Before there was anything like a breed standard, there were a multitude of descriptions of dog breeds.

In the 19th century natural scientists were striving to create collections of all known creatures on earth, including domestic animals such as dogs as part of this. Especially in these works, the descriptions should be brief and concise about the appearance and nature. However, it remains unclear whether one or the other author actually had experience with a Spitz himself - as was the case, for example, with Ludwig Reichenbach or Richard Strebel - or whether sources were quoted.