Portrait of breed
Breed restrictions
Government rules
Health
Feeding
Tending
Training

PORTRAIT OF THE GROSS-SPITZ BREED

Country of origin: Germany

The GROSS-SPITZ is one of the five variations of German Spitz dogs. It is between 42 and 50 cm high and can be found in three colours: white, black and brown. It has got a big imposing fur with thick under-wool and long cover-hair. Body 1:1, small upright three angled ears, tail with long hair rolled up upon the back, cheerful expression.

The GROSS-SPITZ is one of the oldest breeds in Europe. Bright and loving family- and farm dog. Defends house and its inhabitants but without aggression. During time it has been used as a watch dog over vineyards and in towns. That is why only little of its former hunting skills is kept. It stays by the house and if a thief should try to enter, the dog will let you know.

The dog likes to be outside in all kinds of weather during the year. If staying long time here, it must have a well isolated dog house to stay in. The GROSS-SPITZ likes very very much to live inside aswell and is a great familydog.

Its loving mind, its teach ability (obedience, agility, show and so on) and the feeling of mutual connection with the residents of the home, makes it an ideal companion.

The dog is proud and tough, charming and healthy and can be very old  – and because it is a watch dog, it can be a bit reserved towards strangers, not because the dog will bite, but the dog does not allow everyone to enter its private zone at any time. But if you respect that and let the dog come to you and give it some time to ajust - it will lay at your feet. Just remember to socialize the puppy well. 

Today the breed is considered as being an extreme threatened breed regarding extermination. So if you ever consider to get a GROSS-SPITZ – please feel the obligation to take extremely good care of the dog and only purchase one, if you are absolutely sure.

BREED RESTRICTIONS OF GROSS-SPITZ.

Breed restrictions under Dansk Kennel Klub - DKK (the kennel club of Denmark) and Spidshundeklubben - SPK (the special club of the spitz breed):

New rules in DKK: At this moment you do not need a breed license before you are allowed to breed your dogs, but dogs bought from Alpha Basen Qimmeq are still being shown in order to uptain the same good standard for my breed dogs.

Before you are allowed to breed with a GROSS-SPITZ bought from ALPHA BASEN QIMMEQ, you have to show your dog at least on time at a show in SPK or DKK.

The dog must be about 14-18 months.

Regarding HD: X-ray is NOT required in DKK/SPK

In order to get a better view of the health of the breed in general – and applying to weather new owners want to use a dog bought from Alpha Basen Qimmeq as breed dog and make coming litters or just as family dog, I ask my new owners of GROSS-SPITZ to do a X-ray.

Because we are few breeders of GROSSSPITZ  - we have to take extra care of every dog, and perhaps only one time, make use of a C-HD dog if nessesary - but still - we try to avoid it.

Read more at the cross-reference : Health.

GOVERNMENT RULES AND THE POLICE.

These rules are for every dog owner in Denmark to follow, regarded if you are or not, a member of a breed club or other dog club and regarded, if your dog is a cross-or pure breed dog:

1) Chip of identity: ID in Dansk hunderegister.

2) A dog insurance that is statuary.

3) Passport.

4) Vaccinations (against parvo - and parva virus, dog distemper, hepatic disease, bordetella bronchiseptica, leptospiroses) and (against rabies if going abroad). Regarding rabies remember: to be allowed entering certain countries you subsequently need a blood sample and a serological test, tested in a EU-approved laboratory – the titre: greater than 0,5 IU/ml or equal).

5) Worm treatments (against echinococcus if entering certain countries).

6) Bug treatments (against ticks, if entering certain countries).

7) Also you need a certificate of health from your vet.

HEALTH AND CARE OF GROSS-SPITZ

In general the grossspitz is a very healthy dog, but in such a small breed, a great number of dogs have got the same ancestors and because of that, HD might be a problem in the future, if not breeding after selection.

In the motherland of the breed, there are the greatest number of breeders and many have got the problem with having to use the same bloodlines in order to keep the breed alive and prevent total extinction.

But on the other hand, if breeders breed with more and more HD dogs, we can all be sure, that we have got no grossspitze in few years, so, good or bad - abroad they have to X-ray the dogs and in future we perhaps have to do the same here. In the future we perhaps have to do: HD, PL, AA and eye-examines, if and when, we get new bloodlines to Denmark.

In Denmark with such a small number of the breed, it is not demanded p.t. because it would be very wrong to stop the use of a new line as mine even if a HD with the result of C perhaps should turn up in one of the dogs one day.

Regarding further breeding with my litter: I would of course in the first hand make use of dogs without HD.

My puppybuyers have to X-ray the dogs, if and when they want to use them for breeding, but again, should there turn one single HD with C, I can still use the dog here in Denmark if the breed is in need of new bloodlines.

Every dog is of use, when there are so few of them (except dogs with D and E results).

But in general:

Remember vaccinations, worm- and tick treatments, but please do not exaggerate. Puppies have to get vaccinated and get their worm treatments more often than grown ups. Please follow your vets directions.

Regarding grown ups: If you have only got one dog and you do not get in touch with too many other dogs a year, then ordinary vaccination is ok to be done every 3rd year, (but regarding rabies vaccination and if going abroad, you need to follow the governments rules and your vets directions).

Getting your grown up dog vaccinated with ordinary vaccinations every year is only good for the vets……

but again: if, and before entering certain countries in – or especially outside EU: please contact your vet.

NB! You can never prevent that your dog perhaps some day will get sick or will get worms or ticks -  they will come again and again –  but you can reduce a lot by: 

• Keeping your vaccinations and different treatments and trying to avoid letting your dog eat faeces from other dogs or cats, deer, hares, rabbits, birds, and snails or carcasses.

• Not letting your dog run free in forests (for the sake of the wild animals there - use the forrests, that are allowed for dogs to enter and take always care of things thrown away such as broken bottles, carcasses or other things left behind, hidden in the grass) - or by the sea (in periodes it is allowed juring the year, but also take care of broken glass here) - after running in long grass: look for ticks, when you get home.
  

• Sticking to the roads, a path or the tracks when walking in forests. (if you are not using your dog for hunting, rescue or anything else, that demands your dog to run free here).
  

• Take care of your dogs fur, nails, eyes and ears (see “tending the gross-spitz”).

• Keeping its drinking cub, food bowl and running yard clean every day, its sleeping place and accessories, such as: rugs, collars and trimming things, often. 

• Being careful when letting your dog play with dogs you do not know.

• Give your dog a good dog food and do not feed “too well” and do not give too many snacks just because you want your dog to like you better……

• Take care: a puppy will try to eat every thing (also a pregnant bitch) and they can both be doing that very quickly.

• The playing things that your puppy perhaps could play with without any danger, can be deadly for a grown up to play with, because after the dog has got teeth, it will perhaps eat the things.

• Always take care of plastic and other material, that can be dangerous swallowing.

If the mother of your puppy is a first time bearer, you can be sure, that worms have been  transmitted from her to her puppy during pregnancy and birth, because eggs might have been stored for many years in the “mother”, so it is vital that you get rid off these worms from your puppy when you get it home. The kennel from which you bought the puppy has already been given the puppy several treatments before you receive it, but that is never enough after the puppy has left home.

When, and after your puppy has grown up and has been free of worms for a while, you can purchase and give your grown up dog some very good remedies that are devoid of poisonous chemicals. But it is vital, that your dog -  as puppy -  gets a remedy from your vet, that you are sure will kill the many worms from its mother, because a puppy has not got so strong a resistance neither towards worms, ticks nor different diseases – although it has got some power of resistance through mothers milk, that is, if the mother has been vaccinated properly before mating.

FEEDING YOUR GROSS-SPITZ.

There are many good, but unfortunately also not so good, brands of ready-made dog food.

Be sure to choose a very good one (better to pay a bit more for a good brand than pay for a sick dog later at the vet).

But be aware: even expensive dog food and even also sold from the most respectful places, might contain not so beneficial ingredients - some of this food is diet food for only sick dogs.

Find a dog food with a good choice of proteins, and with the right scale regarding vitamins and minerals and try to avoid artificial additions such as artificial antioxidants or other ingredients that are not genuine.

Too many dog food brands sells food with substitutes that might cause cancer or deficiency diseases.

If you want to make your own dog food, take care that you provide your dog with all the necessary ingredients.

Be aware of poisonous plants and food such as chocolate and raisins, bones that might splinter such as chicken bone and be aware of food that might give your dog an allergic reaction and of course of bees and other dangerous animals but also be aware of our very “awful cars”.

In every respect: take care of this wonderful breed - we have not go so many dogs left.

TENDING YOUR GROSS-SPITZ.

FUR: The GROSS-SPITZ has got a very big fur with a thick under-wool and with long cover- hair:

The breed is very robust and has been used to reside outside most of the time both in olden days but also today as a farm dog.

To keep this character of the GROSS-SPITZ you have to bear this in mind.

It is self cleaning and a good combing twice a months, taking care not to pull too much under wool away in wintertime or before going to a show, is enough to keep the dog healthy and beautiful.

The area behind ears, albows, the tail and the behind of the dog you have to take extra care of, because it has a tendency to entangle at these places.

When the under wool has loosened you are allowed to comb it away in order to give air to the new hair.

If you want to wash your GROSS-SPITZ, please use some very good dog shampoo - never use shampoo for people or cats because of the difference in the PH values.

NAILS: Remember always to cut and clean the nails with special nail scissors and please not too deep - to remove just the outer point of the nail use to be enough. It is very important to have a remedy to restrain the blood if your attempt to cut the nails is not successful. Please do not ask the dog to lie down while you cut the nails - perhaps the dog will feel is as an assault - but let the dog stand upright and lift its legs one by one.

TEETH: Clean the teeth using special tooth paste for dogs too and always give your dog something to chew and bite.

EARS: Try not to clean too much, and NEVER with an ear cleaning stick, never put anything deep in the ears, but use instead a spray without alcohol, you should only use cotton at the utmost outer of the ears. The spray for the ears you can purchase at any well-assorted dog shop.

TRAINING YOUR GROSS-SPITZ.

Before you decide to purchase a GROSS-SPITZ you must ask yourself if you have got the time for the dog and if you can provide all that it takes to give this wonderful charming dog the good life it deserves.

In addition you must give your dog a lot of  playthings, biting things, playtime, walks, new exciting experiences and challenges, cuddle and praises and it is never very chip if and when you have to visit the vet. You have to take care of vaccinations treatments and the food.

You have to use a lot of time and efforts in order to socialize your dog and go training it together with other dogs and people – but when you have tried it the first time, you will find, that it is amusing and a lot of fun for both you and your lovely dog.

Also you need to be consistent by maintaining and keeping up firm rules but not be too hard, because then a GROSS-SPITZ might break. It is a balance art.

Before you buy and bring the puppy home, you also have to ask yourself, if you have got the right temperament to bring up such an animal that is very strong headed and independent but in the same time very charming and mild and wants to learn.

Try not to punish when the dog does something wrong and try not to use “NO” so very often, but praise and concentrate instead on the good things the dog do and say “GOOD DOG” or “YES” more often. It gives the dog a lot of self confidence and gives it learning skills upon which your later can build further on. As the leader of the pack, you simply have to build up a strong angelic patience.

To avoid problems regarding " bonesituation", if you have to take the dogs bone away: Please do not just take the bone or the dogfood from a puppy, without having something just as good or even better to give your dog in return and remember always to make the situation when the dog has got the bone or eats a very positive one. Praise the dog - in that way the situation will be less stressful and the dog will be very proud and wants to show you the bone.

Sometimes it is not the dog you have to train but "the situation around it".

There are many funny activities for dogs such as: agility, dog dancing, ring training for show,obedience and even pulling a little wagon or running nordic: in front of you when you are riding a bike or go skiing. For many years the GROSS-SPITZ was used as a circus dog.

All these different activities are not made and offered you and your dog only for the purpose of becomming a winner in a big scale, but just as much for the fun of just participating, for the exercise or just doing something funny together.

Many new activities have seen the light of day – and they are there for trying.

Portrait | Breed restrictions | Government rules | Health | Feeding | Tending | Training