Pomeranian Dogs

From LoveToKnow Dogs

The Origin of Pomeranian Dogs

Pomeranian dogs are a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC) toy group. The name of these small but energetic dogs is derived from the region in which they originated, the Prussian region of Pomerania. The Spitz breeds are likely the ancestors of the Pomeranian.

Pomeranian

The Pom as we know it today is much smaller than their European ancestors. While modern day Pomeranians often weigh well below ten pounds, their ancestors tipped the scales at as much as 30 pounds.

The Pomeranian was a breed enjoyed by many in Europe. Notably, Marie Antoinette and Queen Victoria were both fond of the breed, with Queen Victoria even establishing her own Pomeranian kennel and showing the breed. She was also instrumental in the shift in size of this breed. Queen Victoria favored smaller Pomeranians, and as a result, many dog breeders began to incorporate smaller dogs and bitches into their breeding program to selectively breed smaller Pomeranians.

Physical Attributes

The Pom is a petite breed with a long, fluffy double coat, erect ears and a wedge-shaped head. Modern day Pomeranians typically range in size from 7-12 inches at the whithers and weigh approximately 3-7 pounds. As with most breeds, the bitches tend to be slightly smaller than the dogs.

The fur of a Pomeranian dog may be any solid color but some of the most commonly seen colors include red, orange, white and black. Two of the most distinguishing features of a Pomeranian are the almond shaped eyes, which are both dark and intelligent and the feathered tail, which curls forward over their backs.

Pomeranian Temperment

The Pomeranian is an interesting breed that can charm even those who believe they will never enjoy owning a toy breed. The Pomeranian has an incredibly independent and confident spirit combined with a never ending supply of energy. They also have a tendency to act as though they are unaware of their size and may provoke much larger dogs. The Pomeranian is also an incredibly intelligent breed that learns new tricks and behaviors with ease.

Their intelligence and confidence, however, can result in some training dilemmas. If the Pomeranian is not taught consistently and from an early age that the owner is the boss, they may have a tendency to be defiant and stubborn. Pomeranians also don’t do well with small children. Children are enamored by these small, fluffy dogs, but Pomeranian dogs do not have a great deal of patience for being poked and prodded by small children and may snap.

Activities Enjoyed by Pomeranians

Poms are extremely energetic, but they do quite well in an apartment environment because they don’t need much room to get their required exercise. Their high level of intelligence makes the Pomeranian a natural performer. They learn tricks with ease and are often found in the entertainment field, where they delight onlookers with their variety of tricks. Agility is one sport that Pomeranians enjoy. They are not the fastest breeds, but they have the intelligence and endurance necessary succeed in the sport.


 


Comments

Hi Suzy,

Are you sure this dog was never potty trained? He might have been trained by his original owner, but abuse can make a dog revert. My advice is to begin training him just as you would train a puppy. Since positive training methods are going to be crucial to success, I also recommend that you investigate clicker training. It helps you build on your dog's positive behaviors. There's a Karen Pryor dog clicker training kit that comes with a clicker and the book that explains the method and how to train your dog using it. I think this could be very beneficial in rehabilitating this poor litle dog and helping him have the life he deserves.

Best wishes.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

We have two beautiful Pomeranians, a female and male, both are very much loved members of our family. We have only owned the male for approximately 6 weeks, he has had a tragic life and is a pedigree with papers who was born in the USA and then when his owner died,he was brought out to New Zealand by his owners son who later sold him, he was then badly abused by the new owner and eventually ended up in a dog rescue home, we bought him off these people, he is 6 years old but is not toilet trained , whats the best way to toilet train an older dog. many thanks for your help. Suzy

-- Contributed by: Suzy

Hi Maureen,

Most shelter staff basically just look at a dog and try to figure out what it is by matching it to the closest breed it looks like. Not very scientific, and probably inaccurate a lot of the time. There are dog DNA tests available now that are supposed to be able to reveal your dog's ancestry with just a sample of his saliva. However, I've received some comments from people who have done that test and received some dubious results.

Although it would be fun to know exactly which breed or breeds your dog is, he's still the same dog that stole you heart regardless of his ancestry. Let us know if you decide to have him tested. It would be interesting to see the results.

Best wishes for a long and happy life together. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly
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