… …….15
Colour……………………………… …….. 15
Tail ………………………………………….15
Legs…………………………………. ……..5
Feet ……………………………… ………..5
Note – The German Standard of Points adds: “A pure-bred German Spitz, whether belonging to the large or to the small variety, should not allow strangers to touch him, but should be suspicious and distrustful. The German Spitz does not grow his full coat until he is two years old, which should remain in good condition until he is ten or twelve years old.”
Extra comments by Alice Gatacre
A stumpy, coarse, or turned-up nose, and black markings on forelegs, so- called “thumb marks” are not mentioned amongst Faults in the Standard of Points given in the XI th volume of the German Spitz Studbook, or in any of the later volumes published after 1931; otherwise the German Standard of Points has not been altered. “Other coloured” and “parti-coloured” Keeshond/ Spitz were admitted, in their revised Standard of Points, by the German Spitz Club in 1906, and are also included in the Standard of Points taken over by the “Nederlandsche Keeshonden Club” in 1924. Notwithstanding this ruling, a number of authorities in Germany still do not consider parti-colour Spitz, of the large variety, to be typical of the breed.