The German Spitz is believed to be a descendent of the Turfspitz (canis familiaris palustris).
Prior to 1871 Germany consisted of small kingdoms, princedoms and dukedoms, whose boundaries were constantly changing. It is not surprising to find that different countries developed different Spitz to suit their own needs. All of them came under the general name of 'Mistbeller', a word which sounds charming to an English ear but which actually translates to 'dung-hill barker'. They were invariably dogs which would stand on top of the dung heap and bark. Not many people have the dung heap but most can boast the 'beller' part of the name.
The breed came to England in the 18th century during the reign of James I, whose wife was German. Along with other German breeds, it saw a brief decline during and between the two world wars. It re-emerged during the 1970s. The German Spitz comes in 3 varieties: the 'Klein' (meaning small), the 'Mittel' (meaning middle) and the 'Gross' being the largest.