Pomeranian Dog - Dog Breeds Information

Pomeranian is one of the many small breeds that have earned a good deal of popularity across the globe. This breed is believed to have descended from wolf-spitz type dogs that had migrated from the north of Russia and Siberia to Pomerania some long time ago. Researches have laid down the fact that Pomeranian shares the same ancestors with the arctic canine breeds like Keeshond and Samoyed. During the early period these spitz type dogs were used to work as sledge dogs and for guarding, however the smallest breeds were kept as companion dogs.

Tons of historical information could be found while dealing with the breed, Pomeranian, although, as a matter of fact, this breed were not known by this name until 1761, when Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III imported a couple of Zwergspitz - as the breed used to be known in Germany. But many of the works of Martin Luther (1483-1546) gave us the evidence of the popularity of the breed. Martin Luther owned a Pomeranian called Belferlein whom he mentioned quite often in many of his writings. There are a few other evidences like these that gave us an indiaction of the popularity of the breed back in 16^th and 17^th centuries too. Michelangelo's (1475-1564) Pom gave him company when he painted the famous 'Sistine Chapel ceiling'. Diamond – the pom of the genius Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) became famous after destroying Newton's research manuscripts. We still remember those kind words of Sir Newton to his darling little Pomaranian, Diamond after he destroyed his master's precious work: “Thou knowest the little mischief thou hast done”. We also know about Pimperl, the cute female pomeranian of music maestro Mozart (1756-1791). Mozart loved Pimperl so much that he dedicated an aria to her. The famous composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period Frédéric Chopin also gave us an indication of his love for his friend's Pomeranian, for whom he composed the "Valse des Petits Chiens".

Here is a brief profile for Pomeranian dogs:

General Appearance: Pomeranian is a small breed with an well formed compact and dainty structure, displaying a great glamor with dense coat. The tail is carried straight over the back of the dog, withouth being curled. As per the standard the tail should lie flat on the back, which is the is a characteristic of this breed, whichg sets the Pomeranian apart from any other dogs of spitz group. The crowning glory of the breed is due to it's profuse plume of the tail that reaches almost the back of the head, giving the dog a glorious impresion of the fluffy ball. The small round head, short fine muzzle, medium sized almond eyes and the tiny pricked ears gives an intelligent expression, adding an appeal to the breed overall look. Pomeranian has fine bones, short neck, short coupled solid body and cat-like feet. The gait is really impressive with plenty of style and sweetly smart gesture. The Pomeranian comes in a wide range colors including Cream, Black, Wolf Sable, Chocolate, Blue, Merle, Orange, Beaver, White, Orange Sable, and even Black & Tan and Parti color.

Size: Dogs - 1.8. kg to 2 kg; Bitches - 2kg. to 2.5. kg.

Height: Ranging from 20.3 cm – 27.9cm (8 inches – 11 inches). It should ne noted hereby that the standard of the breed deviates from most of the other dog breeds by requiring a size slightly larger for the females than the males.

Average Life Span: Average life span of Pomeranian is about 12 years. But it is not unusual for an well bred and well maintained Pomeranian to live happily even beyind that. Keeping your pom trimmed and scientifically maintained reduces the risk of health problems, thereby increasing the life span to even 19 years.

Temperament: Pomeranian is a playful family member, lively and very intelligent, with a bit too extrovert by nature. Due to his diminutive size accompanied by higher level of energy, Pomeranian should not be kept with children. This breed sometimes proves to be unfamiliar with kids. This breed is a good guard dog.

Specific Health Problems: Pomeranian is amongst the sturdy dog breeds and usually suffers from very few health problems. But there are certainly some specific ailments that the breed is commonly afflicted to. Some of the diseases are:

• Patella Luxation (Slipping Kneecaps) – like most of the toy breeds Pomeranians are often afflicted to this disease. Proper diet and right medication may be the solution but in worst cases, surgery may be the last resort.
• Collapsing trachea – This is again a very common ailments that the Pomeranians usually suffers from. Poms affected with this condition would make honking noise when excited. They would cough due to the feeling of the collapsing trachea.
• Hypothyroidism (low thyroid), eczema, mites, fungus infections, cushings disease, Entropian or ingrown eyelashes,Perthes disease are some of the other problems that this cute little breed may be affected with.
  

Other Information:

Other Names - Zwergspitz, Spitz nain, Spitz enano, Pom, Zwers
Country of origin – Germany and Poland
Classifications & standards -
a) Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) - Group Section 4 #97
b) American Kennel Club (AKC) - Toy
c) Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) - Group 1 (Toys)
d) Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) - Group 5 - Toys
e) Kennel Club (KC, United Kingdom) - Toy
f) Newzealand Kennel Club (NZKC) - Toy
g) United Kennel Club (UKC) - Companion Breeds