Getting your Pomeranian and making it ready to compete

The American Kennel Club establishes standards of various dog breeds, including the Pomeranian. Before the American Kennel Club recognizes a breed, the breed has to have certain characteristics, referred to as standards of the breed, that remain stable generation after generation. Breed standards serve several functions. A dog owner buying an American Kennel Club recognized breed of dog knows how big a puppy will be when it grows up. All puppies start out small, but a Pomeranian owner knows he or she will end up with a dog that weighs in at seven pounds or less. Breed standards also predict temperament, and the owner of a Pomeranian puppy knows the grown dog will be playful, energetic and extroverted.

If you want to see you your Pomeranian compares to the show dogs that win American Kennel Club championships, grab your dog and your bathroom scale. You're about to find out whether you have a potential champion on your hands.

Well-known, established standards for breeds encourage good breeding practices. Toy dogs have fragile skeletal systems, and preventing the breed from getting too heavy helps reduce the likelihood of injury to bones and joints. Nearly everything about the Pomeranian is covered by the standards of the breed, from the dark nose to the high, plumed tail, which, according to breed standards, must lie flat and straight against the dogs' back. Pomeranians should have small, pointed ears, short muzzles and dark, almond-shaped eyes.

Pomeranian standards rely on proportions for definition of the Pomeranian's body. The breed's height from its elbows to its withers is about the same as the height from the ground to the elbows. The shoulder blade and the upper arm should be of approximately equal length. The Pomeranian has a double-coat consisting of a soft undercoat and a long, textured outer coat. The outer coat forms feathers on the legs and a frill around the shoulders and chest.

A soft, flat or open coat is a major fault that leads to disqualification.The standard of the breed permits the Pomeranian to be virtually every color, and all colors and variations must be judged equally. Common Pomeranian patterns include black and tan, brindle and parti-color. With black and tan, light patches appear above the eyes, on the muzzle, throat, chest, legs, feet, and under the tail. A brindle coat has a gold or red base with bold black stripes. A parti-color Pomeranian is white with patches of any other color, although a white blaze on the head is preferred.

In specialty shows, Pomeranian dogs are categorized into three different groups according to the color combinations of their coats. Red, orange and sable dogs are judged together while black and brown dogs are judged in a second group, and other variations are judged in a third group.

The AKC also judges a dog's temperament. The Pomeranian should be confident, intelligent and extroverted, spirited and full of personality. Breed standards define the dog and promote predictability. The American Kennel Club makes Pomeranian breed information available to anyone who wants to know what a champion Pomeranian looks like.

Health Considerations of Pomeranian Dog

Pomeranians have a life expectancy of from 12 to 16 years and have a number of common health problems. These health disorders include: congenital heart defects (patent ductus arteriosus); patellar luxation; eye disorders (progressive retinal atrophy and entropion); tracheal collapse; and low blood sugar in very small Poms. Explanations of many of these diseases can be found in our article "Hereditary Diseases in Dogs”. Watch out for early dental problems which are common in this breed. You should always neuter non-breeding males no later than 6 months of age to prevent leg-lifting problems. Because Pomeranians are expensive, there are a number of unscrupulous breeders selling puppies that are too big for the standard or ones that have a number of genetic problems. Always buy from a reputable breeder and always ask to see the parent’s OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) patellar luxation screening results as well as the recent CERF (Canine Eye Registry) results for eye diseases.

Pomeranian Dog

The history of the Pomeranian begins just south of the Baltic Sea. Named for Pomerania, which is now a part of Germany and Poland, Pomeranians are descended from large sled dogs from this region. Descendents of these northern sled dogs, large and small, are classified in the Spitz group. In the late 1800s, British royals desired to breed a smaller version of the Spitz to act as a household pet. Pomeranians were bred down to toy size from their direct ancestors, the German Spitz.Physically, Pomeranian puppies and adults are adorable toy dogs. Pomeranians generally resemble small foxes. This breed is known for characteristics such as: doll-like face, dark, almond shaped eyes, small feet, double coat of thick, full fur, pointed ears, and a thick, furry tail. Pomeranian coats may be a variety of colors: solid, sable or parti-colored. Pomeranians are considered toys due to the fact that they grow to an average miniature size of eight to eleven inches in height and three to seven pounds in weight.

Pomeranian breeders are experts on the breed standard desired in Pomeranian puppies. Breeders also know what health problems are specific to the breed. Pomeranians are prone to such defects as dislocated knees, heart conditions and dental problems.

Care of Pomeranian puppies requires discipline from an early age due to the fact that this breed is willful and demanding by nature. Pomeranians need to have their coats brushed at least twice weekly and their teeth brushed a minimum of once a week and optimally every day. Pomeranians rarely need bathing and bathing too much can wash away the natural oils needed for their fur to remain healthy.