Volpino History
The Pre-historic Spitz
The type of dog know of as the "spitz" (name of German origin) began in the cold lands
of the north. Stone Age humans domesticated these dogs and used them as guardians,
watch dogs, sled dogs and companions. A spitz is known for his long, straight coat,
wolf/fox-like face, upright triangular ears, and a plumed tail that curls over his back.
As humans migrated constantly, they took
their dogs with them, spreading the spitzes across Europe, Siberia and eventually
into northern North America.
The European Spitz
As humans became civilized and ceased constant migration, the spitz dogs gradually
evolved into a variety of breeds in isolated locations. No longer needing dogs capable
of fighting off
wolves, city-dwelling peoples began to selectively breed dogs to breed out their
wolf and hunting attributes in favor of smaller companion and watch dogs. Light
colors were often preferred to differentiate dogs from wolves that might attack
farms and villages at night.
Modern descendents of the spitz include Huskies,
Eskimo Dogs, Samoyeds and Pomeranians.
The European Spitz, probably between 20 and 40 pounds in size in pre-historic times, evolved as a companion
and watch dog in central Europe and Italy, and was the first type of dog to inhabit Europe.
Three of the primary descendents of
the base European type include the German Spitz, Dutch Keeshond, and Italian Spitz
(Volpino Italiano). The photo to the left (taken from the
German and Italian Spitz Club of France)
well illustrates the variety of Spitzes recognized today in Europe. The dog
on the left is a Volpino while the other five are different sizes/breeds
of German Spitzes. The largest dog is called a Keeshond in English while the smallest
is a Pomeranian.
Carcasses of bronze-age and later spitzes have been found in peat bogs and in
excavated ancient sites throughout central Europe and Italy. Pottery dating
to 470 B.C. with artwork portaying European Spitzes has also been found (see photo).
Thus it is known that the Volpino and its close cousin the German Spitz have
been in existence since ancient times, conforming to the standard breed
descriptions of today. Carved and sometimes jeweled collars have been found
with remains, expressing the owner's love of these ancient specimens.
The Volpino in Italy
The Volpino descended from the European Spitz in ancient times, and was a very popular
breed with Italian nobility, especially the ladies, and common folk since the time of
the Roman Empire. They were bred primarily as watch dogs and companions. Favored colors
of Volpinos were pure white and pure red, as almost all Volpinos are of these
two colors, or a mix. Some pure blacks were bred in Italy, though the darker colors
were more popular in central Europe, resulting in the German Spitz and its descendents.
The photo to the left is of a tombstone in Rome, dating to 150-200 A.D. The inscription
reads "To Helena, foster-child, well-deserving and incomparable soul". It is believed
that Helena was a beloved dog, instead of an actual child, due to the carving's size
and subject. Apparently some ancient dog owners loved their dogs as much as children,
as do many dog owners today. While the owner obviously did not hire the most talented
sculptor in Rome, still this monument would have an been expensive memorial for a dog.
The head and tail are typical Volpino, though the tail isn't plummed. The body seems
rather fat, but this may simply have been an amateur sculptor's attempt to portray
the long, fluffy coat of a Volpino.
One of the Volpino's claim to fame is that the artist Michelangelo had a Volpino
that sat on a pillow on the floor of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican while
his master painted the now-famous ceiling. (Pomeranian histories report this
dog as a Pom, but read below). He was popular with traveling merchants, tied
to his master's cart when the master was away, barking loudly to announce any
potential thieves who approached. Similarly Italian farmers kept Volpinos to
awaken sleeping Mastiffs and other guard dogs when strangers encroached on
their land. Even today one of the Volpino's nicknames is Il Piccoli Guardiani,
'the little guardian.'
Italian shepherds and goatherds also used Volpinos as watch and guard dogs for their
flocks. One legend that circulates amongst Italian goatherds praises the Volpino's
qualities. For some reason, probably due to nearby fighting during a war, some goatherds
decided to take their flock of over 200 goats into the wooded mountains for protection.
The flock was guarded and hearded by Maremmas, large Italian herd-guard dogs, and two Volpinos.
The forest was full of wolves, and the little Volpinos spotted the killers and barked
the alarm. Reportedly they attempted to "help" the Maremmas fight off the wolves, probably
providing more of a distraction than any physical threat (but don't tell that to the
Volpinos!). When all was safe, the flock and its guardians returned to their pastures
without loss of one goat.
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An alternative breed name for the Volpino is Cane de Quirinale or "Dog of Quirinal".
Quirinal is
one of the "Seven Hills of Rome" and is the site of the
Quirinal Palace.
The palace, built by Pope Gregory VIII in 1573, has
served as the home and official office of Popes, Kings, and now the Presidents of the Republic of Italy.
"Quirinale" has become synonymous with government bureaucracy in Italy (similar to
"The White House" in the USA). This alternative breed name indicates how closely
the Volpino has been seen as related to the aristocracy and powerful in Rome over the
centuries. The plaza in front of the palace is now a favorite place for Romans to
walk their dogs, no doubt including several Cani de Quirinale.
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The other common alternate breed name Florentine Spitz is probably of
English/British origin, since Queen Victoria of England "discovered" Volpinos
while on vacation in Florence, Italy, in 1888 (read more below), and/or because
Volpinos were once very common in Florence.
Volpinos in America
Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century brought Volpinos with them
to the new world. However most of these were crossed with other breeds, and so
the Volpino never became a recognized breed in the U.S.
Most historians of
the American Eskimo Dog (called the White German Spitz before WW1) agree that
the Volpino is most likely one of the primary ancestors the Eskies, an all-white
spitz. Standard Eskies are larger than Volpinos, though in the past few decades
breeders have introduced miniature and toy Eskies nearer the size of a Volpino.
A ten pound Eskie might be undistinguishable from a Volpino by any but an expert.
Today there are only a handful of Volpino breeders in the U.S., with dogs
imported from Italy, and only a few dozen owners of Italian-registered
Volpinos or their descendents. There are also dogs, often found in shelters,
that closely match the Volpino breed standard and look, however it is
impossible to tell if they are true Volpinos or a mix of other spitz
types in America. These dogs tend to be champagne colored or champagne
and white mixed. They are usually identified as "over-grown Poms",
"small Eskies" or a mix of these two, since the Volpino is unknown
in the U.S.
Americans seem to have become interested in the Volpino, at least in terms
of breeding and showing, after the year 2000. It is believed that Sherry
Connolly of South Carolina had the first ever litter of American-born
puppies from Italian-born parents in 2005. In July 2006 the United Kennel
Club, the second largest in the U.S., recognized the Volpino and
it is believed that the first time Volpinos were shown in the USA was
at the Mason-Dixon Multi-breed Association (UKC) show near Louisville, KY,
in November 2006. According to the American Rare Breed Association,
only one Volpino from Canada has been shown in their shows over the years.
The first-ever Champion Volpinos in the USA earned their Conformation Champion
titles (with UKC) at the Ohio Fox Terrier Association's Multi-breed show
in Wapakoneta, OH, in April 2007.
Decline and Rescue
For unknown reasons, Italian interest in the Volpino fell drastically in the early and mid 20th
century. By 1965 only a handful of pure-bred Volpinos were registered with the
ENCI (Italian Kennel Club). Ten years later none living were registered. However
the Volpinos had not completely disappeared, but were bred unregistered by Italian
farmers who prized them for reasons mentioned earlier.
One theory for the Italians loosing interest in Volpinos is political. The the 1930's,
the last (functional) king of Italy was a supporter of the dictator Mussolini, who
became an ally of Hitler at the beginning of WWII. The Italian people overthrew Mussolini
during the war, and switched sides to the allies. At the end of the war, the Italians
abolished their monarchy/king and replaced it/him with a republic/president. In 1948 the
new republic banned the last king and all of his male descendants from Italy for life.
As the Cane de Quirinale, or loosely the "dog of the king's palace", the
Volpino may have suffered from the anti-aristocracy sentiments of many Italians.
More likely the explanation is less political. In the late 1880's Volpinos were taken from
Italy to England, crossed with small German Spitzes, downsized and refined, and called
"Toy Pomeranians" (read more below). When these smaller, more-refined dogs reached Italy,
most pure-bred dog lovers preferred the "Volpino of Pomerania", as Italians still call them
today, to the larger, rougher, less-refined "homegrown" Volpinos. Fortunately
farmers and shepherds continued to breed Volpinos as watch dogs, but not caring
about "fancy registration papers" or dog shows. A new generation of Italians realized
a national gem they had but were loosing a few decades later.
In 1984 the ENCI set out to rescue and promote disappearing Italian breeds, including
the Volpino. Italian farms were scoured for specimens that exactly matched the
breed standard. These "rescued" dogs were then registered and bred to provide the
foundation of modern registered pure-bred Volpinos. Unfortunately, the solid red variety
seems to have gone extinct, though some Italian breeders are attempting to
recover solid reds by breeding near-reds. The breed standard lists only
solid whites and solid reds as acceptable, along with solid champagne as acceptable
but not desirable. Thus almost all registered Volpinos are white.
Unknown outside of Italy, and rare in their homeland, Volpinos are slowly making
a comeback. Breeders and showmen participate in Dog Shows in Italy and at the
International (primarily European) level where the Volpino is recognized.
Volpinos and Pomeranians
When one breed evolves from another over time, it is difficult to draw the line between
the two, with breed names used interchangeably. Breed standards can change over time
as well, especially as breeders size down a breed toward the toy size.
This is the case with the Volpino and the original Pomeranians.
The history of the Pomeranian begins with Queen Charlotte of England, wife of King
George III. Charlotte, of German origin, imported German Spitzes
in 1767 from a region of Germany and Poland called Pomerania
(in English). Thus these
dogs were called "Pomeranians," though it is unclear if Queen Charlotte
invented the breed name herself. These "Pomeranians" were mostly white and
weighed 20 to 30 pounds and
would not be called a Pom by anyone today because of their size (the modern breed
standard for Poms is 3 to 7 pounds). Charlotte's "Poms"
experienced limited popularity in England.
In 1888 Queen Victoria of England
discovered Volpinos in Florence, Italy while on vacation. She brought home some of these dogs and
called them "Toy Pomeranians" since they so resembled the descendents of Queen Charlotte's
(her grandmother's) "Poms", but were much smaller. Her first Italian "Pom",
named Marco, weighed 12 pounds
and had a solid red coat. The painting shown here is "Marco on the Queen's Breakfast Table",
by Charles Burton Barber, 1893.
It is said that Marco's small size (a 12 pound Pom is "small"??!!) gave Victoria
the idea to breed even smaller "Poms."
Another "Toy Pomeranian" (a white Volpino) from Florence, pictured below, was named Gina
and was one of Victoria's champion show dogs.
Victoria cross-bred the Volpinos with imported small German Spitzes
providing the founding stock for the breed now called the Pomeranian.
Victoria made the Pomeranian popular with the British and encouraged breeders to breed
them smaller and smaller. After a few decades, the small three pound Poms
we know today were the result.
Many Pomeranian histories brag of famous people before and including Queen Victoria
who where "Pom" owners. Odd that photos of these "Poms" are never shown, even though
paintings of the dogs exist from the time they lived, up to 500 years ago. Of course
one reason these "famously owned Poms" are not pictured is that anyone seeing
such photos would realize that they are not Poms at all, by modern standards.
Some websites even refer to a "tiny, cute Pom" owned by Michelangelo, Marin Luther,
or others...when those dogs were actually Volpinos or German Spitzes of 10 to 20
pounds! The TRUTH is out!! If you see a reference to a "Pom" that lived before 1900,
know that this dog probably weighed 10 pounds or more and would have been called
a German Spitz or Volpino by its original non-English breeders.
Mystery of the White Pomeranian?
Solid white is the rarest color for a modern Pomeranian. Breeders of white Poms have encountered
a "problem", "phenomenom" or "mystery": breeding white Poms with white Poms, even of the same
size, often produces white Poms which are larger than both parents when fully grown.
[ref: whitePom.com] As generations
of white Poms are bred, the offspring continue to get larger. What could explain this?
Perhaps a devilish Volpino!
When Queen Victoria started the modern Pomeranian breed, she quickly became a fan of
the colored (non-white) dogs. Soon there were very few white "Poms", and the ones born
were rarely bred as white was not popular 100 years ago. Later in the 20th century,
rare white Poms became very popular. But how to get a white dog from a breed where
white had been bred out for 50 years or more? The answer: breed with a (larger) white
spitz-type dog. The smallest of the usually all-white spitzes (Eskies, German Spitzes, and
Volpinos) was the Volpino. Obviously no one wanted a 15 pound white Pom, so it was
most likely the Volpino or white German spitz (only slightly larger) that
was chosen to cross with a tiny Pom. Eskies were not bred down to toys until decades
later. [The dog in the photo is a 15-pound AKC-registered Pomeranian that looks very Volpino.]
So if it is true that some unscrupulous breeders bred Volpinos or white German Spitzes
with tiny Poms to get tiny white Poms, these white Poms have the genes of their larger
white ancestors. Thus the genes that make them more white also make them larger
(more Volpino). The history of the
German Spitz
mentions that the first of the
modern breed imported to England was done so to try and recover white Poms.
So the next time you see a ten pound white Pom (that's not overweight),
you can guess he probably has somewhat recent Volpino or white German Spitz
ancestors! Of course since Eskies now come in the toy size, they may be
culprits as well! This is especially true since the aforementioned white spitzes
of 10 pounds or more may be classified as "Pomeranians" in foreign registries
that do not have the strict 3-7 pound limit of the AKC.
Editor's Note: Anecdotal Evidence
As of January 2007, this editor has owned two Volpino puppies, now seven months old.
We live in a small town of about 20,000 people, definitely not a huge metropolis.
Already TWICE I have been asked by AKC-registered white Pom owners to breed my
male Volpino with their white female Poms, both reported to be twelve pounds.
The first time I was approached while walking the dogs by a lady in a car. She
wanted to breed my male "Pom" with her white female Pom. When I told her my
male would be about 10 pounds full grown, too big for a Pom, she said
"That's OK, our girl weighs twelve!" I finally convinced her
it was not a good idea by stating that my Volpinos (which are not Poms!) are
registered in Italy and not with AKC, so the pups could not be AKC-registered.
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A week later, while I had the Volpinos outside in my front yard, a different car
stopped and a gentleman got out. He asked the same question as the lady earlier.
(It is possible both were referring to the same 12-pound AKC-registered white female
Pom...I did not ask!) In this case, my Volpino not being AKC registered (and not even being a
Pom) did not convince him. He suggested we breed my male Volpino with his female
Pom, and he would report the litter to AKC as the offspring of his AKC female Pom and
another AKC-registered male Pom. (As long as this is not done often, it is very
easy to get away with this deception!!) Finally I just had to tell him NO THANKS,
NOT INTERESTED!
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Regis says, "I will not father bastard AKC Poms!"
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If this scenario has played out twice in one month, in a small town, with two Volpinos,
I would imagine it has played out several times in the past with different results.
Show-dog people I've told this to marvel at this...Poms are supposed to be 3-7 pounds!
Why would anybody want 10-12 pound Pomeranians? The answer is: because they are
SOLID WHITE. Can a 12-pound Pom be registered with AKC?? Sure...no one at AKC nor any
dog registry weighs full-grown dogs a year after they are born. They are registered
as pups, their parentage based on the "honest word" of the breeder. As long as these dogs
never go near a show ring (most pet breeders/owners don't),
no registry will ever know. Or care really...they got their money for
registering a puppy even if it grows up to violate the breed standard.
As long as the reported parents are both registered, the pups can be registered.
Such poor-quality dogs (even if the parentage is honestly reported) are then
bred and registered by pet breeders for generations.
I have heard this story from more than one member of this club: "My dog was
sold to me as an AKC-registered Pom, but the breeder said he/she would be
too big to be a show dog. I think my dog looks and acts like a Volpino!"
Well, there may be a very good reason for that!! And it probably isn't
the Volpino/Spitz ancestry most Poms have from over 100 years ago...its probably
more recent!