FCI Breed-Standards

• FCI Standard Nr. 97/12.11.2019/D - German Spitz
         1. German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond
         2. German Giant Spitz - German Medium Size Spitz - German Miniature Spitz
         3. German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian
• FCI Standard Nr. 262/16.06.1999/GB - Japanese Spitz
• FCI Standard Nr. 195/09.06.1999/GB - Volpino Italiano

 

 

FCI-Standard No. 97/12.11.2019/EN - German Spitz

  

GERMAN SPITZ
1. German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond
2. German Giant Spitz - German Medium Size Spitz - German Miniature Spitz
3. German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian

TRANSLATION: C. Seidler/Gabriele Dulling (original version: DE)
ORIGIN: Germany
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 04.09.2019 - FCI-Standard Nr. 97
UTILIZATION: Watch and Companion dog.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 5 Spitz and primitive types, Section 4 European Spitz.
Without working trial.

1. German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: German Spitz dogs are descendants of the stoneage «Peat Dogs» (Torfhunde) «Canis familiaris palustris Rütimeyer» and the later Lake Dwelling Spitz (Pfahlbauspitz); it is the oldest breed of dog in Central Europe. Numerous other breeds have been developed from them. In non-German speaking countries Wolfsspitz dogs are known as Keeshonds.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Spitz breeds are captivating on account of their beautiful coats, made to stand off by plentiful undercoat. Particularly impressive are the strong, mane-like collar round the neck (ruff) and the bushy tail carried boldly over the back.
The foxy head with alert eyes and the small pointed, closely set ears give the Spitz its unique characteristic, cheeky appearance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The ratio of height at withers to body length is 1 : 1. The ratio length of the muzzle to length of the skull is approximately 2 : 3.

BEHAVIOUR AND CHARACTER: The German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond is always attentive, lively and extraordinarily attached to its owner. It is very teachable and easy to train. Its natural distrust of strangers and lack of hunting instinct make it the ideal companion and family dog and watch dog for home and farm. It is neither timid nor aggressive. Indifference to weather, robustness and longevity are its most outstanding attributes.

HEAD
CRANIAL REGION: The Spitz’s medium-sized head, seen from above, appears broadest at the back and tapers wedge-shaped to the tip of the nose.
Stopp: Moderate to marked, never abrupt.

FACIAL REGION
Nose: The nose is round, small and pure black.
Muzzle: The muzzle is not overlong and stands in pleasing proportion to the skull (approximately 2:3).
Lips: The lips are not exaggerated, close fitting to the jaws and do not form any folds to the corner of the mouth. They are completely black.
Jaws/Teeth: The jaws are normally developed and show a complete scissor bite with 42 teeth, corresponding to the dental formula of the dog, i. e. the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower ones and set
square to the jaws. Strong canines fitting exactly into each other. Pincer bite is permissible.
Cheeks: The cheeks are gently rounded, not protruding.

EYES: The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped, slightly slanting and dark. The eyelids are black.

EARS: The small ears are set high and relatively close to each other, triangular pointed; they are always carried upright, stiff at the tips.

NECK: The medium length neck is set broadly on the shoulders, slightly arched without dewlap and covered by a thick, profuse coat, forming a large ruff.

BODY:
Topline: Merges in a gentle curve with the short, straight back. The bushy, sweeping tail, which partially covers the back, rounds off the silhouette.
Withers: The high withers drops imperceptibly.
Back: As short as possible, straight, firm.
Loin: Short, broad and strong.
Croup: The croup is broad and short, not falling away.
Chest: The deep chest is well sprung, the forechest well developed.
Underline and belly: The chest reaches back as far as possible; the belly has only a slight tuck up.

TAIL: The tail is set on high and of medium length. It reaches upwards and rolls forward over the back, straight from the root. It lies firmly over the back and is covered with very bushy hair. A double curl at tip of tail is tolerated.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Straight, rather broad front with well-developed bone strength.
Shoulder: The shoulder is well muscled and firmly connected to the chest. The shoulder blade is long and well laid back.
Upper arm: The upper arm, which is approximately the same length as the shoulder blade, forms an angle of 90 degrees to the shoulder blade.
Elbow: The elbow joint is strong, close fitting to the chest and turns neither in nor out.
Forearm: The forearm is of medium length in relation to the body, sturdy and completely straight. The back of the forearm is well feathered.
Metacarpus (Pastern): The strong, medium length front pastern stands at an angle of 20 degrees from the vertical.
Forefeet: The forefeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet.
The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: The hindquarters are very muscular and abundantly feathered to the hocks. The hind legs stand straight and parallel.
Thigh and lower leg: Thigh and lower leg are of about equal length.
Stifle (knee): The stifle joint is strong with only moderate angulation and is turned neither in nor out in movement.
Hock/hock joint: The hock is of medium length, very strong and vertical to the ground.
Hindfeet: The hindfeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet. The pads are coarse. The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: The German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond moves straight ahead with good drive, fluidly and springy.

SKIN: The skin covers the body tightly without any wrinkles.

COAT:
Hair: German Wolfsspitz/Keeshond has a double coat: Long, straight and firm standing off top coat and short, thick, cotton-woollike undercoat. Head, ears, front side of front and hind legs and the paws are covered by short, thick (velvety) hair. The rest of the body has a long, rich, hairy coat. Not wavy, curly or shaggy, not parted along the back. Neck and shoulders are covered by a thick mane. The backside of the front legs is well feathered, the hind legs have ample feathering from croup to hocks. The tail is bushy.
Hair must not look like being modelled.

Colour: Wolfsspitz/Keeshond: Grey-shaded.
Grey-shaded is a silver-grey with black hair-tips. Muzzle and ears are dark in colour, round the eyes well defined <spectacles> shown as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct markings and shading
forming short but expressive eyebrows; mane and ring on shoulder lighter; fore- and hind legs silver-grey without any black markings under the elbows or stifles, except slight pencilling on the toes; black tip of tail; underside of tail and trousers pale silver-grey.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height at the withers: Wolfsspitz/Keeshond: 49 ± 6 cm.
The Wolfsspitz dog/Keeshond should have a weight corresponding to its size.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

SEVERE FAULTS:

• Faults in construction.
• Head too flat.
• Distinct apple head.
• Flesh-coloured nose, eyelids and lips.
• Dentition faults, missing teeth.
• Too large and too bright eyes.
• Protruding eyes.
• Missing of distinct markings of the face.
• Faults in movement.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Gap in fontanel.
• Overbite, underbite, crossbite.
• Ectropion or entropion.
• Ears not fully erected.
• Definite white markings or spots.

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

2. German Giant Spitz - German Medium Size Spitz - German Miniature Spitz

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: German Spitz dogs are descendants of the stoneage «Peat Dogs» (Torfhunde) «Canis familiaris palustris Rütimeyer» and the later Lake Dwelling Spitz (Pfahlbauspitz); it is the oldest breed of dog in Central Europe. Numerous other breeds have been developed from them.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Spitz breeds are captivating on account of their beautiful coats, made to stand off by plentiful undercoat. Particularly impressive are the strong, mane-like collar round the neck (ruff) and the bushy tail carried boldly over the back. The foxy head with alert eyes and the small pointed, closely set ears give the Spitz its unique characteristic, cheeky appearance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The ratio of height at withers to body length is 1 : 1. The ratio length of the muzzle to length of the skull of Giant Spitz, Medium Size Spitz and Miniature Spitz is approximately 2 : 3.

BEHAVIOUR AND CHARACTER: The German Spitz is always attentive, lively and extraordinarily attached to its owner. It is very teachable and easy to train. Its natural distrust of strangers and lack of hunting instinct make it the ideal companion and family dog and
watch dog for home and farm. It is neither timid nor aggressive. Indifference to weather, robustness and longevity are its most outstanding attributes.

HEAD:
CRANIAL REGION: The Spitz’s medium-sized head, seen from above, appears broadest at the back and tapers wedge-shaped to the tip of the nose.
Stop: Moderate to marked, never abrupt.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: The nose is round, small and pure black. The nose of brown Spitz dogs is dark brown.
Muzzle: The muzzle is not overlong and stands in pleasing proportion to the skull (approximately 2:3).
Lips: The lips are not exaggerated, close fitting to the jaws and do not form any folds to the corner of the mouth. They are completely black. The lips of brown Spitz dogs are brown.
Jaws/Teeth: The jaws are normally developed and show a complete scissor bite with 42 teeth, corresponding to the dental formula of the dog, i.e. the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower ones and set square to the jaws. Strong canines fitting exactly into each other. The lack of a few premolars shall be tolerated in Medium Size Spitz and Miniature Spitz. Pincer bite is permissible.
Cheeks: The cheeks are gently rounded, not protruding.

EYES: The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped, slightly slanting and dark. The eyelids are black. Brown Spitz dogs have dark brown eyelids.

EARS: The small ears are set high and relatively close to each other, triangular pointed; they are always carried upright, stiff at the tips.

NECK: The medium length neck is set broadly on the shoulders, slightly arched without dewlap and covered by a thick, profuse coat, forming a large ruff.

BODY:
Topline: Merges in a gentle curve with the short, straight back. The bushy, sweeping tail, which partially covers the back, rounds off the silhouette.
Withers: The high withers drops imperceptibly.
Back: As short as possible, straight, firm.
Loin: Short, broad and strong.
Croup: The croup is broad and short, not falling away.
Chest: The deep chest is well sprung, the forechest well developed.
Underline and belly: The chest reaches back as far as possible ; the belly has only a slight tuck up.

TAIL: The tail is set on high and of medium length. It reaches upwards and rolls forward over the back, straight from the root. It lies firmly over the back and is covered with very bushy hair. A double curl at tip of tail is tolerated.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Straight, rather broad front with well-developed bone strength.
Shoulder: The shoulder is well muscled and firmly connected to the chest. The shoulder blade is long and well laid back.
Upper arm: The upper arm, which is approximately the same length as the shoulder blade, forms an angle of 90 degrees to the shoulder blade.
Elbow: The elbow joint is strong, close fitting to the chest and turns neither in nor out.
Forearm: The forearm is of medium length in relation to the body, sturdy and completely straight. The back of the forearm is well feathered.
Metacarpus (Pastern): The strong, medium length front pastern stands at an angle of 20 degrees from the vertical.
Forefeet: The forefeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet.
The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: The hindquarters are very muscular and abundantly feathered to the hocks. The hind legs stand straight and parallel.
Thigh and lower leg: Thigh and lower leg are of about equal length.
Stifle (knee): The stifle joint is strong with only moderate angulation and is turned neither in nor out in movement.
Hock/hock joint: The hock is of medium length, very strong and vertical to the ground.
Hindfeet: The hindfeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet. The pads are coarse. The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: German Spitz dogs move straight ahead with good drive, fluidly and springy.

SKIN: The skin covers the body tightly without any wrinkles.

COAT:
Hair: German Giant Spitz, Medium Size Spitz and Miniature Spitz dogs have a double coat: Long, straight and firm standing off top coat and short, thick, cotton-wool-like undercoat. Head, ears, front side of front and hind legs and the paws are covered
by short, thick (velvety) hair. The rest of the body has a long, rich, hairy coat. Not wavy, curly or shaggy, not parted along the back. Neck and shoulders are covered by a thick mane. The backside of the front legs is well feathered, the hind legs have
ample feathering from croup to hocks. The tail is bushy. Hair must not look like being modelled.

Colours:
German Giant Spitz: White, black, brown. In black and brown Spitz dogs, white spots on the chest, the paws and the tip of the tail are permissible.
German Medium Spitz: White, black, brown, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.
German Miniature Spitz: White, black, brown, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.

White Spitz: The coat should be pure white. Little trace of yellow, which often occurs, especially on the ears, is tolerated.
Black Spitz: Black Spitz dogs must have a black undercoat and a black skin. The colour on top must be a shining black without any white or other markings.
Brown Spitz: The brown Spitz should be uniformly dark brown.
Orange Spitz: The orange Spitz should be evenly coloured in the medium colour range. Lightening up of the orange colour on the chest, the tail and the trousers is permitted.
Grey-shaded Spitz: Grey-shaded is a silver-grey with black hair-tips. Muzzle and ears are dark in colour, round the eyes well defined <spectacles> shown as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct
markings and shading forming short but expressive eyebrows; mane and ring on shoulder lighter; fore- and hind legs silver-grey without any black markings under the elbows or stifles, except slight pencilling on the toes; black tip of tail; underside of tail and trousers
pale silver-grey.
Other coloured Spitz: The term <other colours> applies to the following colours: cream, cream-sable, orange-sable, black and tan and particolour. Particoloured dogs must have white always as basic colour. The patches must be uniformly in one colour either black or brown or grey-shaded or orange or orange-sable or cream or cream-sable. They should preferably be distributed over the whole body.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height at the withers: German Giant Spitz: 45 cm ± 5 cm.
German Medium Size Spitz: 35 cm ± 5 cm.
German Miniature Spitz: 27 cm ± 3 cm.
Each variety of the German Spitz should have a weight corresponding to its size.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

SEVERE FAULTS:

• Faults in construction.
• Head too flat.
• Distinct apple head.
• Flesh-coloured nose, eyelids and lips.
• Dentition faults, missing incisors.
• Too large and too bright eyes.
• Protruding eyes.
• In grey-shaded Medium Size Spitz and Miniature Spitz missing of distinct markings of the face.
• Faults in movement.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Gap in fontanel.
• Overbite, underbite, crossbite.
• Ectropion or entropion.
• Ears not fully erected.
• Definite white markings or spots in all non-white Spitz dogs. Giant Spitz dogs are excepted.
• Any colour not mentioned in section “Colours”.

N.B. :

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

3. German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: German Spitz dogs are descendants of the stoneage «Peat Dogs» (Torfhunde) «Canis familiaris palustris Rütimeyer» and the later Lake Dwelling Spitz (Pfahlbauspitz); it is the oldest breed of dog in Central Europe. Numerous other breeds have been developed from them. In non-German speaking countries Toy Spitz dogs (Zwergspitze) are known as Pomeranians.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Spitz breeds are captivating on account of their beautiful coats, made to stand off by plentiful undercoat. Particularly impressive are the strong, mane-like collar round the neck (ruff) and the bushy tail carried boldly over the back. The foxy head with alert eyes and the small pointed, closely set ears give the Spitz its unique characteristic, cheeky appearance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The ratio of height at withers to body length is 1:1. The ratio length of the muzzle to length of the skull of Toy Spitz/Pomeranian is approximately 2:4.

BEHAVIOUR AND CHARACTER: The German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian is always attentive, lively and extraordinarily attached to its owner. It is very teachable and easy to train. Its companionable and cheerful character makes it the ideal companion and family dog and watch dog for house and apartment. It is neither timid nor aggressive. Indifference to weather, robustness and longevity are its most outstanding attributes.

HEAD:
CRANIAL REGION: The Spitz’s medium-sized head, seen from above, appears broadest at the back and tapers wedge-shaped to the tip of the nose.
Stop: Moderate to marked, never abrupt.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: The nose is round, small and pure black. The nose of brown Spitz dogs is dark brown.
Muzzle: The muzzle is not overlong and stands in pleasing proportion to the skull (approximately 2 : 4).
Lips: The lips are not exaggerated, close fitting to the jaws and do not form any folds to the corner of the mouth. They are completely black. The lips of brown Spitz dogs are brown.
Jaws/Teeth: The jaws are normally developed and show a complete scissor bite with 42 teeth, corresponding to the dental formula of the dog, i.e. the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower ones and set square to the jaws. Strong canines fitting exactly into each other. The lack of a few premolars shall be tolerated in Toy
Spitz/Pomeranian. Pincer bite is permissible.
Cheeks: The cheeks are gently rounded, not protruding.

EYES: The eyes are of medium size, almond-shaped, slightly slanting and dark. The eyelids are black. Brown Spitz dogs have dark brown eyelids.

EARS: The small ears are set high and relatively close to each other, triangular pointed; they are always carried upright, stiff at the tips.

NECK: The medium length neck is set broadly on the shoulders, slightly arched without dewlap and covered by a thick, profuse coat, forming a large ruff.

BODY:
Topline: Merges in a gentle curve with the short, straight back. The bushy, sweeping tail, which partially covers the back, rounds off the silhouette.
Withers: The high withers drops imperceptibly.
Back: As short as possible, straight, firm.
Loin: Short, broad and strong.
Croup: The croup is broad and short, not falling away.
Chest: The deep chest is well sprung, the forechest well developed.
Underline and belly: The chest reaches back as far as possible; the belly has only a slight tuck up.

TAIL: The tail is set on high and of medium length. It reaches upwards and rolls forward over the back, straight from the root. It lies firmly over the back and is covered with very bushy hair. A double curl at tip of tail is tolerated.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Straight, rather broad front with well-developed bone strength.
Shoulder: The shoulder is well muscled and firmly connected to the chest. The shoulder blade is long and well laid back.
Upper arm: The upper arm, which is approximately the same length as the shoulder blade, forms an angle of 90 degrees to the shoulder blade.
Elbow: The elbow joint is strong, close fitting to the chest and turns neither in nor out.
Forearm: The forearm is of medium length in relation to the body, sturdy and completely straight. The back of the forearm is well feathered.
Metacarpus (Pastern): The strong, medium length front pastern stands at an angle of 20 degrees from the vertical.
Forefeet: The forefeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet.
The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: The hindquarters are very muscular and abundantly feathered to the hocks. The hind legs stand straight and parallel.
Thigh and lower leg: Thigh and lower leg are of about equal length.
Stifle (knee): The stifle joint is strong with only moderate angulation and is turned neither in nor out in movement.
Hock/hock joint: The hock is of medium length, very strong and vertical to the ground.
Hindfeet: The hindfeet are as small as possible, round and closed, with well arched and tight nails, so called cat feet. The pads are coarse. The colour of nails and pads is as dark as possible.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: German Toy Spitz dogs / Pomeranians move straight ahead with good drive, fluidly and springy.

SKIN: The skin covers the body tightly without any wrinkles.

COAT:
Hair: German Toy Spitz dogs / Pomeranians have a double coat: Long, straight and firm standing off top coat and short, thick, cottonwool-like undercoat. Head, ears, front side of front and hind legs and the paws are covered by short, thick (velvety) hair. The rest of the body has a long, rich, hairy coat. Not wavy, curly or shaggy, not parted along the back. Neck and shoulders are covered by a thick mane. The backside of the front legs is well feathered, the hind legs have ample feathering from croup to hocks. The tail is bushy.
Hair must not look like being modelled.

Colour:
German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian: White, black, brown, orange, grey-shaded, other colours.

White Spitz: The coat should be pure white. Little trace of yellow, which often occurs, especially on the ears, is tolerated.
Black Spitz: Black Spitz dogs must have a black undercoat and a black skin. The colour on top must be a shining black without any white or other markings.
Brown Spitz: The brown Spitz should be uniformly dark brown.
Orange Spitz: The orange Spitz should be evenly coloured in the medium colour range. Lightening up of the orange colour on the chest, the tail and the trousers is permitted.
Grey-shaded Spitz: Grey-shaded is a silver-grey with black hair-tips. Muzzle and ears are dark in colour, round the eyes well defined <spectacles> shown as a delicately pencilled black line slanting from outer corner of eye to lower corner of ear, coupled with distinct
markings and shading forming short but expressive eyebrows; mane and ring on shoulder lighter; fore- and hind legs silver-grey without any black markings under the elbows or stifles, except slight pencilling on the toes; black tip of tail; underside of tail and trousers
pale silver-grey.
Other coloured Spitz: The term <other colours> applies to the following colours: cream, cream-sable, orange-sable, black and tan and particolour. Particoloured dogs must have white always as basic colour. The patches must be uniformly in one colour either black or brown or grey-shaded or orange or orange-sable or cream or cream-sable. They should preferably be distributed over the whole body.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height at the withers: German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian: 21 cm ± 3 cm.
The German Toy Spitz/Pomeranian should have a weight corresponding to its size.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

SEVERE FAULTS:

• Faults in construction.
• Head too flat.
• Distinct apple head.
• Flesh-coloured nose, eyelids and lips.
• Dentition faults, missing incisors.
• Too large and too bright eyes.
• Protruding eyes.
• In grey-shaded German Toy Spitz dog/Pomeranian missing of distinct markings of the face.
• Faults in movement.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Gap in fontanel.
• Overbite, underbite, crossbite.
• Ectropion or entropion.
• Ears not fully erected.
• Definite white markings or spots in all non-white Toy Spitz dogs/Pomeranians.
• Any colour not mentioned in section “Colours”.

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

   

The valid breed standard can be downloaded here as PDF - or directly from the FCI site.

 

FCI-Standard N° 262/16.06.1999/EN - JAPANESE SPITZ (Nihon Supittsu)

ORIGIN : Japan.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 1987.
UTILIZATION: Companion dog.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 5 Spitz and primitive type. Section 5 Asian Spitz and related breeds.
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The origin of the Japanese Spitz is said to be the large-sized white German Spitz brought to Japan around 1920 via the continent of Siberia and northeast part of China. Around the year 1921 the breed was first exhibited at a dog
show in Tokyo. Subsequently, in 1925, two pairs of white Spitz were imported from Canada, and until around 1936, imports came from Canada, the U.S., Australia and China. Eventually their offspring were crossbred to produce a better breed. After the 2nd World War, the unified breed standard was established by the Japan Kennel Club in 1948 to be valid to the present.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Covered with profuse pure white coat, with pointed muzzle, triangular pricked ears, and feathering tail over back. The constitution tough and the whole well balanced, its harmonious beauty causing spirit and dignity peculiar to this breed,
and expressing elegance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTION: The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 10 : 11.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Intelligent, cheerful, keen in sense. Noisy not permitted.

HEAD: Size in balance to body, moderately broad and rounded.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Forehead moderately developed. Rear part of skull broadest.
Stop: Defined.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Small, round and black.
Muzzle: Pointed, the tip slightly round, and well balanced. Lips tight and preferably black.
Jaws/Teeth: Teeth white and strong with scissor bite.
Eyes: Moderately large, almond-shaped, set slightly oblique, dark in colour. Black eyerims.
Ears: Set on high, small, triangular, pricked, facing forward, and not too far apart.
NECK: Moderately long, muscles well developed.

BODY:
Withers: High.
Back: Straight and short.
Loins: Broad.
Chest: Wide and deep, ribs well sprung.
Belly: Well tucked up.

TAIL: Set on high, moderately long, carried over back.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Shoulders well sloping, forearms straight, elbows tight.
HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Muscular, stifle and hock moderately bent.

FEET: Cat-feet. Pads thick, and desirably black as well as the nails.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Quick and active.

COAT
HAIR: Outer coat straight and stand-off. Undercoat short, soft and dense. The foreface, ears, front of forearms and part below hocks are short haired, and the rest covered with abundant long coat, especially from neck to shoulders and forechest covered with beautiful frill, and the tail also has long profuse feathering.

COLOUR: Pure white.

SIZE:
Height at withers: Dogs 30-38 cm.
Bitches slightly smaller than dogs.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

•  Overshot or undershot mouth.
• Strongly curled tail.
• Shyness; noisiness.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• Drop ears.
• Tail not carried on back.

N.B.:
· Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
· Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

 

The valid breed standard can be downloaded here as PDF - or directly from the FCI site.

 

FCI-Standard N° 195/17.12.2015/EN - VOLPINO ITALIANO (Italian Volpino)

TRANSLATION: Mrs. Peggy Davis and Mr. Antonio Crepaldi (ATAVI). Revised by Mrs. Renée Sporre-Willes. Official language (EN).
ORIGIN: Italy.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 13.11.2015.
UTILIZATION: Guard and companion dog.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 5 Spitz and primitive type. Section 4 European Spitz.
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Volpino is one of the descendants of the European Spitz that already existed in the central region of our continent since the Bronze Age and of which skeleton fossils have been discovered around the foundation piles of the
dwellings on stilts. So the Volpino goes back to the same ancestors as the German Spitz of which he is not a descendant, but a relative. He has been bred in Italy since immemorial times and has been idolized in the palaces of the noblemen as well as in the hovels of the common people, where he was especially appreciated because of his instinct of guard and vigilance. Work by Vittore Carpaccio from 1502 shows a Volpino in the Venetian painting, The vision of St Austin. Volpino was the dog of Michelangelo, and in the 18th
century, the tireless companion of the carters of Tuscany and Latium, always ready to noisily announce any strangers met on the roads. The standard was written in 1913 and the breed was fairly popular during the first part of the 20th century but then it disappeared. Some white specimens appeared again in 1968 and the Volpino were registered again in 1972. Even the earlier well-known red colour is seen again.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Small sized dog of Spitz type, compact, harmonious, with a long stand-off coat.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Length of body from the point of shoulder to the point of buttock is equal to the height at the withers. Length of muzzle is 4/10 of the total length of the head. Depth of chest is slightly less than half the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Very attached to his environment and his family, with exuberant temperament, lively, happy and playful.

HEAD: Pyramid shape, length reaching almost 4/10ths of the height at the withers.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Longer than the muzzle and slightly egg-shaped; viewed either in longitudinal or transversal direction. The bizygomatic width exceeds half the length of the head. The medio-frontal furrow is only slightly marked; occipital protuberance is slightly marked. The
superior axes of the skull and muzzle are slightly convergent.
Stop: Well defined.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Large, black, with well-opened nostrils. Seen in profile, set in the same line as the topline of the muzzle and does not protrude beyond the front line of the lips.
Muzzle: Inferior in length to that of the skull with lateral surfaces convergent is pointed but not exaggeratedly. The nasal bridge is straight. Seen in profile, the lower edge of the muzzle is determined by the lower jaw.
Lips: Lips, although somewhat thick, are tightly close fitting and the rims of the upper lips are stretched in a straight line. The labial commissure is not visible. Lip-rims are black.
Jaws/Teeth: Jaws strong, normally developed white teeth, regular and complete set of teeth. Scissor bite, pincer bite is tolerated.
Cheeks: Normally developed, not protruding.
Eyes: Well opened and of a normal size, expression denoting vigilance and vivaciousness. Roundish but eyeball not prominent, set in sub-frontal position: eyelids close-fitting to the eyeball. Colour of the iris is dark brown; the rims of the lids are black.
Ears: Triangular shape, pricked, with a rigid cartilage and the inner surface of the lobe showing forward. High set and close together. The length of the ears measures to about half the length of the head.
NECK: Length is about equal to that of the head. Neck always carried upright. Well muscled. Skin closely fitting.

BODY: Square built, its length measured from the point of the shoulder to that of the buttock is equal to the height at the withers.
Topline: Dorsal line straight, slightly convex over the loins.
Withers: Slightly raised from dorsal line, harmoniously set into neck.
Back: Straight, strong musculature, longer than loin.
Loin: Short, broad, well muscled and slightly arched.
Croup: Extends the line of the loin and is longer than broad. Obliqueness from the hip to base of the tail is of 10° below the horizontal. Well muscled.
Chest: Descending to level of elbows; ribs well sprung. Sternal region is long but breastbone not to protrude point of shoulder.
Underline and belly: From sternum to belly rising only slightly. The hollow of the flanks is slightly accentuated.

TAIL: Set in the prolongation of the croup, high set and carried permanently curled over the back and reaching as near to the neck as possible. Its length is a little less than half the height at the withers. Tail is strong at the base and narrowing towards the tip; it is covered
with abundant long coat.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Legs set perfectly vertical to each other and parallel in relation to the median plane of the body. Height at the elbows is slightly more than half the height at the withers.
Shoulder: The length of the shoulder blade is equal to 1/4 of the height at the withers and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 60°. Well-developed muscles. The scapulo-humeral angle is 125°.
Upper arm: Longer than the shoulder blade and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 65°.
Elbow: Parallel to the median plane of the body. The humero-radial angle is 155°.
Forearm: Longer than the upper arm, fine but strong bone, dry musculature.
Carpus (Wrist): Strong, almost as broad as the forearm.
Metacarpus (Pastern): Almost as wide as the forearm: slightly sloping.
Forefeet: Oval shaped with closely-knit and arched toes. Strong pads with black pigmentation, nails preferably black.

HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Seen from behind, hind legs must follow a perfectly vertical line from the point of the buttock to the ground. They are parallel to each other.
Thigh: The length is equal to 1/3 of the height at the withers. Broad with well-developed muscles. Obliqueness of 60° below the horizontal; coxo-femoral angle of 90°.
Stifle (Knee): Parallel to the median plane of the body; femoro-tibia angle of 115°–120°.
Lower thigh: Length is a little less than that of the thigh. Of a light, but strong bone structure and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 55°–60°. Well muscled.
Hock joint: Strong but not broad. The tibio-tarsal angle is 145°–150°.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Vertical and perfectly straight seen as much in profile as from behind. Sufficiently broad. Length from point of hock to ground slightly more than 25% of the height at the withers.
Hind feet: Oval shaped with closely-knit and arched toes. Strong pads with black pigmentation, nails preferably black.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Normal trot, must not be hopping. Characteristic gallop is that of a stayer rather than a sprinter. Gait with normal steps, not striding out.

SKIN: Taut, well adhered without looseness in any part.

COAT
Hair: Dense, very long and exceptionally straight and standing-off. Of harsh texture with straight stiff guard hairs; must never be falling flat but be upstanding even when there is not of a lot of coat. The body gives the impression of being wrapped up in a muff,
particularly on the neck where the coat forms an abundant collar, but not like a mane. The skull is covered with semi-long hairs that hide the base of the ears. Hair is short on the muzzle. On the ears, the hair is very fine and smooth. The tail is covered with very long hair. On the backside of the hindquarters, the coat forms trousers.

Colour: Self-colour white or red. Champagne colour is tolerated but not desirable. The white colour should be clear white with a depth like milk. Pale biscuit shading on ears is tolerated, although it is a fault. The red colour is of an intense deer-red; lighter shades are
tolerated on the tail and trousers. A little white on feet is tolerated, as is a slight darkish overlay on the collar and shoulders.

SIZEAND WEIGHT:
Height at the withers: Males: 27–30 cm.
Females: 25–28 cm.
Weight: In proportion to the height at the withers.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

• Skull too long or too narrow.
• Muzzle too long.
• Nose with light pigment.
• Reversed scissor bite
• Light eyes.
• Ears that is too small.
• Coarse and heavy in build.
• Body slightly long, not square.
• Coat that lacks volume.
• Mane instead of coat collar.
• Guard-coat falling flat.
• Size, 2 cm over the limits indicated in the standard.

SEVERE FAULTS:

• Apple-head.
• Prominent eyeballs, oval eye shape.
• Shallow stop.
• Pinched muzzle.
• Missing two or more teeth (except PM1 and M3).
• Undershot bite.
• Rectangular in body.
• Tail tucked in between hindlegs.
• Absence of undercoat.
• Woolly guard coat.
• White feet in red-coated dogs.
• Red coat with heavy black overlay.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• Untypical.
• Convex nose bridge.
• Overshot bite.
• Total depigmentation of nose or eye rims.
• Wall eye.
• Ears completely drooping.
• Lack of tail or very short tail whether congenital or acquired.
• Any colour except white, red or the not desirable champagne colour.
• Red markings on white basic colour, white or black markings on red basic colour.

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

The valid breed standard can be downloaded here as PDF - or directly from the FCI site.