What is "spitz"

breed of small Pomeranian dog, 1842, from German Spitz, Spitzhund, from spitz "pointed" (see spit (n.2)). So called from the tapering shape of its muzzle.

n. Any of several Nordic breeds of dog such as the Pomeranian or Samoyed

n. any of various stocky heavy-coated breeds of dogs native to northern regions having pointed muzzles and erect ears with a curled furry tail

are a Japanese rock band. The group was originally formed in 1987 by four art school students in Tokyo — it consists of Masamune Kusano (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Tetsuya Miwa (lead guitar), Akihiro Tamura (bass guitar), and Tatsuo Sakiyama (drums).

In March 1991, Spitz released their first single "Hibari no Kokoro" and the self-titled debut album simultaneously on Polydor Records. Although their early efforts failed to attract public attention until around 1994, the band eventually came into prominence with a single "Robinson", released in April 1995 and sold in excess of 1.6 million copies in their homeland. It was followed by their 6th studio album Hachimitsu, released in the same year and achieved a mainstream success, immediately topping the Japanese Oricon chart and selling approximately 1.7 million copies to date. It earned the Best Album category in the 37th Japan Record Awards by the Japanese Composers Association on New Year's Eve of 1995, and received a quadruple platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in 1997.

After their breakthrough in the mid 1990s, Spitz has sustained commercial success in Japanese market for nearly 20 years. They have been listed in the top 30 of the best-selling music acts in history of the Japanese record charts, having sold over 20.8 million copies albums and singles domestically as of December 2013.

Throughout their recording career, the band have released 15 studio albums and 38 physical singles to date. They have consistently maintained jangly pop/rock style of music, featuring arpeggiated guitar work influenced by Donovan. They are also noted for melodic compositions, symbolic lyrics, and clear high-pitched vocals by the group's chief singer-songwriter Kusano.

Spitz are a type of dog characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. The tail often curls over the dog's back or droops.

The exact origins of spitz dogs are not known, though most of the spitz seen today originate from the Arctic region or Siberia. The type was described as Canis pomeranus by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revision of Systema Naturae in 1788 (printed in English in 1792.)

Spitz may refer to:

• Spitz, a type of dog, including specific breeds:
  • Norrbottenspets or Nordic Spitz, a breed of dog of the spitz type
  • American Eskimo Dog, sometimes formerly known as the American Eskimo Spitz
  • Indian Spitz, a spitz-type dog breed
  • Icelandic Spitz
  • Finnish Spitz
  • German Spitz
  • German Spitz (Mittel), a breed of companion dog originating in Germany
  • German Spitz (Klein), a breed of dog of the German Spitz type
  • Japanese Spitz
  • FCI Spitz and Primitive Types Group, a designation used only by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for a group of dog breed

is the studio album by Japanese band Spitz, released in March 1991 under the Polydor Records. It was their first album which was released under the major-label.

Their eponymous album comprises 12 tracks written by Masamune Kusano (except music of "Tsuki ni Kaeru" and "Shinigami no Misaki e" were composed by Tetsuya Miwa, a guitarist of the band), and half of them had already come out before they contracted with Polydor.

Spitz is a mountain in Liechtenstein in the Rätikon range of the Eastern Alps close to the border with Austria and the town of Malbun with a height of .