Pomeranian
Toy

Group:

Toy

Size:

small

Lifespan:

12-16 years

Exercise:

very little

Grooming:

moderate

Trainability:

very hard

Watchdog ability:

very high

Protection ability:

very low

Area of Origin:

Germany

Date of Origin:

1800s

Other Names:

none

Original Function:

companion

History

The smallest member of the Spitz family, the Pomeranian boasts tough sledding dog ancestors. Developed in the Prussian region of Pomerania, the Pomeranian was originally descended from the ancient Spitz breeds of the far north which were brought to Europe and employed to herd sheep. Only when the breed was taken to England was it dubbed the Pomeranian, but these early dogs were not the "Poms" known today. They weighed as much as 30 pounds and were often white. In fact, the Japanese Spitz closely resembles these early Pomeranians and very likely descends from them. Marie Antoinette, Emily Zola and Mozart all owned Pomeranians. In the late 1800s Queen Victoria became a Pomeranian fancier, and established her own kennel for their breeding. She showed her dogs, with some success, making the breed very popular in England. Because Queen Victoria preferred smaller dogs, many breeders began selecting for smaller size. Now the Pomeranian has been bred down from his original size to customary 4-5 pounds. The Pomeranian's intelligence and talent for showmanship has also made it a superior circus performer. This miniature sled dog always attracts admirers and is a very popular pet and show dog.

Temperament

The Pomeranian is a curious, lively and playful dog breed. This dog makes a good companion and enjoys extra attention. The Pomeranian makes a good watch dog and may bark at the approach of strangers and unknown pets.

Upkeep

The Pomeranian is active but diminutive, needing daily exercise but able to meet its needs with indoor games or short walks. Although it has a warm coat, it is too small and too family-oriented to live as an outdoor dog. Its double coat needs brushing twice weekly, more when shedding.

Official Breed Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
The Pomeranian in build and appearance should be a compact, short-coupled dog, well-knit in frame. He should exhibit great intelligence in his expression, activity and buoyancy in his deportment.

Head and Skull:
The head and nose should be foxy in outline, or wedge-shaped. The skull being slightly flat, large in proportion to the muzzle, which should finish rather fine and be free from lippiness. The hair on the head and face should be smooth and short-coated. The nose should be black in white, orange, and shaded-sable dogs; brown in chocolate tipped sable dogs, but in other colours may be "self-coloured", but never parti-coloured or white.

Eyes:
Should be medium in size, slightly oval in shape, not full, not set too wide apart, bright and dark in colour, and showing great intelligence. In white, orange, shaded-sable and cream dogs the rims round the eyes should be black.

Ears:
Should be small, not set too far apart, nor too low down, but carried perfectly erect like those of a fox.

Mouth:
Teeth should be level, and should on no account be undershot, or overshot.

Neck:
Should be rather short and well set in.

Forequarters:
The shoulders should be clean and well laid back. The legs must be well-feathered and perfectly straight, of medium length and not such as would be termed "leggy" or "low on leg", but in length and strength in due proportion to a well-balanced frame.

Body:
The back must be short and the body compact, being well-ribbed up and the barrel well-rounded. The chest must be fairly deep and not too wide but in proportion to the size of the dog.

Hindquarters:
The legs and thighs must be well-feathered down to the hocks and must be neither cow-hocked nor wide behind. They must be fine in bone and free in action.

Feet:
The feet should be small and compact in shape.

Tail:
The tail is one of the characteristics of the breed, and should be turned over the back and carried flat and straight, being profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading hair.

Coat:
There should be two coats, an undercoat and an overcoat, the one a soft, fluffy undercoat, the other a long, perfectly straight coat, harsh in texture and covering the whole of the body, being very abundant round the neck and fore-part of the shoulders and chest, where it shall form a frill of profuse off-standing straight hair, extending over the shoulders. The hindquarters should be clad with long hair or feathering from the top of the rump to the hocks

Colour:
All whole colours are admissible, but they should be free from black or white shadings. At present the whole-coloured dogs are: White, black, brown, light or dark blue, as pale as possible. Orange, which should be as self-coloured and bright as possible. Beaver. Cream dogs should have black noses and black rims around the eyes. Whites must be quite free from lemon or any other colour. A few white hairs, in any of the self-coloured dogs, shall not heavily penalise. Dogs (other than white) with white or tan markings, are decidedly objectionable and should be discouraged. They cannot compete as whole-coloured specimens. In parti-coloured dogs, the colours should be evenly distributed on the body in patches; a dog with white or tan feet or chest would not be a parti-coloured dog. Shaded-sables should be shaded throughout with three or more colours, the hair to be as uniformly shaded as possible, and with no patches of self-colour. In mixed classes, where whole-coloured and parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together, the preference should, if in other points they are equal, be given to the whole-coloured specimens.

Weight and Size:
1.8 to 2 kg. (4 - 4.5 lbs) for a dog and 2 to 2.5 kg (4.5 - 5.5 lbs) for bitches.

Faults:
Undershot or overshot mouths; double jointed; light eyes; off-coloured nose; a tail carried to the side: "hare'' feet.

Note:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.