About the German Spitz is it the right breed for me?

The German Spitz is an intelligent and lively breed; originally they were companion and watchdogs. Developed from the larger European Spitzes they are miniature versions of the Keeshond and the Wolfspitz. They were known as Pomeranians originally and became popular in the UK during the 18th century. Miniaturised by the Victorians into the very small and highly popular Pomeranians that are seen today. In the late 1970s a few individuals began the move to reintroduce the original slightly bigger Spitzes from the continent, they were recognised by the Kennel Club in 1985.
There are two sizes recognised by the Kennel Club. The Klein (23-29cms / 9-11.5ins) The Mittel (30-38cms / 12-15ins)
The two sizes have only been separated for a few years in the UK and occasionally a Klein sized puppy will appear in a Mittel litter and visa versa. They come in a wide variety of colours, from snow white to jet-black, cream, gold, black and tan, sable (black hairs over a lighter colour) and chocolate.
German Spitz can make marvellous pets, but they are not suitable for everyone. They are a lively intelligent breed but can have a streak of independence and can be noisy if they are not taught otherwise. They have a profuse double coat, which moults twice a year and needs regular care. They do not need an excessive amount of exercise but will quite happily keep up on long walks, keeping that lively and intelligent mind occupied is important to prevent boredom with its associated problems. They learn quickly and love to please their owners and with good training can excel at mini agility heelwork to music and obedience. They are not usually a destructive breed but as with all breeds, if they are bored by being left all day with nothing to do, it may make them more inclined to bark excessively or chew on things they shouldn't. They are generally a lively and happy breed, and if raised properly and correctly socialised they will happily mix with other people and dogs. They are very intelligent and learn easily and quickly with motivational methods of training, they do not respond well to being made to do things. If you want a breed that gives 100% obedience then maybe another breed would be best for you.
Compared to some other breeds German Spitz are pretty healthy, there are a couple of things you should be aware of. Ensure that the breeder has had their bitch eye tested and that the father of the litter has also been eye tested clear for PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) and RD (Retinal Dysplasia), the last test results should be no more than two years old. Both these conditions can cause premature blindness and are hereditary. Do not accept any excuses for this not being done such as "there is no need" or "my lines are OK". There is no excuse for not eye testing breeding stock. Most breeders now have their puppy's eye tested between 6 and 8 weeks old which can pick up RD and other potential eye problems. If the litter has not been tested then you should ask why? There have been occasional cases of patella luxation (slipping kneecap), there is no official test for patella luxation in the UK but affected adults should never be bred from.

Before deciding to buy a German Spitz Puppy there are a few things to consider.

Hair? In common with most of the Spitz breeds, German Spitz "blow" their coat twice a year, the entire undercoat comes out over about two or three weeks, the dog will need to be brushed daily to remove the old coat, and you will have hair on your clothes, furniture and carpets. On the plus side, unlike a lot of other breeds during the rest of the year hair loss is minimal. Although they do have a heavy coat they don't need as much grooming as some other breeds, a quick brush every two days or so and a thorough brush out once a week is normally adequate to keep the coat in good condition and prevent mats and knots developing. The only exception to this is the twice-yearly coat moult where the entire undercoat comes out over the course of a few weeks, during this time daily brushing is advised to remove the old coat and encourage the new coat to come through. You will be very surprised to see how much hair can come off such a small dog! Keeping them cool in the summer is just a matter of giving them somewhere cool and shaded to rest in, plenty of water and not letting them race around during the hottest part of the day. Their coat should never be clipped off as this can actually make them hotter by removing the insulating properties of the coat. They do not need to be bathed very often; even mud will brush out of the coat if allowed to dry first.

Well behaved children? Children MUST be taught that the puppy is not a toy. Although not a "fragile" breed the German Spitz is a small breed and can easily be injured by rough handling, being trodden on or fallen on by a toddler. As is often said "It's not how good the German Spitz is with children but how good your children are with dogs"

Noise? The German Spitz can be very vocal; their first reaction to anything new or unusual is to bark especially if this is allowed to become a habit. The barking can be reduced with training but this must be taken into consideration if you have neighbours. You have to remember that this breed is descended from dogs used as watchdogs, their usual first reaction to anything new or alarming is to bark, they are excellent watchdogs. This tendency to bark should not be allowed to become a problem.

Time? The intelligence of the German Spitz makes them a charming and lively breed that can excel at canine activities like mini agility and obedience, but it also means that they need mental stimulation and like to be kept occupied. As with all dogs, they should not be left on their own all day, this can cause boredom and could result in barking and destructive behaviour. Have you got the time to spend with the puppy, training, playing and walking?

Safe and secure garden? The curiosity of the breed means that you MUST have a secure garden with good fencing, they can squeeze out of the smallest gaps and holes in search of adventure. Ponds are a hazard and must be fenced off to prevent puppies getting access.

A home for life? The German Spitz can live for 12 to 15 years. Can you offer a permanent home to a dog for that length of time? No one knows what the future holds, marriage, divorce, new babies, illness; many dogs end up in rescue when they get caught up in these situations. If the worst happens and you need to re home your dog it is VERY important that you contact your dogs breeder first, they should be willing to take the dog back and may know people who would like to give an older dog a home or else will keep the dog themselves until a home is found. Before buying a puppy you should ask the breeder if they take back dogs they have bred when things go wrong, if they do not then may I suggest you look elsewhere for another breeder. If the dog can not return to the breeder you should contact the breed club who may know of a suitable home for your dog. The majority of breeders care very deeply about where their puppies end up and would be horrified to see one of the puppies they bred for sale in free ads or worse still advertised on Freecycle! (I kid you not)

Caoilta Puppies

Our pups are born in the house and spend their first 8 week there with frequent trips out into the garden, (weather permitting), they grow up with plenty of space to run and play safely indoors and are not kept confined in a cage. Mum stays with the puppies for as long as she wants to.
They are initially weaned onto a diet of minced raw chicken and vegetables. Other foods are later introduced and by the time they go to their new homes they are on a diet of high quality complete dry food supplemented with raw meat. We feel that this variety of foods helps prevent faddiness and makes it easier for the puppies to adapt to a different diet when they go to their new homes.
They are taken out frequently in my car to get them used to car travel and they get to meet any visitors who come to our house.
At between 6 and 8 weeks old they are taken to be eye tested, this will pick up any eye defects early on. A copy of the litter eye certificate and a copy of the parents latest clear test will be included in the puppy pack.
They are taken to our vet to have a health check, this is a general health check looking for any abnormalities, checking the heart, eyes, ears, abdomen and presence of testicles in the boys. A copy of the letter received from the vet following this examination will be included in the puppy pack.
They are tattooed in the right ear for identification. A copy of the tattoo cert will be included in the puppy pack and I will send the form away to have the new owners details added to the database.
I do not charge more for "show potential" puppies, the same amount of time, effort and expense goes into rearing a dog destined for the sofa as a dog destined for the show ring!
They are wormed at 3, 5 and 7 weeks old with Panacur 10% half a millilitre per KG and treated with Frontline spray as a precaution against fleas at 6 weeks old.

Also in the puppy pack will be:

All Caoilta puppies are endorsed "not for export" (unless being exported by ourselves) and "progeny not eligible for registration" we will give due consideration to removing the latter endorsement when the puppy is of a suitable age for breeding (1 year for males and 2 years for females), and has had their eyes tested under the KC/BVA/ISDS scheme with a clear result.

We feel that we are doing everything possible to ensure that our puppies are healthy and happy and will give their new owners years of pleasure. We want our puppies to go to safe, loving and permanent homes so please don't be offended if we ask a lot of questions about you and your home situation, we need to ensure that the German Spitz is the correct breed for you and that you understand all the pros and cons of owning one. Quite a few German Spitz pass through rescue and we don't want one of our puppies to end up in that situation. Our puppies are sold subject to a satisfactory home visit either by ourselves or persons acting on our behalf.
In our puppy contract we insist that if for any reason the owner is unable to keep the dog, whatever its age, it is returned here to us and not passed onto another home.

We are here for help and advice for the whole lifetime of the dog, we love to receive photos and news as they grow up and each puppy has its own page on this website which is updated with the latest photos.

If you are interested in a Caoilta German Spitz Puppy then please mail me and tell me a little about yourself and your family. Do you have any children? if so what ages are they. Do you have any other dogs? if so what breeds, how are they kept i.e. kennels, house dogs, cages etc. Will this be your first dog? Do you work? if so how long will the puppy be left each day. Do you have a secure garden? Are you interested in purely a pet or a potential show dog?

Please note: Any responses that we give to puppy enquiries are for information only and do NOT constitute in any way an offer of sale nor a contract to sell a pup.