Discover the Pomeranian. Below explains some key information about breed.
The Pomeranian (often known as a Pom) is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe (today part of eastern Germany and northern Poland) and classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size. As determined by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale the Pomeranian is part of the German Spitz breed, and in many countries, they are known as the Zwergspitz (Dwarf Spitz), or Toy German Spitz.
Pomeranians are small dogs weighing between 1.8–3.5 kilograms (4.0–7.7 lb) and around 8.5–11 inches (22–28 cm) high at the withers.[1] It is a compact but sturdy dog with an abundant textured coat with a highly plumed tail set high and flat.[2] The top coat forms a ruff of hair on the neck and back, and it also has a fringe of feathery hair on the hindquarters.[3]
The earliest Poms were white or occasionally black, however in 1888 Queen Victoria adopted a small red Pomeranian which caused that color to become fashionable by the end of the 19th century. In modern times the Pomeranian come in the widest variety of colors of any dog breed, including white, black, brown, red, orange, cream, blue, sable, black and tan, brown and tan, spotted, brindle, plus combinations of those colors.[4] The most common colors are orange, black or cream/white.[2]
A recently appeared color in the Pomeranian genome is merle. Is is a combination of a solid base color with lighter blue/grey patches which gives a mottled effect. The most common base colors for the effect are red/brown or black, although it can also appear with other colors. Combinations such as brindle merle or liver merle are not accepted in the breed standard. In addition, the eye, nose and paw pad colors are different in merles, changing parts of the eye to blue and the color on the nose and paw pads to become mottled pink and black.
Pomeranians are typically very friendly, playful and active. This breed of dog loves to be around their owners, and is very intelligent and easy to train. Pomeranians are somewhat extroverted and can develop the habit of barking excessively in any situation. They are somewhat defensive and bark at any outside noise. Some also say that Pomeranians have a “Napoleon complex” because they are not afraid to stand up to dogs much bigger than they are in size. Because of their long double-coat, they tend to seek out cooler environments, and it is common to find them lying down on a cold floor, in the shade out of the sun when outside or on an isolated hard surface. Because of their size, they do well in condominiums and apartments, being able to adapt almost to any situation or environment.
The average life expectancy of a Pomeranian is between 12 to 16 years.[6] The breed suffers from a variety of health issues common to many breeds, although some issues such as hip dysplasia do not tend to be as great a problem due to the Pomeranian’s lightweight nature.[7]
Merle colored dogs may suffer from mild to severe deafness, increased intraocular pressure, ametropia, microphthalmia and colobomas. Merle dogs born from parents who are also both merles may additionally suffer from abnormalities of the skeletal, cardiac and reproductive systems.
