Wolfspitz

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German top
Wolfspitz
Wolfsspitz at an exhibition
FCI Standard No. 97
  • Group 5: Spitz and primitive dogs
  • Section 4: European lace
Origin :

Germany

Withers height:

49 cm ± 6 cm

Weight:

according to the size of the variety

Varieties :

here: Wolfsspitz / Keeshond for
other varieties see German lace

List of domestic dogs

The Wolfspitz belongs to the German Spitz breed . This is a German dog breed recognized by the FCI ( FCI Group 5, Section 4, Standard No. 97 ).

Pedigree (hypothetical) of Canis lupus familiaris

Origin and history

Because of their similarity, the Wolfspitze could be direct descendants of the Stone Age peat dog " Canis familiaris palustris Rüthimeyer" and later "Pfahlbauspitzes", but they are not. Skulls and skeletons of these possible Wolfsspitz ancestors were found on Lake Constance , among other places . Pointed dogs were very common in the past, from the Middle Ages until well into the 19th century they were the most common dog type, especially in German-speaking countries. The Wolfspitz can already be proven as a breed in the early 18th century, among other things as the favorite dog of the English kings George III. and George IV.

In many countries the wolf tip is called Keeshond (correctly pronounced "Kehs-Hond", in the USA "Kies-Hond"). There are historical reasons for this: Around 1781, a Wolfspitz was the mascot and constant companion of the leader of the Dutch People's Party, which fought against the Orange Party (conservatives), which supported Prince William of Orange as regent. This Dutch patriot was called " Cornelis de Gyzelar ", or "Kees" for short. The "Hond" of the "Kees" became the symbol of the Patriot Party as the Keeshond, while the Pug was a symbol for the Orange people .

The first standard for wolf tip was set up in 1880 at the dog show in Berlin . In the revised standard of 1901, the characteristic color of the wolf's tip was described as "silver-gray with blackish tinges of the individual hair tips". It was not until 1933 that the standard was formulated in the Netherlands for the Keeshond, which had grown smaller and more tender over the years, but was not recognized by the FCI , as it was largely identical to the German Wolfspitz.

After especially Scandinavian Keeshond breeders had intervened for years, the " Association for German Lace " adapted its FCI standard in 1997 so that the Keeshond could also be included, which significantly enlarged the breeding base. However, this also increased the influence of the smaller and more delicate Dutch, British and American wolf tip compared to the larger, more robust dog type from Germany.

Since the Eurasier was bred - in addition to the Samoyed and Chow-Chow - also wolf-head were used, these are very close relatives.

description

It is characteristic of the physique of the wolf tip that the height at the withers and the length of the dog correspond to each other, resulting in a square physique with a squat neck. With this physique and the thick fur, the Wolfspitz looks impressive, and with a size of 44 to 55 cm it weighs only 16 to 25 kilograms.

Another typical feature of the Wolfspitz is its coloration. The silver gray with black tips of hair that characterizes its fur is also known as gray clouds . According to the breed standard , there must be a drawing on the face. In the standard, this means: "A clear drawing around the eyes, consisting of a fine black line that runs diagonally from the outer corner of the eye to the base of the ear, as well as dashed lines and shades that form short but expressive eyebrows".

A rare breed

In the first, in 1913 published stud book of the VDH 215 Wolfsspitze were registered. For a long time the breeding base was small and the number of registered dogs was low: in 1932, for example, only 59 new Wolfspitze were registered, and in 1936 85 young dogs.

The Wolfspitze experienced an enormous upswing during the Second World War , while numerous other races were almost completely destroyed. In 1948, 1583 new wolf tips were registered. Perhaps the Wolfsspitz brought everything that was needed for “bad times”: He is an undemanding watchdog who does not need much care and is so frugal that he should also get by with potatoes (which was emphasized at the time).

Today the Wolfsspitz and the Kleinspitz are at the top of the puppy statistics for the varieties of the "German Spitz". The official statistics of the VDH show that 197 Wolfsspitze and 192 Kleinspitze were born in 2007.

behavior

The Wolfspitz is a very attentive dog. In general, it is easy to train when used with patience, empathy, and loving consistency. Mostly he shows himself suspicious of strangers, a pronounced hunting behavior is atypical. He works well as a guard dog .

Web links

Commons : Wolfsspitz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Erik Zimen : The dog. Descent, behavior, people and dogs (= Goldmann 12397). Goldmann, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-442-12397-6 , pp. 145 f.
  2. ↑ a b Breed standard No. 097 of the FCI: German lace  (PDF)
  3. ↑ Our pedigree dog 8/2008, p. 14f.
  4. ↑ VDH puppy statistics German peak