A Spitz kept in France is covered by the FCI standard n°97, and every litter born here must be declared to the French canine registry before registration. Health screening in the breed concentrates on patellas, dentition, eyes, skin and weight, not on hips alone. The practical difference between a documented breeder and an advertisement is paperwork you can read before you pay a deposit.
What the breed standard actually fixes
The FCI standard n°97 is the reference document for the German Spitz in all its sizes. It describes the head, the ears, the double coat and the tail, and it separates the varieties by size: nain, petit, moyen, grand and loup. A French breeder working with LOF dogs is expected to breed within those descriptions, and the standard is what a judge reads in the ring.
What the standard does not do is tell you whether a particular dog is healthy. It fixes type, proportion and coat. A dog can match the standard closely and still carry a patella problem or a crowded mouth. Buyers sometimes treat a standard-compliant pedigree as a health document. It is not one. It is a description of form.
For a French reader comparing formats before contacting a breeder, the useful move is to read the standard once, then set it aside and ask about health. The varieties differ in size and in the amount of coat, and that changes grooming time and food cost, but it does not change the list of checks that matter. A future owner who understands this early asks better questions later. A French-language guide to the German Spitz in France, covering varieties, standard, character and adoption preparation, is available at Spitz France breed guide for readers who want the standard and the health sections side by side.
How are litters declared in France?
In France, a litter is declared to the Société Centrale Canine, the body that keeps the LOF registry. The declaration is made by the breeder, and it is the step that allows the puppies to be registered and to receive their pedigree papers. Without a declaration, there is no LOF registration, whatever the parents look like.
The declaration covers the litter as a whole: the dam, the sire, the date of birth, the number of puppies. Each puppy is then identified, usually by microchip, and the registration is tied to that identity. This is why a buyer should see the dam's registration number and the sire's registration number, not just a certificate with a logo on it.
A breeder who declares litters can show you the paperwork trail. A seller who cannot, or who explains that papers are coming later, is asking you to accept a promise instead of a record. The declaration is not a formality for the breeder's convenience. It is the mechanism that makes the pedigree checkable.
Which health checks apply to Spitz breeds?
The checks that recur in this breed are patellas, dentition, eyes, skin and weight. Patellar luxation is the orthopedic concern most often discussed, and it is assessed by palpation, with results recorded. Dentition matters because the mouth is small in the smaller varieties and a full, correctly placed set of teeth is part of the standard. Eyes and skin are examined for conditions that can be inherited or managed. Weight is not a disease, but an overweight Spitz carries more load on joints that are already being watched.
Hip scoring exists in dogs generally, and it is a legitimate tool in many breeds. In Spitz, the emphasis in French breeding practice sits more heavily on the checks above. That does not mean hips are irrelevant. It means a buyer should not assume that a hip score alone answers the health question for this breed.
Ask for results, not adjectives. A recorded patella grade, a dated eye examination, a note on dentition: these are documents. "Healthy parents" is a sentence. The two are not equivalent, and the difference is visible in about two minutes if the breeder keeps records.
What separates a documented breeder from an advertisement?
A documented breeder answers with documents. An advertisement answers with atmosphere. The questions below sort one from the other quickly, and none of them require technical knowledge to ask.
- Can I see the dam, and where does she live? A breeder with adults visible can show you the mother. A seller who cannot produce the dam, or who meets you in a parking area, is a different kind of operation.
- What is the dam's registration number, and the sire's? These can be checked against the registry. If the numbers are not offered, ask.
- Which health checks were done on the parents, and can I see the results? Patellas, eyes, dentition, skin. Dated results, not summaries.
- How were the puppies raised, and what have they been exposed to? This tells you about socialization and about how much the breeder handles the litter.
- What is included in the price, and what is the price? In France, price for a Spitz varies with size and with the breeder's practice. A breeder who states it plainly and explains what it covers is easier to deal with than one who negotiates by message.
- What happens if a health problem appears? A written answer, even a short one, is worth more than a warm one.
A breeder who publishes health results and shows adult dogs is doing the work that makes the rest of the conversation possible. A breeder who shows only puppy photographs is selling a moment, not a dog.
Why the questions matter more than the format
Buyers often start by choosing a size: nain, petit, moyen, grand or loup. That choice is real, and it affects grooming, space and cost. It is not, however, the choice that determines whether you end up with a dog whose health history is known.
The same questions apply to every variety. A small Spitz and a large one are checked for the same categories, declared through the same registry, and raised by breeders who either keep records or do not. Format changes the daily routine. Documentation changes the risk you take on.
This is why I suggest reading the standard for type, then spending your actual effort on the breeder. The standard tells you what the dog should look like. The breeder tells you what the dog's parents were checked for, and whether anyone wrote it down. One of those is a description. The other is a decision you have to live with for ten years or more.
A short checklist before you reserve
Before any deposit, confirm four things in writing: the dam's registration number, the sire's registration number, the health results for both parents with dates, and the terms of the sale including what happens if a problem appears. If a breeder hesitates on any of these, that hesitation is information.
Ask also when the puppies will be identified and when the registration will be completed. A declaration is a process with a timeline, and a breeder who knows it can tell you where the litter stands. A seller who cannot describe the timeline is not managing it.
Finally, visit if you can. Adults visible, puppies handled, records on hand: these are things you can see. A website can be built in an afternoon. A kennel with adult dogs, dated health results and a declared litter is a different kind of evidence, and it is the kind that holds up.
In French kennels, the German Spitz is registered by size rather than as a single breed, so the varieties differ mainly in height and proportion: the Wolfspitz (Keeshond) stands largest, followed by the Grossspitz, Mittelspitz, Kleinspitz, and the smallest, the Zwergspitz (Pomeranian). Coat colour and density also vary by variety, and French breeding declarations follow these size classes. For a closer look at how the varieties are defined and cared for, read this overview of German Spitz varieties. Small breeds carry their own orthopedic considerations, which is why I track joint data across sizes.